This was so compelling and exciting that I was going to give it four stars. I loved the mystery (a teacher at a high school for magic students is found split in half, and Ivy must figure out if it was a magic spell gone wrong or if it was murder). I loved the dynamics of the school, and Ivy's perspective on high schoolers versus adults. She was a pitiful sadsack and I never felt like I understood her (she had no friends, no hobbies, was basically a mid thirties caricature of a real person), but I was rooting for her anyway.

Unfortunately the ending left a bad taste in my mouth.

Spoiler

The surgical/magical abortion thing was interesting, and I liked how gross the magic was, but it all unraveled too fast compared to the rest of the story's pacing. I was also so furious that she literally let her sister get away with murder. The reader is treated to an entire book about how Ivy feels like she doesn't know her sister and they aren't close, and I'm supposed to believe she just lets her get away with torturing a student and accidentally killing her lover? FUCK THAT. I also didn't like that it ends with her sitting on the stoop waiting for Rahul. She was a crazy bitch who pretended to be magical just to make herself feel good, and I don't like that she is hopeful about getting back together with him.