Bad Witch Burning is bloody and brilliant. I read it in one sitting; I dare you to try and look away once you start reading.

Katrell doesn’t have time for high school, she’s more focused on helping her mom try and pay the rent. Katrell has a secret gift: when she writes a letter to the dead, she can summon them to have a conversation with the living. On a fateful night when everything goes wrong, Katrell realizes that isn’t the extent of her powers. Katrell can resurrect the dead...or can she? With the help of her best friend Willa, Katrell stretches her magical powers to the limit to provide for her family. As word spreads of her powers and dangerous people seek her out, Katrell has to decide how far she will go for power.

Bad Witch Burning is gritty and real, pulling no punches. Katrell is in a fight for her survival, dealing with an emotionally manipulative mother and her mother’s evil and physically abusive boyfriend. This is not a lighthearted story, but the story of a witch forced to fight for herself in a world where no one else will- or so she believes.

Willa is my favorite character without a doubt; she is Katrell’s guiding star. Willa is also slowly recovering from the extensive abuse she suffered in the foster system. I loved her character growth! Katrell and Willa’s interactions were so well-written. While Katrell believes that no one is looking out for her, I appreciated the inclusion of her concerned guidance counselor Mike. The Revenants (people Trell resurrects) were chilling and haunting; I loved how Lewis portrayed them.

When her magic begins demanding more and more of her energy, Katrell has to balance her ambition and desperation with her will to stay alive. Katrell is such a fantastic character who I know will stay with me long after the last page. I loved the conclusion SO much!! It had such beautiful symbolism and made a lot of sense in terms of magical world-building.

I highly recommend you add this to your list of powerful, unputdownable reads that is ideal for the fall season. It might make you cry, it’ll make you reflect, you’ll contemplate what you might do with Katrell’s power. I can’t wait to read what Jessica Lewis writes next!

As always, please check trigger warnings or ask me if you have content questions!

Danica is a modern witch who must never let a mundane see her use magic, while Titus is the town baker. Danica and Titus meet and are quickly entangled in a forbidden romance. Since Danica is unable to reveal that she is a witch, really only Danica knows that it is forbidden. The small town they live in is a fishbowl and Danica must keep their relationship a secret from her grandmother. Meanwhile, Titus believes he is cursed to never find love that lasts.

Witch Please had a very solid premise! With a generous helping of insta-love, sparks fly when Danica and Titus first lay eyes on each other. Unfortunately, Titus is not someone I could really get behind as a character. This was in part due his personality, but also some of the choices that he makes. While both of them are burdened in different ways, the resolution for their problems felt contrived and based in simple miscommunication.

I liked that Danica had a strong group of friends who she is able to rely on as she navigates pressure from family and the dangers of accidentally revealing magic. However, there is an excess of trivial information that threatens to overwhelm or bore the reader in certain scenes. I also struggled with the pacing of the plot and magical world-building inconsistencies. My favorite part of this book was the LGBTQ+ inclusivity in side/background characters, though this also could have used more development.

While this book didn’t quite hit the mark for me, I do think many readers will find this an agreeable and cheerfully straightforward read. If you’re looking for a light, cozy romance with a touch of magic then I would recommend Witch Please. Thank you to Ann Aguirre, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 rounded up

Among Thieves follows an unlikely band of thieves, smugglers, and rogues as they attempt an impossible heist. Ryia is one of the most feared assassins on the docks, but she has secrets that are rapidly catching up to her. When an opportunity appears to strike back at the king who has kept her on the run for years, Ryia is determined to have revenge. To succeed, she’ll need a crew. But every member of her crew has secret, selfish motivations of their own.

The beginning was very strong, especially as the crew came together. However, the ending felt rushed to me, though I consistently enjoyed the character interactions and witty banter. I wanted the crew to have more time to bond and reveal more about their personal lives and histories. As the tension builds and betrayals occur, the ending is fast-paced and impossible to put it down.

One of my favorite things about this book was the LGBTQ+ representation. Ryia was one of my favorite characters! She was absolutely hilarious and I would love a novella following her adventures. The magical world-building was very intriguing and I would have liked to see the concepts explored even more. I’m surprised this is a standalone because it definitely felt like more adventures were to follow.

I would recommend Among Thieves to anyone looking for a standalone magical heist featuring LGBTQ+ representation. Thank you very much to M.J. Kuhn, Gallery Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

So Many Beginnings is a fantastic and heartwarming retelling of Little Women. As soon as I saw that Bethany C. Morrow was writing it, I knew that I wanted to check it out! While drawing upon elements that will be familiar to those who’ve read Little Women, Morrow creates lovable characters and an enthralling story all her own. I loved the changes that Morrow made to the original story and appreciated the historical context that she provided. I devoured this book in a single sitting!

So Many Beginnings incorporates themes of transition, family, and finding where you belong in the world. Along the way, Morrow addresses Freedmen’s Colony on Roanoke Island, being Black in the Civil War era, racism, and what it meant to be freed from slavery. The bond of sisterhood and love between the March family is as strong as ever in this remix. Morrow also includes chronic illness, horrifyingly accurate historical details, and hints of LGBTQ rep. I particularly loved what I interpreted as one of the sisters identifying as asexual. Morrow writes such engaging characters that you can’t help but feel that this family of March girls is real. I highly recommend you read So Many Beginnings if you want to learn from history (what we weren’t taught at school) and enjoy stories about a warm, tightly-knit passionate family who will do anything for each other.

This is another outstanding book from Bethany C. Morrow! Whether you’ve read Little Women before or not, be sure not to miss this historical fiction remix. So Many Beginnings releases September 7, 2021. Thank you very much to Bethany C. Morrow, Macmillan Children’s Publishing, and BookishFirst for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.