(by Rachel Griffin)
****.5/5
Book Review (minor spoilers):
I really enjoyed this book! It was such an easy read with an interesting concept. I liked that Griffin chose to keep the story simple: the only known Everwitch to be alive at this time hates her magic because it goes after those she cares about, and she's facing a solar eclipse that could strip her of her magic and stop the pain. Sounds simple right? Sure, in terms of plot, but the complexity of the Everwitch, Clara, leaps off the page. She's a girl with an intense amount of responsibility on her shoulders, and she doesn't want anything to do with it. She isolates herself because she thinks it keeps others safe from her volatile magic, but doesn't stop to think about how it's affecting her and others mentally.
Clara is given a new teacher to try to work through her fears, to master her magic, which changes every season. The other witches are only strong during their own season (whether a Spring, Autumn, etc.) while Clara's magic simply shifts. Her new teacher, Sang, is a Spring witch. As Clara grows in her magic, she learns to open herself up to new possibilities and tactics, challenging everything she ever thought about being an Everwitch.
What I Liked:
I loved the simplicity of the prose. It was magnetic, it was realistic (as realistic as a book about witches could be), and it was powerful. Clara is a difficult character to understand and love, but she's a teenager who has many reasons to fear and hate her magic. She's not being childish, she's reacting to trauma the only way that seems safe and sensible to her.
I love it when a hero is given trials that they don't always do well in or succeed. Seeing the main character face failure, whether large or small, helps humanize them, and sympathize us as the reader to their cause. Clara suffers in many different ways, some big and some small, some predictable and some not. It's brilliant.
Also, there were lots of the trope "MC is injured/sick and love interest takes care of her" which I am obsessed with. I got so many warm fuzzies while reading this book!
What I Didn't Like:
Honestly, not a lot. It was a really good book. The romance was cute, poignant, and didn't happen immediately. Some aspects of Clara's past weren't my favorite, but then again, I am incredibly picky.
Parental Guidance:
This is honestly a really good book for the teen/young adult crowd. There's minimal language, but it is present, and there is a bit of death.
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