The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Publication Date: 23rd August 2022
Genre: Contemporary Paranormal Romance (Witchy Rom-Com)
4.5 Stars
One Liner: So cute! Entertaining, enjoyable, and sweet
Mika Moon is a witch and a part of the secret society that meets once every three months. The rules are simple. Stay low, don’t call attention to your witchy magic, and stay away from other witches.
Mika is used to the rules but yearns to talk about her witching abilities without exposing herself. A social media account seems like a great way to achieve it until she gets an offer to teach three young witches to control and use their magic.
Nowhere House seems to be overflowing with magic, and Mika slowly realizes it is a home she never had. But she and the people of Nowhere House have to deal with a few issues before thinking about the future. Will Mika risk everything to protect a family she recently got to know? What about her future?
The story comes in limited third-person POV of Mika (and Jamie).
My Observations:
The book has diverse characters, and some of them work well (read my note at the end for more but finish the review first).
Some characters are basically tropes, but they still come alive on the page. The kiddos, Rosette (10, black), Terracotta (8, Vietnamese), and Altamira (7, Palestinian), are such little cutie pies! Each of them has a definite personality.
The pacing is steady, though it slips a little in the last part. A lot happens too, but it works out pretty well overall.
Magic is an integral part of the story and blends really well with the setting and atmosphere.
Mika is a lovely character and easy to root for.
The attraction between Jamie and Mika is more of a slow burn and suits the storyline. It is a bit predictable, but that’s what this genre is about. The predictability is comforting.
The book is all cutesy and sweet yet deals with important topics like family, relationships, loneliness, friendships, etc.
The writing style is easy to read. It is lighthearted and filled with enough quirks to make you chuckle.
*****
I saw some reviewers tagging the book as Indian rep (and a few more relevant tags). Mika is an Indian raised and bought up in Britain by a Britisher. Now Mika is as Indian as Aavakaya is British, which is a big fat zero.
I have no issues with this because the story justifies it. But Mika is not an ‘Indian’ Indian. It didn’t even occur to me that she was Indian despite the hints strewn in the first half. I imagined her more as a mixed-race Britisher at the most.
If the Indian rep is important to you, this book doesn’t deliver in that category. But if you just want a super cute witchy story, you’ll enjoy it a lot more. Forget the rep and imagine Mika any way you want.
*****
To sum up, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a sweet book with loveable characters. It’s a perfect read for a lazy afternoon.
Thank you, NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton, for the eARC.
*****
P.S: Aavakaya is a spicy raw mango pickle made in Andhra Pradesh (South India).
#NetGalley #IrregularWitches
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