Recent Reads: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna  

Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date:  August 23, 2022

 

Format: Paperback
Source: Bought/Own

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a quirky new family--and a new love--changes the course of her life.

As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don't mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she's used to being alone and she follows the rules...with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos pretending to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.

But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and...Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he's concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.

As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn't the only danger in the world, and when a threat comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn't know she was looking for....

Review: 

This was such a lovely and cozy read. It warms your heart in all the right ways. 

Mika Moon is a real witch, but she also plays a fake one online making teas and potions for viewers and talking about withcy things that she loves, but hiding her true self. As a witch, she meets with The Society every three months but otherwise they try not to get together as a precaution. One day Mika gets a message from someone asking her to come tutor 3 young witches and ultimately she goes to help them. 

The plot of this book is multilayered. It is about Mika finding herself, found family, a romance, and about overcoming fears and it does all of this so well in a cute and simple way. Mika has to learn how to be a witch out in the open and with other witches, and understand that what she is looking for is the ability to be herself with others. She is able to process this and adapt within the walls of Nowhere House with this family. The romance is truely slow burn, nothing spicy, but simple and cute. Overall the book was slowly-paced but it fit the whole mood and was lovely. 

I liked Mika, she was passionate and trying to be happy. It is good to see characters dealing with loneliness and depression and overcoming them with the help of others. I though that the love interest, Jamie was perfectly broody and liked the grumpy/sunshine trope. The girls were my favorite though. They each had their own personality, it wasn't an afterthought, and they were hilarious. I appreciated their cominc relief throughout the book and they really acted like children would, which I really appreciate as well. 

Overall, this book just feels like a warm hug, a cup of hot cocoa, and a cosy fire all rolled into one. It was super cute and fun, and while dealing with some sad and difficult topics, it was bneautifully done.