Now, Conjurers

Not bad at all; more than a few moments that had me flinching and curling in on myself, which is always nice in a horror novel. Boy makes friends (as well as love interest and eventual boyfriend), finds out that they're all actually a coven, becomes part of said coven, and then is devasted when boyfriend turns up horribly murdered and mutilated by what's apparently something unnatural--if the level of violence wasn't a clue about that, then the fact that everyone outside of the coven forgets that the boy ever existed and that the week itself had ever happened would have been a dead giveaway.

I liked the characters, though I felt like Cameron, the dead boy's rival, took a bit too long to settle into a good characterization instead of show more flip-flopping between villain caricature and pitiable "bully with baggage." He got there, but not soon enough for me to empathize with him during the climax. I was relieved that my worries of a Deus Ex plot resolution weren't realized (for the most part, anyway, although making Bastion the only one in the history of those mixed up with the Big Bad Evil to think of a trick to outsmart it might be seen as a little convenient). Can definitely recommend, although a few of the references to sexual activities bordered on what some teens might find uncomfortable. show less

3/5
Queer witches, wishes, history, and love.

CW // blood, gore, occult, spellwork, ritualistic self harm, drinking, smoking, child abuse, dysfunctional families, drug addiction and recovery, strong language, grief

Nesbit's boyfriend, Bastion, is found brutally murdered in the rural town of North Dana in November of 1999. He's the glue of North Coven, consisting of Nesbit, Dove, Drea, and Brandy. They have to believe in themselves and each other if they want to solve the suspicious and bloody death. There are plenty of secrets to be uncovered as the group struggle to overcome an ancient being.
A story of love, loss, and family with magic, death, and the prices people will pay for what they love.

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I loved Bastion the most. I liked the show more girls a lot but they blurred together. They felt like a more authentic goth group, but also easily a cliche with how much they hated the preppy rich kids. But honestly, at that age, everything is a label and everything is *so serious*. The idea sounded really great and the action started quite quickly, but it soon started to drag and I lost interest. I would have enjoyed a much shorter book, maybe 100 pages shorter.

The grief was authentic but it was weird to have Nesbit breaking the fourth wall so much in the beginning. "All details matter" made me think this was going to be a twisty murder mystery, but it didn't feel like it by the middle of the book.

This book just wasn't for me. I did like Cameron, but by the time he started being a real character I had already lost interest. This book wasn't scary, it's supernatural but it wasn't spooky or frightening so it fell flat in the horror category.

The year doesn't seem to matter. November of 1999 feels more like any year. There's a Nokia that gave me nostalgia, but nothing else that truly placed me in the time period. The dates matter, but the year doesn't. It just feels like the 90's is when all horror settings are and it's not fresh to me anymore.

Thankful that my local library has this. Check out if your library has it! show less