Staff Book Review

Introducing Staff Book Reviews 📖

Ever wonder what library staff are reading? Keep a lookout for more book reviews each month! Meet Lily - "Lily is a Library Assistant at the Gray Branch. When she isn’t reading, you can find her hanging out with her dog, starting a new craft that she probably won’t finish, or wishing she had magical powers."

This month, Lily reviewed The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna!

"The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a cozy fantasy by Sangu Mandanna. It follows witch Mika Moon as she takes a new job at Nowhere House teaching three young witches – Rosetta, Terracotta, and Altamira – how to control their magic. As she teaches the girls about magic, Mika also grows closer with the adult residents of Nowhere House, particularly brooding-but-handsome librarian and tutor Jamie. When Nowhere House and the haven that it offers to all four witches is threatened, Mika learns how much she truly values the family and home she has found.

All her life, Mika was taught that witches could not live close to one another because it made magic unstable and therefore risked the exposure of all witches. She was a lonely child, raised by nannies who had their memories of Mika erased if they saw signs of her magic. Her guardian, Primrose, is a stern, disapproving older witch who strictly enforces the rule about witches not living near each other. As an adult, Mika has an itinerant lifestyle, traveling around and working different short-term jobs with her best friend, Circe the Golden Retriever. The most lasting form of social connection that she allows herself is posting videos where she “pretends” to be a witch and makes magical potions and teas. While Mika’s videos and persona are harmless overall, her videos catch the attention of Ian Kubo-Hawthorn, one of the adult residents of Nowhere House.

Ian, whose mother was a witch, immediately recognizes Mika for what she is and contacts her about coming to help with the girls. Though she is hesitant at first, Mika warms to the chaos and coziness of Nowhere and its residents. Ian and his husband, Ken, are warm and welcoming to Mika from the beginning and are delightful side characters. While Ian is

flamboyant and loud, Ken is quiet and grounded. Lucie, the housekeeper at Nowhere House, is also a happy presence in Mika’s new life. Though we do not learn much about her backstory, we know she came to Nowhere House after leaving an abusive relationship. She brings a strong, motherly presence to the house.

The fourth adult at Nowhere House, Jamie, is less open to Mika when she arrives. He is grumpy, closed off, and fiercely protective toward the three girls and his home. Jamie first came to Nowhere House at sixteen when he ran away from an abusive situation at home. He was taken in by Lillian Nowhere, the house’s owner and the three girls’ legal guardian. Eventually, as she develops relationships with each of the girls and the other adult residents of Nowhere House, Jamie begins to warm to Mika. As the two learn to trust and accept one another, they also develop a romantic relationship that is charming and sweet.

The most significant part of the book is the relationship that Mika develops with each of the girls. She really takes the phrase “be the person you needed when you were younger” and runs with it, showing them love, grace, and empathy that she never received as a child. Rosetta, the oldest of the girls, is curious and eager to learn. Mika sees her younger self in Rosetta’s desire to know about the outside world and does all she can to help Rosetta have a different experience than Mika herself had. The middle child, Terracotta, is prickly and much more reluctant to trust Mika. Like Jamie, she is fiercely protective of her family and home and does not trust easily. As the book goes on, though, she learns to trust Mika and allows her to become a part of the family. Altamira is the youngest witch, and her magic is the most unpredictable, but she is also the most open and joyful of the trio.

Despite the fact that each of the young witches have different needs, Mika meets them where they are and shows them that their magic is not something to hide, but something to celebrate. She teaches them a lesson Primrose did not teach her: magic is a beautiful part of who they are – not something that they should be ashamed of or forced to keep secret. This becomes even more important when Edward, Lillian Nowhere’s solicitor, comes to visit and chaos ensues, threatening the quirky little family and their life at Nowhere House. Ultimately, Mika and the three young witches use their bond to show Primrose (and the rest of the witch community) that witches do not have to live in isolation to be safe, loved, or accepted.

This book feels like a warm hug on a chilly day. It’s a cozy, magical, delightful read about found family and learning to let people get close enough to love the real you. The characters are diverse and authentic with problems and feelings that feel real and relatable. Through each of the characters in The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, we learn that everyone deserves to be accepted just as they are, for everything they are, not for everything someone else wishes they could be. It will make you laugh out loud, warm your heart, and maybe even make you cry just a little bit (but in a good way). If you’re looking for world-altering stakes, intense magical battles, and mythical creatures, this one might not be for you. However, if you’re interested in the magic of everyday life and the ways that ordinary people can become extraordinary to one another, meet your new favorite book."