Hi all!
A quick disclaimer: as I continue to uplift black voices and show more diversity on my blog, I want to state that whilst Sarah is not BIPOC, they are non-binary. I am thankful for the opportunity to support them and this book today.
Today’s post is in collaboration with The Book Bog, so a big thank you to Dana for working with me. A couple of months ago, we agreed to recommend each other 5 books from our preferred genre, with the aim of picking only one to read and review. To add to the fun, we decided to keep our selection a mystery until now. Dana prefers to read YA fantasy and I’m more of a YA contemporary reader. If you wish to check out her review from my suggestions, please click the link above. She has an amazing blog! The title clearly gives away what I ended up choosing, so without further ado, lets get into it!
WHY I CHOSE ‘MAGIC FOR LIARS’
Magic for Liars was the only book on Dana’s list that I had never heard of before. I wanted this collaboration to push me out of my comfort zone, which was one of the reasons I chose it. I have already read Vicious and wasn’t overly drawn to All the Stars and Teeth. I didn’t want to start another series just now, so I crossed out An Ember in the Ashes. A Curse so Dark and Lonely was my runner up, but it was still a series. Magic for Liars not only had top-notch reviews, it was a stand-alone novel and the plot sounded right up my alley! Harry Potter meets Veronica Mars? A female private investigator solving a murder at a magic school? SIGN ME UP!
WHAT I THOUGHT OF ‘MAGIC FOR LIARS’
Quick Plot Summary: Ivy Gamble is a private investigator with a drinking problem. One day, she is called upon by the headmistress of a magic school where her sister teaches to solve a murder. When Ivy arrives, she realises there are a lot of shady characters, hidden secrets and a case that will require her to lower all defenses in order to solve it.
Trigger Warnings: Cancer, Abortion, Slut-Shaming, Alcoholism and Gore.
Whenever I get to the end of a book, I gauge how it made me feel over any negatives that may have cropped up along the way. I really enjoyed this story. I was invested from the very beginning, a big-fan of the protagonist, Ivy Gamble and I felt the pacing was on point. What I loved most was Ivy’s problematic relationship with her sister. It was so well-written, heartbreaking and relatable for those who have suffered strained sibling dynamics. Sarah gave it a lot of attention and thought. The reason I didn’t give it a full 5 stars was because the ending was so abrupt. It was unsatisfying, rushed and very open-ended. I wanted to learn more about the magic system, how they protect their world from non-magical humans and more examples of spell-casting. Ivy didn’t follow up on a lot of leads and left so many loose-ends open which was a tad frustrating however, I appreciated how flawed and real her character was. I am so glad I picked this book and was introduced to Sarah Gailey’s writing. They are extremely proficient at writing character development, emotional bonds and self-deprecating humour. I definitely want to check out more of their works in the future.
WHAT I RATED ‘MAGIC FOR LIARS’
I gave it 4/5 stars.
I hope you enjoyed this fun collaboration. Once again, a huge thank you to Dana for doing this with me. Please check out her blog and my recommendations. If you’ve read this book before, let me know what you thought of it. Has my review made you want to read it? Thanks for reading!
Peace & Love xoxo
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