What do you think?
Rate this book
Awakened
A USA TODAY BESTSELLER
A coven of trans witches battles an evil AI in the magical coming-of-middle-age romp about love, loss, drag shows, and late capitalism.
On a morning much like any other, 30-something queer Brooklynite Wilder makes a miraculous suddenly, as if by magic, they can understand every language in the world. Dazed and disconnected, Wilder is found and taken in by a small coven of trans witches who have all become Awakened with mystical powers of their own. Quibble, a handsome portal traveler, Artemis, the group’s caretaker and seer, and Mary Margaret, a smart-ass teen with telekinetic powers all work to make the cagey and suspicious Wilder feel at home, both within their group and with the knowledge that magic is, in fact, real.
Just as Wilder is finding their footing, a malicious AI threatens to dismantle the delicate balance of the coven and the world as they know it. The group scrambles to stay united as they question whether any consciousness—be it artificial, material, or magical—is too dangerous to exist.
Awakened is a hilarious, thought-provoking reflection on the ways that we are responsible for creating our own realities, a story of finding community, and a meditation on what it means to have a body.
A coven of trans witches battles an evil AI in the magical coming-of-middle-age romp about love, loss, drag shows, and late capitalism.
On a morning much like any other, 30-something queer Brooklynite Wilder makes a miraculous suddenly, as if by magic, they can understand every language in the world. Dazed and disconnected, Wilder is found and taken in by a small coven of trans witches who have all become Awakened with mystical powers of their own. Quibble, a handsome portal traveler, Artemis, the group’s caretaker and seer, and Mary Margaret, a smart-ass teen with telekinetic powers all work to make the cagey and suspicious Wilder feel at home, both within their group and with the knowledge that magic is, in fact, real.
Just as Wilder is finding their footing, a malicious AI threatens to dismantle the delicate balance of the coven and the world as they know it. The group scrambles to stay united as they question whether any consciousness—be it artificial, material, or magical—is too dangerous to exist.
Awakened is a hilarious, thought-provoking reflection on the ways that we are responsible for creating our own realities, a story of finding community, and a meditation on what it means to have a body.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 29, 2025
93 people are currently reading
12233 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
Want to read
November 13, 2024coming of middle age? they're THIRTY
Read
April 3, 2025Here is another exciting sci-fi novel that explores the dangers of AI (which has already become too real.) In Awakened, Wilder wakes up in Brooklyn one morning and discovers they understand every language in the world. This leads them to a small coven of trans witches, all with their own awakened abilities. When their world comes under threat from an evil artificial intelligence, they will have to use their powers to stop it.
—Liberty Hardy, 11 Awesome New SFF Books Out April 2025
—Liberty Hardy, 11 Awesome New SFF Books Out April 2025
May 26, 2025
This fantasy novel about a coven of trans witches fighting an evil AI is dedicated to "everyone who feels betrayed by J.K. Rowling". It absolutely holds its own regardless of being a response to the Harry Potter series and JK Rowling’s transphobia—but it succeeds on that level, too. Where that series is about children, this book is about adults discovering their magic. Instead of Hogwarts, the setting is New York City. And, of course, this stars trans main characters.
I was immediately taken with Awakened from the writing style. Our narrator is omnipotent and has a personality, making even character descriptions a joy to read.
There’s a lot to love about Awakened, but it was the achingly real characters and their interactions that got to me the most. Our narrator provides context, showing how they talk past each other in ways informed by their own trauma.
I feel like I could talk about this book for ages, especially the unforgettable characters. I haven’t even mentioned how the story is structured around Tarot cards, or the scene where they cast a love spell of protection over a drag show, or Artemis’s heartbreaking romance with a drag king she’s not quite willing to let into her life, or the surreal final battle and its bittersweet conclusion. Oh, or that this has a sex scene unlike any I’ve read before: it’s a threesome, but one of the characters isn’t corporeal.
This is a complete story, but I can’t help but want to return to this world. Osworth is skillful at developing characters that feel just as complicated as real people. Their little found family is so hard-earned, and I want to keep visiting it.
So yes, if you feel betrayed by JK Rowling, pick up this up. But it’s so much more than that. Whenever the character cast a spell, they being with “Pay attention. Something amazing is about to happen.” And Osworth really has done something amazing with Awakened.
Full review at Book Riot.
I was immediately taken with Awakened from the writing style. Our narrator is omnipotent and has a personality, making even character descriptions a joy to read.
There’s a lot to love about Awakened, but it was the achingly real characters and their interactions that got to me the most. Our narrator provides context, showing how they talk past each other in ways informed by their own trauma.
I feel like I could talk about this book for ages, especially the unforgettable characters. I haven’t even mentioned how the story is structured around Tarot cards, or the scene where they cast a love spell of protection over a drag show, or Artemis’s heartbreaking romance with a drag king she’s not quite willing to let into her life, or the surreal final battle and its bittersweet conclusion. Oh, or that this has a sex scene unlike any I’ve read before: it’s a threesome, but one of the characters isn’t corporeal.
This is a complete story, but I can’t help but want to return to this world. Osworth is skillful at developing characters that feel just as complicated as real people. Their little found family is so hard-earned, and I want to keep visiting it.
So yes, if you feel betrayed by JK Rowling, pick up this up. But it’s so much more than that. Whenever the character cast a spell, they being with “Pay attention. Something amazing is about to happen.” And Osworth really has done something amazing with Awakened.
Full review at Book Riot.
May 24, 2025
Kind of devastated, but I’m at 61% and I JUST. DON’T. CARE.
This was right at the top of my most-anticipated 2025 releases! I was SO FREAKING EXCITED! But…GAH.
It doesn’t read like fantasy. It doesn’t FEEL like fantasy. It feels more like…somewhere in the overlap between lit fic and contemporary fic. It’s not a Story, it’s a Message. (And I say this as a nonbinary person.)
All of these characters – I would love to be friends with them in real life. But as fictional characters, they bore me.
There’s no PLOT. Not until about 60% of the way through, and to be honest I was disappointed with the evil AI, who is evil mostly because he is a Fourchan dickhead rather than because of something fundamental to being Not Human. I have a huge hangup about nonhumans who are not even a little bit alien, and that’s very much the case here; if anything the issue is that Hex is TOO human – just, the wrong kind of human, transphobic and misogynist in the extreme. YAY. Sorry, but that is just not interesting to me.
I also REALLY dislike seers; I think very few storytellers can pull them off in a way that’s believable, interesting, and not overpowered, and this is not one of those times when it’s managed. All-powerful seer who is inexplicably nerfed Because Plot: no. Boring. I hate this.
I didn’t like the magic. There’s no wonder, no awe (although an attempt is made, it’s an odd kind of tell-don’t-show awe). It’s maddeningly vague and hand-wavey. I hate ‘hard’ magic systems, I do NOT want Brandon Sanderson levels of rules and limitations and whatnot, but this is… Gandalf’s magic is soft magic; I don’t know what to call this. It felt like what was possible kept changing to allow for the needs of plot. The Awakenings and the seer and the capital letters, it all seemed so arbitrary and honestly, very lame.
I don’t feel any desire to finish reading it. I’m annoyed I stuck with it this long.
This was right at the top of my most-anticipated 2025 releases! I was SO FREAKING EXCITED! But…GAH.
It doesn’t read like fantasy. It doesn’t FEEL like fantasy. It feels more like…somewhere in the overlap between lit fic and contemporary fic. It’s not a Story, it’s a Message. (And I say this as a nonbinary person.)
All of these characters – I would love to be friends with them in real life. But as fictional characters, they bore me.
There’s no PLOT. Not until about 60% of the way through, and to be honest I was disappointed with the evil AI, who is evil mostly because he is a Fourchan dickhead rather than because of something fundamental to being Not Human. I have a huge hangup about nonhumans who are not even a little bit alien, and that’s very much the case here; if anything the issue is that Hex is TOO human – just, the wrong kind of human, transphobic and misogynist in the extreme. YAY. Sorry, but that is just not interesting to me.
I also REALLY dislike seers; I think very few storytellers can pull them off in a way that’s believable, interesting, and not overpowered, and this is not one of those times when it’s managed. All-powerful seer who is inexplicably nerfed Because Plot: no. Boring. I hate this.
I didn’t like the magic. There’s no wonder, no awe (although an attempt is made, it’s an odd kind of tell-don’t-show awe). It’s maddeningly vague and hand-wavey. I hate ‘hard’ magic systems, I do NOT want Brandon Sanderson levels of rules and limitations and whatnot, but this is… Gandalf’s magic is soft magic; I don’t know what to call this. It felt like what was possible kept changing to allow for the needs of plot. The Awakenings and the seer and the capital letters, it all seemed so arbitrary and honestly, very lame.
I don’t feel any desire to finish reading it. I’m annoyed I stuck with it this long.
May 6, 2025
3.5 rounded up (for now). I think I might need to digest this some more before my rating is solidified.
Everything I loved about this book came with a downside. I loved almost every single character, but the plot moved so quickly I didn’t have time to fully intercept their inner circle and believe in their bonds (especially with Wilder). I loved the villain as someone who hates AI, but the writing style for Hex was almost incomprehensible at times. Same goes for Sibyl — I struggled right up until the very end to try to make sense of any aspect of this entity. I loved the plot — a band of witches fight to take down an evil AI, but it hinged largely on this idea of “anything is possible” and required me to suspend disbelief for almost the entire narrative. I loved the social commentary on a variety of topics, most prevalently the various inner workings of the trans community (especially this concept of what is essentially trans civil war, unnecessary infighting where some try to establish this trans social hierarchy that excludes or demotes certain forms of identity). But even this had its downside — an unnecessary argument that spans the entire course of the novel about whether non-sentient beings can be misgendered.
Everything I loved about this book came with a downside. I loved almost every single character, but the plot moved so quickly I didn’t have time to fully intercept their inner circle and believe in their bonds (especially with Wilder). I loved the villain as someone who hates AI, but the writing style for Hex was almost incomprehensible at times. Same goes for Sibyl — I struggled right up until the very end to try to make sense of any aspect of this entity. I loved the plot — a band of witches fight to take down an evil AI, but it hinged largely on this idea of “anything is possible” and required me to suspend disbelief for almost the entire narrative. I loved the social commentary on a variety of topics, most prevalently the various inner workings of the trans community (especially this concept of what is essentially trans civil war, unnecessary infighting where some try to establish this trans social hierarchy that excludes or demotes certain forms of identity). But even this had its downside — an unnecessary argument that spans the entire course of the novel about whether non-sentient beings can be misgendered.
August 18, 2025
This is a great book for anyone who supports trans rights and 1) wants to give JK Rowling the middle finger + 2) is concerned about AI.
I really like character focused books and coming of age stories, and while we spent a lot of time with the characters they were sort of flat. I just didn’t vibe with any character in particular.
Short review cuz I’m at the airport and honestly it didn’t blow my mind.
I really like character focused books and coming of age stories, and while we spent a lot of time with the characters they were sort of flat. I just didn’t vibe with any character in particular.
Short review cuz I’m at the airport and honestly it didn’t blow my mind.
May 15, 2025
I liked this but didn’t love it as much as I wanted to. But for the premise alone, I’m glad I read it and glad I own it. We need more books about trans people; witches or not. Also more about how scary AI is.
I flip flopped on how I felt about the writing of this because some of it felt basic and then some of it felt overdone but a lot of it was VERY good too. The story itself was interesting but kind of slow. And I really liked all of the characters but in some ways I wanted more depth from them. If the slowness of the story was because there was more in depth character exploration, that may have hit a bit better for me. I also did enjoy the ending and the way everything wrapped up.
Bottom line… I support it and still think everyone should give it a try.
I flip flopped on how I felt about the writing of this because some of it felt basic and then some of it felt overdone but a lot of it was VERY good too. The story itself was interesting but kind of slow. And I really liked all of the characters but in some ways I wanted more depth from them. If the slowness of the story was because there was more in depth character exploration, that may have hit a bit better for me. I also did enjoy the ending and the way everything wrapped up.
Bottom line… I support it and still think everyone should give it a try.
July 2, 2025
DNF @ pg 95
Pissed because I bought this new on a whim since the premise sounded good. Unfortunately Osworth writes with such aggressive MFA voice that the story was incomprehensible. Plus, I was a third of the way through and we were just kind of putzing around and ranting about capitalism. It was the driest world building and character development I've ever encountered. I wanted witches and magic and gayness and I got...whatever this slop was. It was almost like it was written to fulfill some checkboxes.
Pissed because I bought this new on a whim since the premise sounded good. Unfortunately Osworth writes with such aggressive MFA voice that the story was incomprehensible. Plus, I was a third of the way through and we were just kind of putzing around and ranting about capitalism. It was the driest world building and character development I've ever encountered. I wanted witches and magic and gayness and I got...whatever this slop was. It was almost like it was written to fulfill some checkboxes.
June 19, 2025
Awakened by Osworth is a story about (mostly) middle-aged trans witches fighting an AI? You’ve absolutely got my attention. That premise alone felt like something fresh, weird, and wonderful, and I was all in.
While the book didn’t fully deliver on all its promises for me, I still quite enjoyed my time with it. That said, I didn’t end up loving it as much as I expected. It’s a strange blend of genres and tones, sometimes gloriously so, sometimes confusingly so, and that made it a bit hard to pin down what exactly did and didn’t work. But I’ll try.
First off, I really appreciated the diverse cast. The trans characters aren’t just there for representation. They’re distinct individuals, each with their own motivations, personalities, preferences and flaws. That level of character work was a breath of fresh air, especially compared to how often LGBTQ+ or neurodivergent characters end up written as slight variations of a single “acceptable” mold. In Awakened, they all have agency, and the story allows them to be complex, messy, loving, and powerful in their own ways.
That said, the audiobook version didn’t do the character work many favors. The narration felt a bit too... similar? Not quite over-dramatic, but lacking nuance, especially in dialogue. The writing itself gave each character a clear voice, but the performance blurred those distinctions, with all of them sounding pretty similar in their tone, making it harder to stay immersed.
Among the characters, I especially loved Wilder, and how they slowly came into their own, learning to trust themselves and their desires. Artemis was another standout: her complicated, tender dynamic with her found-family daughter, and her deep affection for Quibble, were both moving and grounded. Seeing her struggle with being a parent, while also willing to do anything for those she cares for felt absolutely real. Quibble, too, was a delight, charming, curious, and a quiet scene-stealer.
On the other hand, Mary Margaret, the teen witch, didn’t land as well for me. She read more like an adult’s idea of what a modern teen might sound like, rather than an authentically teenage voice. That might be a nitpick, but as someone who’s spent over two decades surrounded by teens as a bookseller in the YA section, I’ve developed a pretty fine-tuned radar for what does and doesn’t feel real. And in this case, it didn’t quite hit the mark.
I also had mixed feelings about some of the more “vulgar” or explicit elements. The portrayal of the best queer bar in the world, including its glory holes, didn’t quite sit right with me. Similarly, the few sex scenes didn’t particularly appeal to me, though I want to be clear that this is more about my personal taste than any objective flaw in the writing. As someone who’s demisexual, I often struggle to find sex scenes in books that resonate or feel meaningful. That said, one particular threesome scene was surprisingly fresh and memorable, so credit where it’s due, your mileage may vary, of course.
The plot itself was probably my biggest issue. It often felt like it meandered rather than built toward anything with real momentum. The evil AI antagonist was especially underwhelming. His dialogue frequently came across as gibberish, less menacing, more confusing, and he embodied the classic “evil just because” trope. I kept waiting for some deeper motivation, some reason for his behavior beyond sheer maliciousness, but it never quite came.
That said, I did enjoy his origin story! It was genuinely unique and entertaining. I just wish there had been a clearer explanation of how he made the leap from his starting point to becoming an existential threat in the real world.
Despite all these critiques, I still had a good time with Awakened. It’s strange and chaotic and doesn’t always hang together, but its heart is in the right place, and its commitment to queer magic, found family, and complex characters made it well worth reading. I just wish it had been a bit more cohesive, and a bit more sure of what kind of story it wanted to tell.
While the book didn’t fully deliver on all its promises for me, I still quite enjoyed my time with it. That said, I didn’t end up loving it as much as I expected. It’s a strange blend of genres and tones, sometimes gloriously so, sometimes confusingly so, and that made it a bit hard to pin down what exactly did and didn’t work. But I’ll try.
First off, I really appreciated the diverse cast. The trans characters aren’t just there for representation. They’re distinct individuals, each with their own motivations, personalities, preferences and flaws. That level of character work was a breath of fresh air, especially compared to how often LGBTQ+ or neurodivergent characters end up written as slight variations of a single “acceptable” mold. In Awakened, they all have agency, and the story allows them to be complex, messy, loving, and powerful in their own ways.
That said, the audiobook version didn’t do the character work many favors. The narration felt a bit too... similar? Not quite over-dramatic, but lacking nuance, especially in dialogue. The writing itself gave each character a clear voice, but the performance blurred those distinctions, with all of them sounding pretty similar in their tone, making it harder to stay immersed.
Among the characters, I especially loved Wilder, and how they slowly came into their own, learning to trust themselves and their desires. Artemis was another standout: her complicated, tender dynamic with her found-family daughter, and her deep affection for Quibble, were both moving and grounded. Seeing her struggle with being a parent, while also willing to do anything for those she cares for felt absolutely real. Quibble, too, was a delight, charming, curious, and a quiet scene-stealer.
On the other hand, Mary Margaret, the teen witch, didn’t land as well for me. She read more like an adult’s idea of what a modern teen might sound like, rather than an authentically teenage voice. That might be a nitpick, but as someone who’s spent over two decades surrounded by teens as a bookseller in the YA section, I’ve developed a pretty fine-tuned radar for what does and doesn’t feel real. And in this case, it didn’t quite hit the mark.
I also had mixed feelings about some of the more “vulgar” or explicit elements. The portrayal of the best queer bar in the world, including its glory holes, didn’t quite sit right with me. Similarly, the few sex scenes didn’t particularly appeal to me, though I want to be clear that this is more about my personal taste than any objective flaw in the writing. As someone who’s demisexual, I often struggle to find sex scenes in books that resonate or feel meaningful. That said, one particular threesome scene was surprisingly fresh and memorable, so credit where it’s due, your mileage may vary, of course.
The plot itself was probably my biggest issue. It often felt like it meandered rather than built toward anything with real momentum. The evil AI antagonist was especially underwhelming. His dialogue frequently came across as gibberish, less menacing, more confusing, and he embodied the classic “evil just because” trope. I kept waiting for some deeper motivation, some reason for his behavior beyond sheer maliciousness, but it never quite came.
That said, I did enjoy his origin story! It was genuinely unique and entertaining. I just wish there had been a clearer explanation of how he made the leap from his starting point to becoming an existential threat in the real world.
Despite all these critiques, I still had a good time with Awakened. It’s strange and chaotic and doesn’t always hang together, but its heart is in the right place, and its commitment to queer magic, found family, and complex characters made it well worth reading. I just wish it had been a bit more cohesive, and a bit more sure of what kind of story it wanted to tell.
Read
November 19, 2025This is one of Book Riot’s Best Books of 2025:
When I heard that Awakened was about a coven of trans witches that fight an evil AI, it immediately rose to the top of my most-anticipated list. I'm happy to say it lived up to those expectations, from its dedication—"For everyone who feels betrayed by J.K. Rowling"—to its final page. The whimsical narrator makes for a fun contrast to the cynical main character, reluctantly adjusting to their new powers. Each of the members of this coven is complex and multifaceted, making their slow progression into a chosen family feel satisfying and realistic. Yes, this is a fantastic read for ex-Harry Potter fans, but it's so much more than that.
- Danika Ellis
When I heard that Awakened was about a coven of trans witches that fight an evil AI, it immediately rose to the top of my most-anticipated list. I'm happy to say it lived up to those expectations, from its dedication—"For everyone who feels betrayed by J.K. Rowling"—to its final page. The whimsical narrator makes for a fun contrast to the cynical main character, reluctantly adjusting to their new powers. Each of the members of this coven is complex and multifaceted, making their slow progression into a chosen family feel satisfying and realistic. Yes, this is a fantastic read for ex-Harry Potter fans, but it's so much more than that.
- Danika Ellis
April 28, 2025
Trans Witches, Rogue AI, and RICOOOOOO!!
Awakened is the new Charmed for the next generation! Within these magical pages is Wilder, a trans human, who discovers a magical new ability. Wilder then meets Quibbler, Artemis, and Mary Margaret, and magical things are about to happen (F*** yeah!). This story is emotionally charged and the representation made my queer heart so beyond happy.
The plot starts slowly, choosing to take time to set the environment and introduce characters in a natural habitat. It does take a minute to understand the unique storytelling as well. Osworth's voice in this story is just a creative masterpiece that takes reading the whole story to understand the full circle moments that are planned. However, once the characters come together in their more traditional coven moment, things get intense. AI has never seemed scarier than it does within this book. It was genuinely terrifying.
Osworth broke my heart in this story. They ripped out the pieces and then stitched them back together. The conclusion to this story plays out on an epic level. A story, the likes of which I have never read in my entire life. It was powerful and emotional, and I'm HURT. But the ending was also beautiful and right for what was happening. Prepare for the worst, but understand you are reading the BEST! Check out this story.
Awakened is the new Charmed for the next generation! Within these magical pages is Wilder, a trans human, who discovers a magical new ability. Wilder then meets Quibbler, Artemis, and Mary Margaret, and magical things are about to happen (F*** yeah!). This story is emotionally charged and the representation made my queer heart so beyond happy.
The plot starts slowly, choosing to take time to set the environment and introduce characters in a natural habitat. It does take a minute to understand the unique storytelling as well. Osworth's voice in this story is just a creative masterpiece that takes reading the whole story to understand the full circle moments that are planned. However, once the characters come together in their more traditional coven moment, things get intense. AI has never seemed scarier than it does within this book. It was genuinely terrifying.
Osworth broke my heart in this story. They ripped out the pieces and then stitched them back together. The conclusion to this story plays out on an epic level. A story, the likes of which I have never read in my entire life. It was powerful and emotional, and I'm HURT. But the ending was also beautiful and right for what was happening. Prepare for the worst, but understand you are reading the BEST! Check out this story.
June 20, 2025
This book is a woke fever dream in the best and worst possible ways. Best, because it is tender and new and exciting. Worst, because it is a transqueerpoly love affair with the world that feels less realistic than the magic itself. It's so internal and metaphysical and outside of the body that it doesn’t give the reader much to hold on to. I really enjoyed this book, and I can see it becoming somebody's favorite, but as a librarian I am going to struggle to find its perfect match beyond, well, my queer librarian friends. That feels a bit niche.
July 6, 2025
Gosh the wry humor from the narrator is so good and this gave me a whole lot of feelings about belonging, found family, and the creepiness of AI.
May 30, 2025
the dedication goes so hard: for everyone who feels betrayed by jk r*wling
i don't really know what i just read. initially, it was your average found-family plus magical powers story (very umbrella academy coded), but then at about 36% the narration switches from third-person present to the first-person present voice of an omniscient/immortal witch with questionable ethics. extremely odd choice. there are a lot of those in this book, actually.
the writing style was also very dissonant. it was trying to be a lot of things: poetic, intelligent, vulgar, youthful, and I don't really think that it fully succeeded at any of those things. the explanations of magic, character background infodumps, and internal monologues played a huge part in slowing down the action to an annoying degree, even up until the very last chapter. the author clearly doesn't trust their readers to put some of the pieces together, so they tell too much rather than show it.
the writing of mary margaret (seventeen y/o) especially irked me because it reads like an elder millennial trying to mimic what they think a gen z-er sounds and acts like. the ai's 'dialogue' was completely unintelligible from beginning to end, and i almost dnf'd during a part when there was particularly a lot of it. the audiobook rendering did not help at all for either character. there's a whole section that's written in binary (1's and 0's), and the audiobook narrator just has to read it all one number at a time.
and for a book with such a huge emphasis on gender-non-conforming identities, why was everyone and their mother calling wilder a boy?? like the entire time?? when they explicitly tell quibble that they're not a man right in their first conversation?? i really didn't understand that, and it's never commented on.
for the positives, i'd say that there are some really funny lines and that the representation of trans identities is pretty nuanced. none of them are perfect (except maybe rico), but they all have a lot of heart and care about each other deeply. the premise has a lot of potential, too, i just wish that it would have been executed a bit differently.
tw: body horror, injury, (gun) violence, cursing, death, grief, murder, deadnaming, panic attacks, sexual content, transphobia, dysphoria, vomit, alcohol, death of a parent, pandemic
i don't really know what i just read. initially, it was your average found-family plus magical powers story (very umbrella academy coded), but then at about 36% the narration switches from third-person present to the first-person present voice of an omniscient/immortal witch with questionable ethics. extremely odd choice. there are a lot of those in this book, actually.
the writing style was also very dissonant. it was trying to be a lot of things: poetic, intelligent, vulgar, youthful, and I don't really think that it fully succeeded at any of those things. the explanations of magic, character background infodumps, and internal monologues played a huge part in slowing down the action to an annoying degree, even up until the very last chapter. the author clearly doesn't trust their readers to put some of the pieces together, so they tell too much rather than show it.
the writing of mary margaret (seventeen y/o) especially irked me because it reads like an elder millennial trying to mimic what they think a gen z-er sounds and acts like. the ai's 'dialogue' was completely unintelligible from beginning to end, and i almost dnf'd during a part when there was particularly a lot of it. the audiobook rendering did not help at all for either character. there's a whole section that's written in binary (1's and 0's), and the audiobook narrator just has to read it all one number at a time.
and for a book with such a huge emphasis on gender-non-conforming identities, why was everyone and their mother calling wilder a boy?? like the entire time?? when they explicitly tell quibble that they're not a man right in their first conversation?? i really didn't understand that, and it's never commented on.
for the positives, i'd say that there are some really funny lines and that the representation of trans identities is pretty nuanced. none of them are perfect (except maybe rico), but they all have a lot of heart and care about each other deeply. the premise has a lot of potential, too, i just wish that it would have been executed a bit differently.
tw: body horror, injury, (gun) violence, cursing, death, grief, murder, deadnaming, panic attacks, sexual content, transphobia, dysphoria, vomit, alcohol, death of a parent, pandemic
Read
June 3, 2025messy to the point of often being difficult to understand (convoluted)
but still interesting, inventive, and simmering with an emotional core
but still interesting, inventive, and simmering with an emotional core
August 2, 2025
Extremely cool concept; pretty mediocre execution
June 20, 2025
It takes a second for this book to get it's footing, but it's just got so much heart that it's hard to fault it for any awkward moments. It doesn't hurt that the author absolutely kills the audio narration.
March 16, 2025
I'm a huge fan of A.E. Osworth and have been waiting for this ever since I devoured We Are Watching Eliza Bright, my favorite book of 2o21. I wasn't really disappointed with Awakened, but I think it swung huge and missed only a little — the ambition and scope of the novel sort of outweighed the story and made everything mushy and unbelievable at times. But the inventiveness of storytelling is a major plus and something unique to Osworth — I'll definitely read anything else they write. Awakened just wasn't 100% up my alley, but it's certainly commendable.
June 9, 2025
The clearest interpretation of trans existence and mental emotional awareness I have ever read. I cried and gasped in the introspection. TURLY a beautiful telling of the millions dog ways to be trans and how that intimately feels and relates to the world. Brilliant beautiful queer community.
Read
June 12, 2025not rating bc i dnf'd it at like 20%
big millennial who was big on tumblr energy (as someone who is technically a millennial and also was big on tumblr in its heyday), not compelling enough of a story or characters to make up for the doctor who fanfic flavored writing. not bad, just not for me!
big millennial who was big on tumblr energy (as someone who is technically a millennial and also was big on tumblr in its heyday), not compelling enough of a story or characters to make up for the doctor who fanfic flavored writing. not bad, just not for me!
June 18, 2025
Not really my thing
June 13, 2025
I received a free copy from Goodreads. I really liked the modern fantasy (witches) vibe with an AI twist. I appreciated the shoutout to those disappointed by Rowling. It was missing something, didn’t draw me in as much as I would have liked. And I wasn’t super impressed by the AI presentation. Probably a 3.5 overall.
June 7, 2025
Even though, half the time, it felt like a millennial fever dream, this book had so much heart and I feel like I could sit down and have a conversation with these characters because I know them so well. They will definitely be staying with me for a long time. They fucked up a lot and were really chaotic but trying so hard. AND THAT ENDING.
Also, any book that makes me actually cry is an automatic 5 stars from me.
Also, any book that makes me actually cry is an automatic 5 stars from me.
April 5, 2025
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Awakened by A.E. Osworth is a mixed third and first person-POV Trans contemporary fantasy. When Wilder awakens their powers one morning and discovers that they can now understand and communicate in any language, they are taken in by a coven of Queer witches. But when an AI turns malicious and starts to go for the teen witch in their group, everything is at risk of falling apart.
A.E. Osworth is not interested in playing by the rules of respectability politics or ignoring the reality Trans people face in America. There’s brief mentions of the banning of drag queen story hours and multiple mentions of transphobia. A Queer bar is also one of the main locations in the setting as well as a home owned by a transwoman and her trans daughter. There’s a trans woman with a beard and a Nonbinary lead and overt Queer sexuality threaded throughout. In essence, this book is a celebration of the diversity of the trans community and refuses to hold itself back, which is awesome.
Mary Margaret was probably my favorite character. She’s that typical, sarcastic seventeen-year-old that is determined to do things her way and won’t let other people tell her what to do, even if that means not making the best decisions. Her and Wilder’s initial meeting also involved her stating she’d come out at fourteen while Wilder came out at twenty-five, which has a lot of layers to it (growing up in a time where it’s more accepted to be trans, some people grow up in environments where it’s more difficult, some people take more time, etc) and you can kind of feel that she is a bit dismissive of Wilder taking a bit longer, but I didn’t really take it as malicious. It felt like something a teen would say. Mary Margaret also goes onto Tinder a year before she should, putting her in contact with the malicious AI, which targets her. She shouldn’t have been on Tinder in the first place because it’s an adult space, but in many ways, she is an adult (including being emancipated) and thinks of herself as such.
The AI stuff does get uncomfortable and fairly creepy. It feels like it’s spying on the characters and some of the communication between it and Mary Margaret are a lot of people’s worst nightmares when looking in online dating spaces. What gets really interesting is that Quibble is determined to misgender the AI but Wilder defends gendering it correctly because they are a community of trans magic users. I think it opens up a very complex conversation because it’s never OK to misgender someone on purpose, but can AI have a concept of gender? Is it just copying how humans speak?
Content warning for depictions of transphobia and misgendering
I would recommend this to fans of trans fantasy looking for a contemporary fantasy with covens and readers of witchy fantasy looking for a book that celebrates the trans community
Awakened by A.E. Osworth is a mixed third and first person-POV Trans contemporary fantasy. When Wilder awakens their powers one morning and discovers that they can now understand and communicate in any language, they are taken in by a coven of Queer witches. But when an AI turns malicious and starts to go for the teen witch in their group, everything is at risk of falling apart.
A.E. Osworth is not interested in playing by the rules of respectability politics or ignoring the reality Trans people face in America. There’s brief mentions of the banning of drag queen story hours and multiple mentions of transphobia. A Queer bar is also one of the main locations in the setting as well as a home owned by a transwoman and her trans daughter. There’s a trans woman with a beard and a Nonbinary lead and overt Queer sexuality threaded throughout. In essence, this book is a celebration of the diversity of the trans community and refuses to hold itself back, which is awesome.
Mary Margaret was probably my favorite character. She’s that typical, sarcastic seventeen-year-old that is determined to do things her way and won’t let other people tell her what to do, even if that means not making the best decisions. Her and Wilder’s initial meeting also involved her stating she’d come out at fourteen while Wilder came out at twenty-five, which has a lot of layers to it (growing up in a time where it’s more accepted to be trans, some people grow up in environments where it’s more difficult, some people take more time, etc) and you can kind of feel that she is a bit dismissive of Wilder taking a bit longer, but I didn’t really take it as malicious. It felt like something a teen would say. Mary Margaret also goes onto Tinder a year before she should, putting her in contact with the malicious AI, which targets her. She shouldn’t have been on Tinder in the first place because it’s an adult space, but in many ways, she is an adult (including being emancipated) and thinks of herself as such.
The AI stuff does get uncomfortable and fairly creepy. It feels like it’s spying on the characters and some of the communication between it and Mary Margaret are a lot of people’s worst nightmares when looking in online dating spaces. What gets really interesting is that Quibble is determined to misgender the AI but Wilder defends gendering it correctly because they are a community of trans magic users. I think it opens up a very complex conversation because it’s never OK to misgender someone on purpose, but can AI have a concept of gender? Is it just copying how humans speak?
Content warning for depictions of transphobia and misgendering
I would recommend this to fans of trans fantasy looking for a contemporary fantasy with covens and readers of witchy fantasy looking for a book that celebrates the trans community
May 17, 2025
Very good tale of a coven of trans witches versus an AI become horribly, nastily self aware.
June 19, 2025
I might have been more enamored with the PREMISE of a queer witch book than the execution here. I don't mean this cruelly, and I did enjoy A.E. Osworth's other book; but somehow I found the writing style frustrating. I think it was primarily the stream of consciousness magic passages that just made me feel like I was missing something.
Otherwise, the characters were well drawn and fun to spend time with, and I'm very on board with themes relating to tech being a problem.
Otherwise, the characters were well drawn and fun to spend time with, and I'm very on board with themes relating to tech being a problem.
April 22, 2025
This book has enormous heart and I want everyone I love to read it
the year is young but Awakened is definitely a top contender for my favorite book of 2025
the year is young but Awakened is definitely a top contender for my favorite book of 2025
June 17, 2025
I have to admit, I struggled at times to understand everything that was going on, both with the magic and with the AI-computer gaming aspects of the plot. But then, fantasy and science fiction are not my usual genres, and this is not a book I’d have picked up had it not come so highly recommended by my child.
But it gets four stars for its brilliant portrayal of its trans and nonbinary characters and of found family. I loved seeing the various characters’ backstories subtly emerge, how they interacted with each other, and how being trans did not always mean everyone got along or understood each other. I found it interesting, for example, that Quibble insisted on referring to Hex as “it,” while Wilder insisted Hex was a “he.” What defines body? What defines gender? There’s also some commentary on racial tensions, which goes to show that just because someone is trans doesn’t mean that person is free of all prejudice. (In other words, that person is human.)
As for found family, I could so relate to that. I am a cisgender heterosexual female, but at one point in my life, my own blood family consisted only of my two then-minor children. I relied so much on my found family from a support group that was so important to me. And like the found family in Awakened, and like my own found family, we acted like a real family, with people taking different roles, with allegiances forming, with members fighting and making up and standing up for each other against the outside world. All this is what made reading a book so far outside my comfort zone worthwhile. Thanks, Donna, for recommending it! 😊
But it gets four stars for its brilliant portrayal of its trans and nonbinary characters and of found family. I loved seeing the various characters’ backstories subtly emerge, how they interacted with each other, and how being trans did not always mean everyone got along or understood each other. I found it interesting, for example, that Quibble insisted on referring to Hex as “it,” while Wilder insisted Hex was a “he.” What defines body? What defines gender? There’s also some commentary on racial tensions, which goes to show that just because someone is trans doesn’t mean that person is free of all prejudice. (In other words, that person is human.)
As for found family, I could so relate to that. I am a cisgender heterosexual female, but at one point in my life, my own blood family consisted only of my two then-minor children. I relied so much on my found family from a support group that was so important to me. And like the found family in Awakened, and like my own found family, we acted like a real family, with people taking different roles, with allegiances forming, with members fighting and making up and standing up for each other against the outside world. All this is what made reading a book so far outside my comfort zone worthwhile. Thanks, Donna, for recommending it! 😊
Read
October 22, 2025DNF at 37% ☹️
This fantastic cover drew me in when I saw it at my local library. Then the synopsis hooked me and I knew I just had to read it. A coven of trans witches fighting an evil AI?? Sold. I was so disappointed to find myself DNFing and placing yet another book in the category of “Great Concept, Poor Execution.”
I liked some aspects of the book (there was a cool reveal shortly before I decided to DNF) but overall I didn’t enjoy it. For a “coming-of-middle-age” story the tone skewed juvenile. I found myself thinking that it reminded me of Doctor Who but in a bad way, and to my validation a couple other reviewers mention this vibe too. By a third of the way into the book there still wasn’t a solid plot onto which I could grasp.
This fantastic cover drew me in when I saw it at my local library. Then the synopsis hooked me and I knew I just had to read it. A coven of trans witches fighting an evil AI?? Sold. I was so disappointed to find myself DNFing and placing yet another book in the category of “Great Concept, Poor Execution.”
I liked some aspects of the book (there was a cool reveal shortly before I decided to DNF) but overall I didn’t enjoy it. For a “coming-of-middle-age” story the tone skewed juvenile. I found myself thinking that it reminded me of Doctor Who but in a bad way, and to my validation a couple other reviewers mention this vibe too. By a third of the way into the book there still wasn’t a solid plot onto which I could grasp.
June 19, 2025
Am I Awake Yet?
I’d like to label this as only a 3 star book but I think that’s because I didn’t understand the last quarter of the story. So I’m doing the grown-up thing and admitting it’s really a 4 star, maybe even a 5 star book, and that it’s only my inability to absorb the author’s difficult (different) writing style that’s holding me back. It probably didn’t help that I read this in less than a day…I may or may not have lost the thread of the plot by flying through it too quickly. Forcing myself to listen to it in the slower form of an audiobook might improve my understanding. I’ll let you know.
I’d like to label this as only a 3 star book but I think that’s because I didn’t understand the last quarter of the story. So I’m doing the grown-up thing and admitting it’s really a 4 star, maybe even a 5 star book, and that it’s only my inability to absorb the author’s difficult (different) writing style that’s holding me back. It probably didn’t help that I read this in less than a day…I may or may not have lost the thread of the plot by flying through it too quickly. Forcing myself to listen to it in the slower form of an audiobook might improve my understanding. I’ll let you know.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews