What do you think?
Rate this book
Ashcroft Academy #1
Wilde Magic
*The Craft meets Gossip Girl*
Ainsley
My life changed in an instant. Five months ago, my dad stepped off the roof of our apartment building right in front of me. He was an investigative reporter, always looking for the next big story, and the last one brought him to a fancy boarding school and had him acting more secretive than ever. I’m doing everything I can to piece together his last few months, searching for clues as to what made him do it. Maybe then my mom will stop secretly blaming me for not stopping him in time.
I have quite the task ahead of me, and that’s if I can somehow survive Sydney Lockwood, Ashcroft’s horrid Queen B, who seems hell-bent on destroying me.
Sydney
I’m the most popular girl at Ashcroft Academy and in my coven. I get excellent grades, speak three languages, and I’m learning Black Magic in addition to my family’s proficiency. You’d think that would be enough. But nothing is ever enough when it comes to my mother, the coven’s High Priestess. She’s threatened to send me away if I keep bombing the magical testing. But there’s no way I’m leaving my boyfriend, my friends, and the elite status I’ve attained. I just have to convince my mother that I deserve to be here.
And I think I know just how to do that.
Ainsley, our new sophomore, seemed suspicious the moment I saw her. So naturally, as an intuitive empath witch, I tried to read her, but I couldn’t access her emotions, which has never happened to me. As it turns out, our new girl is immune to all magic—something unheard of in the magical community. If I can figure out how and why, I can protect my coven, prove myself to my mother, and redeem myself after bombing my last magical testing.
But as much as I hate Ainsley, I need her help. We share a dangerous secret, one that has the power to destroy not only witches, but the whole town.
The Ashcroft Academy series is an extended series (books 2 & 3 also out soon) with mild cliffhangers at the ends of some books. It is a high school academy, non RH series with romance, mean girls, complicated relationships, tension, magic and mayhem!
**warning mentioning of suicide
Ainsley
My life changed in an instant. Five months ago, my dad stepped off the roof of our apartment building right in front of me. He was an investigative reporter, always looking for the next big story, and the last one brought him to a fancy boarding school and had him acting more secretive than ever. I’m doing everything I can to piece together his last few months, searching for clues as to what made him do it. Maybe then my mom will stop secretly blaming me for not stopping him in time.
I have quite the task ahead of me, and that’s if I can somehow survive Sydney Lockwood, Ashcroft’s horrid Queen B, who seems hell-bent on destroying me.
Sydney
I’m the most popular girl at Ashcroft Academy and in my coven. I get excellent grades, speak three languages, and I’m learning Black Magic in addition to my family’s proficiency. You’d think that would be enough. But nothing is ever enough when it comes to my mother, the coven’s High Priestess. She’s threatened to send me away if I keep bombing the magical testing. But there’s no way I’m leaving my boyfriend, my friends, and the elite status I’ve attained. I just have to convince my mother that I deserve to be here.
And I think I know just how to do that.
Ainsley, our new sophomore, seemed suspicious the moment I saw her. So naturally, as an intuitive empath witch, I tried to read her, but I couldn’t access her emotions, which has never happened to me. As it turns out, our new girl is immune to all magic—something unheard of in the magical community. If I can figure out how and why, I can protect my coven, prove myself to my mother, and redeem myself after bombing my last magical testing.
But as much as I hate Ainsley, I need her help. We share a dangerous secret, one that has the power to destroy not only witches, but the whole town.
The Ashcroft Academy series is an extended series (books 2 & 3 also out soon) with mild cliffhangers at the ends of some books. It is a high school academy, non RH series with romance, mean girls, complicated relationships, tension, magic and mayhem!
**warning mentioning of suicide
228 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 24, 2019
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 23, 2020
It has been a long time since I've physically read a book in one day. Granted, this is a shorter book, but I was fully invested from start to finish which is why I couldn't put it down.
This book was exactly what I wanted - witches, magical school, dark presence, eerie whispers, something sinister going on that no one knows about, and of course, mean high school girls. This book is just as described - The Craft meets Gossip Girl.
I really enjoyed the writing - I felt Charron captured the essence of a typical high school (albeit with witches) without going over the top. Their dialogue was written in the way that teenagers actually talk, and not littered with cringeworthy or campy stuff that authors sometimes fall prey to when they're trying too hard to make their characters funny or likable.
I can 100% see this as a TV show that would be picked up by the CW. It has the makings for a good saga that people can't help but get addicted to. So surprised by this one and so so glad that I enjoyed it. Perfect example of indie books being hidden gems.
This book was exactly what I wanted - witches, magical school, dark presence, eerie whispers, something sinister going on that no one knows about, and of course, mean high school girls. This book is just as described - The Craft meets Gossip Girl.
I really enjoyed the writing - I felt Charron captured the essence of a typical high school (albeit with witches) without going over the top. Their dialogue was written in the way that teenagers actually talk, and not littered with cringeworthy or campy stuff that authors sometimes fall prey to when they're trying too hard to make their characters funny or likable.
I can 100% see this as a TV show that would be picked up by the CW. It has the makings for a good saga that people can't help but get addicted to. So surprised by this one and so so glad that I enjoyed it. Perfect example of indie books being hidden gems.
July 12, 2020
Charron is an amazing writer. She sucked me and kept me engaged in the story the entire time. I loved the balance she had of mystery, action, friendship, and so much more.
I can’t wait to dive back into this witchy world and find out all the secrets that Ainsley is digging up. I have so many thoughts and hunches and I need to know if I’m right!
I can’t wait to dive back into this witchy world and find out all the secrets that Ainsley is digging up. I have so many thoughts and hunches and I need to know if I’m right!
May 19, 2023
When Ainsley’s father commits suicide in a trance, Ainsley refuses to let it rest and tries to figure out what caused his suicide, tracing it back to Ashcroft Academy, which he had been investigating. The school is populated solely by mean girls, who spend the entire book dwelling on petty dramas and trying to bully and hurt each other.
I loved the first chapter! Absolutely adored it! I kept thinking about it long after I read the sample. But then I sort of lost it on my Kindle because the description didn’t really match the first chapter. The description though does fit the rest of the book. While the first chapter had me wrapped up in the mystery of what was her father doing to get himself cursed that way, what mystery had he uncovered, and I felt for Ainsley to watch the impending doom as her favorite parent did the unthinkable while she tried to stop it but couldn’t reach him. The rest of the book focuses on mean girls bullying other girls and the girls getting bullied. As a person who got bullied in school, I hated every minute of it. Rather than focusing on Ainsley, the book switched perspective and setting to Sydney, the main queen bully of the school. I hated her, even with her controlling, demanding mother and father hooked to life-support. She was vile, repugnant, and I hated that we had to spend the larger portion of the book from her perspective as she bullied and belittled other characters, including targeting Ainsley. There are actually a handful of guys in this, but I honestly can’t tell one from the other since they are barely one-line mentions. Same with Sydney’s cronies. They were just names that oddly tried to add some diversity to, but they are switchable and nothing makes them standout and nothing actually makes them diverse except the mention of their nationalities. The school is an average private school and hardly any time is spent on the classes. There is a hidden place within the school called The Nest where a handful of students learn magic. And Sydney and her cronies basically use their magic to keep the average students in line. Like if someone shows an interest in one of the guys, they use magic on them. If they take a dislike to a student, magic is used on them. It felt really petty compared to the beginning. I was really looking forward to a book starring Ainsley as she infiltrates a Harry Potter type magic school to uncover evil sorcerers while discovering her own magic, entirely from her viewpoint, while dealing with the death of her father. That was the book I wanted to read. But instead this book focuses on Sydney, who I couldn’t stand, and she really didn’t improve any (except in the last two chapters where her attitude does an unexplained 180 for no good reason). Some of the reviewers said it picked up at the halfway mark (that was when Ainsley finally got past being a new student and started to actively poke around). I personally didn’t think it picked up any and still remained irritated at the book.
It shouldn’t be any surprise that I won’t be picking up future books in this series. I’m actually surprised I bothered to finish this. I was very tempted to delete it after Sydney’s first chapter and I’m now regretting that I didn’t.
I loved the first chapter! Absolutely adored it! I kept thinking about it long after I read the sample. But then I sort of lost it on my Kindle because the description didn’t really match the first chapter. The description though does fit the rest of the book. While the first chapter had me wrapped up in the mystery of what was her father doing to get himself cursed that way, what mystery had he uncovered, and I felt for Ainsley to watch the impending doom as her favorite parent did the unthinkable while she tried to stop it but couldn’t reach him. The rest of the book focuses on mean girls bullying other girls and the girls getting bullied. As a person who got bullied in school, I hated every minute of it. Rather than focusing on Ainsley, the book switched perspective and setting to Sydney, the main queen bully of the school. I hated her, even with her controlling, demanding mother and father hooked to life-support. She was vile, repugnant, and I hated that we had to spend the larger portion of the book from her perspective as she bullied and belittled other characters, including targeting Ainsley. There are actually a handful of guys in this, but I honestly can’t tell one from the other since they are barely one-line mentions. Same with Sydney’s cronies. They were just names that oddly tried to add some diversity to, but they are switchable and nothing makes them standout and nothing actually makes them diverse except the mention of their nationalities. The school is an average private school and hardly any time is spent on the classes. There is a hidden place within the school called The Nest where a handful of students learn magic. And Sydney and her cronies basically use their magic to keep the average students in line. Like if someone shows an interest in one of the guys, they use magic on them. If they take a dislike to a student, magic is used on them. It felt really petty compared to the beginning. I was really looking forward to a book starring Ainsley as she infiltrates a Harry Potter type magic school to uncover evil sorcerers while discovering her own magic, entirely from her viewpoint, while dealing with the death of her father. That was the book I wanted to read. But instead this book focuses on Sydney, who I couldn’t stand, and she really didn’t improve any (except in the last two chapters where her attitude does an unexplained 180 for no good reason). Some of the reviewers said it picked up at the halfway mark (that was when Ainsley finally got past being a new student and started to actively poke around). I personally didn’t think it picked up any and still remained irritated at the book.
It shouldn’t be any surprise that I won’t be picking up future books in this series. I’m actually surprised I bothered to finish this. I was very tempted to delete it after Sydney’s first chapter and I’m now regretting that I didn’t.
July 8, 2020
I first became interested in reading K.M. Charron's novel "Wilde Magic" after hearing about it on Twitter last year, and I was both excited and incredibly honoured to receive an e-book copy of the book from the author herself, in exchange for an honest review.
The story of "Wilde Magic" follows two characters, Ainsley and Sydney. Ainsley transfers to Ashcroft Academy, an elite boarding school, after the mysterious death of her father, who was an investigative journalist. She hopes that attending Ashcroft will be the first step in figuring out both exactly what caused her father's death, and what he was investigating that lead him to spend so much time in Danvers, Massachusetts.
Sydney, on the other hand, is the Queen Bee of Ashcroft Academy, ruling primarily through the use of fear and other intimidation tactics. She's also a young witch, whose cruel, cold-hearted mother rules the coven that has called Danvers home for hundreds of years.
Sydney and Ainsley develop a mutual dislike for each other, almost immediately. Ainsley dislikes Sydney's arrogance and sense of entitlement, whereas Sydney dislikes Ainsley for being an outsider in the Ashcroft community and for her ability to seemingly be completely unaffected by Sydney's magic, something that no Midling (non-witch) has ever been able to do.
However, when the two of them unknowingly unleash something that had previously been sealed away, they're forced to work together in a way neither girl ever expected.
I absolutely loved this book, and I CAN NOT WAIT to read the sequels. This first book is really setting the stage for everything to come in the future. It had me completely spellbound from the very first chapter. The characters and the world-building in this book were top-notch. I loved the adversarial relationship between Ainsley and Sydney, I loved the darker edge to the mystery, I loved the social politics of Ashcroft Academy, and I loved all of the magic. Ainsley was an absolute badass of a character and it was very easy to be sympathetic towards her circumstances. Sydney, despite her cruel persona was also easy to sympathize with.
Despite this novel's relatively short length (only 228 pages), K.M. Charron managed to pack quite a lot into each chapter, in a way that made the book compulsively readable and very engaging. I was never bored while reading, and I immediately wanted to read the second book when I was done!
While this is marketed as a YA supernatural fantasy novel, I do feel like this book can appeal to almost any reader. If this book isn't on your radar already, then you'll definitely want to add it to your TBR. It's not to be missed!
Special thanks to Kelly (K.M.) Charron for sending this book my way to read and review!
The story of "Wilde Magic" follows two characters, Ainsley and Sydney. Ainsley transfers to Ashcroft Academy, an elite boarding school, after the mysterious death of her father, who was an investigative journalist. She hopes that attending Ashcroft will be the first step in figuring out both exactly what caused her father's death, and what he was investigating that lead him to spend so much time in Danvers, Massachusetts.
Sydney, on the other hand, is the Queen Bee of Ashcroft Academy, ruling primarily through the use of fear and other intimidation tactics. She's also a young witch, whose cruel, cold-hearted mother rules the coven that has called Danvers home for hundreds of years.
Sydney and Ainsley develop a mutual dislike for each other, almost immediately. Ainsley dislikes Sydney's arrogance and sense of entitlement, whereas Sydney dislikes Ainsley for being an outsider in the Ashcroft community and for her ability to seemingly be completely unaffected by Sydney's magic, something that no Midling (non-witch) has ever been able to do.
However, when the two of them unknowingly unleash something that had previously been sealed away, they're forced to work together in a way neither girl ever expected.
I absolutely loved this book, and I CAN NOT WAIT to read the sequels. This first book is really setting the stage for everything to come in the future. It had me completely spellbound from the very first chapter. The characters and the world-building in this book were top-notch. I loved the adversarial relationship between Ainsley and Sydney, I loved the darker edge to the mystery, I loved the social politics of Ashcroft Academy, and I loved all of the magic. Ainsley was an absolute badass of a character and it was very easy to be sympathetic towards her circumstances. Sydney, despite her cruel persona was also easy to sympathize with.
Despite this novel's relatively short length (only 228 pages), K.M. Charron managed to pack quite a lot into each chapter, in a way that made the book compulsively readable and very engaging. I was never bored while reading, and I immediately wanted to read the second book when I was done!
While this is marketed as a YA supernatural fantasy novel, I do feel like this book can appeal to almost any reader. If this book isn't on your radar already, then you'll definitely want to add it to your TBR. It's not to be missed!
Special thanks to Kelly (K.M.) Charron for sending this book my way to read and review!
January 24, 2021
This was such an interesting read!
Sometimes I really miss reading books like this, the dark academy vibes, witchcraft and all the secrets!
It's a bit slow going at the start, but the ending more then makes up for it! Cannot wait to read the rest of the series.
Sometimes I really miss reading books like this, the dark academy vibes, witchcraft and all the secrets!
It's a bit slow going at the start, but the ending more then makes up for it! Cannot wait to read the rest of the series.
Want to Read
September 14, 2019If you love witches and boarding schools this is the book for you. I got a chance to get a peek at an ARC and now can't wait for the rest of the series!
July 15, 2020
5 ⭐💫⭐💫⭐ All the way!!
This was such an enjoyable experience!!
I've only read the first story so far but
I was sucked into the book fairly quickly and was constantly lured back to the book every time I put it down! The story stayed fresh in my mind, curious to see what happens next and I am so looking forward to the next book!!
Definitely recommend to those wanting a unique and enjoyable reading experience!!!
This was such an enjoyable experience!!
I've only read the first story so far but
I was sucked into the book fairly quickly and was constantly lured back to the book every time I put it down! The story stayed fresh in my mind, curious to see what happens next and I am so looking forward to the next book!!
Definitely recommend to those wanting a unique and enjoyable reading experience!!!
July 9, 2020
As a grade 8 teacher I’m drawn to these types of books for my students! What a great book. I cannot wait to read the others. I enjoyed the relatability of the characters on a surface level while intrigued with their back stories.
I believe my students will like it as well!! Nice to see strong female leads too!!
I believe my students will like it as well!! Nice to see strong female leads too!!
August 3, 2020
Ainsley is on a quest to find out what happened to her father. She gets herself a scholarship into Ashcroft Academy to find out what her father was working on.
Sydney dislikes Ainsley from the first day of school. They both have a dislike for each other right from the start. They are also both hiding secrets that could destroy them.
This is a great start to the series. We are entangled in the story from the start. Each chapter gives us more details into the secrets these girls are hiding. It makes us what to solve the mystery of what happened to Ainsley's father and what this means for the two main characters.
I can't wait to get myself immersed into the next book in this series.
If you enjoy magic, mysteries and school settings this is the book for you. Definitely one that you should pick up.
Sydney dislikes Ainsley from the first day of school. They both have a dislike for each other right from the start. They are also both hiding secrets that could destroy them.
This is a great start to the series. We are entangled in the story from the start. Each chapter gives us more details into the secrets these girls are hiding. It makes us what to solve the mystery of what happened to Ainsley's father and what this means for the two main characters.
I can't wait to get myself immersed into the next book in this series.
If you enjoy magic, mysteries and school settings this is the book for you. Definitely one that you should pick up.
July 3, 2020
HOW!!! did I NOT write a review for this one. Short or not it is extremely important to review for our fantastic authors.
It's no secret that I absolutely adore K.M. Charron. I have read a few of her pieces and everyone has become a favourite.
Wilde Magic was no exception. What an incredible start to a YA Witch Fantasy series. K.M. has such a way with words, such a way with world building you can't help but be completely devoured by the story. Sadly, I have not been able to read the second and third book yet but you better know I WILL!!! (Just catching up on other review reads :) ..). Wilde Magic was my group read pick for a readathon I co-hosted with some fellow BookTubers back in October called the I Put A Spell On You Readathon and I couldn't have been happier with choosing this to be the group read.
As much as Wilde Magic can be a darker story (which I don't know about you, but I really enjoy) it sure can get fun, exciting and full of drama!
The two main characters Ainsley & Sydney were done so well. I love the rivalry between them but the thought that they could become friends and allies is intriguing... but I guess you will never know if you don't pick it up for yourself.
I highly recommend the Ashcroft Academy series and I can't wait to read on myself and also see what else K.M. has for us in the future!
-Nichi
It's no secret that I absolutely adore K.M. Charron. I have read a few of her pieces and everyone has become a favourite.
Wilde Magic was no exception. What an incredible start to a YA Witch Fantasy series. K.M. has such a way with words, such a way with world building you can't help but be completely devoured by the story. Sadly, I have not been able to read the second and third book yet but you better know I WILL!!! (Just catching up on other review reads :) ..). Wilde Magic was my group read pick for a readathon I co-hosted with some fellow BookTubers back in October called the I Put A Spell On You Readathon and I couldn't have been happier with choosing this to be the group read.
As much as Wilde Magic can be a darker story (which I don't know about you, but I really enjoy) it sure can get fun, exciting and full of drama!
The two main characters Ainsley & Sydney were done so well. I love the rivalry between them but the thought that they could become friends and allies is intriguing... but I guess you will never know if you don't pick it up for yourself.
I highly recommend the Ashcroft Academy series and I can't wait to read on myself and also see what else K.M. has for us in the future!
-Nichi
July 15, 2020
Note: this review contains SPOILERS ahead!
Note: I was provided an ebook of Wilde Magic for an honest review.
This book had potential to develop and flourish but also shortfalls that stopped it from becoming a strong contender for me.
The book follows the journeys of Sydney, a witch from a powerful family line and Ainsley, a Middling (non-magical human) who is immune to the effects of magic. After the mysterious suicide of her father, Ainsley attends Ashcroft Academy where Sydney studies, to try to continue up her father’s investigations into suspicious deaths all tied to the high school.
Ainsley is a kind, brave, grounded person who was easy to like and follow. I enjoyed her perspective and journey. She slowly gains more bravery and stands up for herself throughout the book. Driven by an urge to find out the truth, she’s the type of person to stand up for what’s right even if it’s going against others.
Sydney is mean, cold hearted and rude, stemming from the immense family pressure to reaching high expectations in practicing magic. I will say I wasn’t very sympathetic towards Sydney’s character as she is a bully even towards her own friends and seems to be aware of her rudeness yet is hurt when others call her out, a bit contradictory to me. She treats animals nicer than any other person. I would say the part where she is mean even towards her own friends is that part that made me dislike her, as well as her lack of character growth throughout the book. I was expecting perhaps an aha moment of the realization she could be nicer to others or the bravery to stand up to her mother, but her static character left a lot in wanting for me. Her pressure to reach expectations provides some explanation to her character flaws and I can relate to family expectations, but it wasn’t a strong enough motive for me to rationalize her actions.
The voice of this book reads younger than YA at times but has swear words casually placed and a lot of mature content (kissing without buildup, suicide, torture), leading me to question its genre as it doesn’t read like other YA books I’ve read. However, full disclosure I don’t read darker mysterious books too often so this may just be weird to only me.
The dual POV is a good choice as both voices felt distinct. One small thing, the constant back and forth between Sydney/Syd was confusing to me, as it followed no apparent consistency, both friends and foes alike and even her own POV swapped between both names.
I would say my main criticism of this novel is the lack of smooth flow. There are multiple factors contributing to this. I noticed a few times that the sentence structures seemed a bit … off. I’m not sure how to describe it but sometimes it was short and choppy which contributed a barrier to a smooth reading experience and flow. I also noticed a few instances of weird transitions, both in terms of the balance between description/dialogue as well as transitions between scenes/different emotions, both of which also disrupted from a smooth flow. Sudden transition from suicide in the first chapter to happy campus vibes after felt way too sudden to me, a feeling of reading two different novels. The first chapter was very very dark but the rest of the book, mysterious at times and lighthearted gossip school at other times. I would’ve appreciated more story in the beginning- a build up to the suicide of Ainsley’s father - followed by a slower transition to a “normal” school atmosphere. As well, there was a surprising low amount of grief and character growth or change following the death, based on the compassionate personality of Ainsley. I expected such a traumatic event to fully change and shape her future but she as a character was not established enough to fully reach this dynamic character change. The choice of death in the first chapter felt too much like a shock factor as my emotions were not invested in the characters yet, resulting in the death not as impactful as it could be. Her one minded dedication to uncovering her dad’s secrets drove the plot of the novel well, but I felt the emotions got left behind, leaving me not strongly dedicated to her character.
As a POC myself (Chinese) I feel perhaps obligated to comment on the mention of POC in this book: one Chinese girl and one Black girl as Sydney’s crew as well as the Black boyfriend. It felt like tokenization of POC to me as there is no further mention of race other than first appearance and no way that race plays any role in their speech patterns, beliefs and behavior. The fact that the magic systems were named White/Black magic vs any other colours also felt a little weird to me, but I cannot speak on behalf of the Black community. I personally would say there is room for improvement in this aspect.
I enjoyed the magical fantasy world of witches and magic. It reminded me a little bit of Harry Potter or Vampire Academy but still had its unique aspects. The idea of magical VS non magical humans (Middlings) is a classic idea and executed well. The background of a high school was expected for a YA book and the atmosphere of high school came through strongly.
The plot was well paced with some action throughout and mostly a mystery case feeling. I personally felt some more action would be better as the ending was very interesting and I would have liked more of those moments spread throughout the book.
Overall, a quick magical dive into a witchy world where the idea was excellent, but the execution fell short for me.
Note: I was provided an ebook of Wilde Magic for an honest review.
This book had potential to develop and flourish but also shortfalls that stopped it from becoming a strong contender for me.
The book follows the journeys of Sydney, a witch from a powerful family line and Ainsley, a Middling (non-magical human) who is immune to the effects of magic. After the mysterious suicide of her father, Ainsley attends Ashcroft Academy where Sydney studies, to try to continue up her father’s investigations into suspicious deaths all tied to the high school.
Ainsley is a kind, brave, grounded person who was easy to like and follow. I enjoyed her perspective and journey. She slowly gains more bravery and stands up for herself throughout the book. Driven by an urge to find out the truth, she’s the type of person to stand up for what’s right even if it’s going against others.
Sydney is mean, cold hearted and rude, stemming from the immense family pressure to reaching high expectations in practicing magic. I will say I wasn’t very sympathetic towards Sydney’s character as she is a bully even towards her own friends and seems to be aware of her rudeness yet is hurt when others call her out, a bit contradictory to me. She treats animals nicer than any other person. I would say the part where she is mean even towards her own friends is that part that made me dislike her, as well as her lack of character growth throughout the book. I was expecting perhaps an aha moment of the realization she could be nicer to others or the bravery to stand up to her mother, but her static character left a lot in wanting for me. Her pressure to reach expectations provides some explanation to her character flaws and I can relate to family expectations, but it wasn’t a strong enough motive for me to rationalize her actions.
The voice of this book reads younger than YA at times but has swear words casually placed and a lot of mature content (kissing without buildup, suicide, torture), leading me to question its genre as it doesn’t read like other YA books I’ve read. However, full disclosure I don’t read darker mysterious books too often so this may just be weird to only me.
The dual POV is a good choice as both voices felt distinct. One small thing, the constant back and forth between Sydney/Syd was confusing to me, as it followed no apparent consistency, both friends and foes alike and even her own POV swapped between both names.
I would say my main criticism of this novel is the lack of smooth flow. There are multiple factors contributing to this. I noticed a few times that the sentence structures seemed a bit … off. I’m not sure how to describe it but sometimes it was short and choppy which contributed a barrier to a smooth reading experience and flow. I also noticed a few instances of weird transitions, both in terms of the balance between description/dialogue as well as transitions between scenes/different emotions, both of which also disrupted from a smooth flow. Sudden transition from suicide in the first chapter to happy campus vibes after felt way too sudden to me, a feeling of reading two different novels. The first chapter was very very dark but the rest of the book, mysterious at times and lighthearted gossip school at other times. I would’ve appreciated more story in the beginning- a build up to the suicide of Ainsley’s father - followed by a slower transition to a “normal” school atmosphere. As well, there was a surprising low amount of grief and character growth or change following the death, based on the compassionate personality of Ainsley. I expected such a traumatic event to fully change and shape her future but she as a character was not established enough to fully reach this dynamic character change. The choice of death in the first chapter felt too much like a shock factor as my emotions were not invested in the characters yet, resulting in the death not as impactful as it could be. Her one minded dedication to uncovering her dad’s secrets drove the plot of the novel well, but I felt the emotions got left behind, leaving me not strongly dedicated to her character.
As a POC myself (Chinese) I feel perhaps obligated to comment on the mention of POC in this book: one Chinese girl and one Black girl as Sydney’s crew as well as the Black boyfriend. It felt like tokenization of POC to me as there is no further mention of race other than first appearance and no way that race plays any role in their speech patterns, beliefs and behavior. The fact that the magic systems were named White/Black magic vs any other colours also felt a little weird to me, but I cannot speak on behalf of the Black community. I personally would say there is room for improvement in this aspect.
I enjoyed the magical fantasy world of witches and magic. It reminded me a little bit of Harry Potter or Vampire Academy but still had its unique aspects. The idea of magical VS non magical humans (Middlings) is a classic idea and executed well. The background of a high school was expected for a YA book and the atmosphere of high school came through strongly.
The plot was well paced with some action throughout and mostly a mystery case feeling. I personally felt some more action would be better as the ending was very interesting and I would have liked more of those moments spread throughout the book.
Overall, a quick magical dive into a witchy world where the idea was excellent, but the execution fell short for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2019
Boarding school is my candy; throw witches in and it's perfection. Loved the twists and turns, the suspense, the romance. KM Charron delivered with Wilde Magic, and I can't wait to see what happens next in the series.
September 14, 2019
Gossip Girl with witches and supernatural thrills. So excited for this release! I got the privilege of reading an advance copy.
October 17, 2020
A solid, enjoyable entry in the "mysterious school with witches" paranormal sub-genre. I liked that Ainsley chose to come to the school, knowing that there was something nefarious going on and needing to investigate—she has a Veronica Mars vibe to her that engaged me right away. I liked that Sydney is a POV character, so we know right away about the witchcraft and get to watch Ainsley coming closer and closer to the truth. Sydney is over-the-top with her meanness, and I found her entirely unsympathetic, but her backstory does provide some reasons for her behaviour: lots of interesting disfunction in the witching world! I liked Sydney better near the end of the book when she and Ainsley have to start reluctantly working together. That's when the book really started working for me, when the supernatural threat got specific and the conflict stopped being about bullying. I'm curious about the magic and about how these two characters are going to overcome their differences. To me, this book was just the set-up for what sounds like will be an interesting series.
Fans of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina will enjoy this.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Fans of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina will enjoy this.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 10, 2020
3.5 Stars
This was a really cute take on an exclusive school for the magically inclined.
Ainsley and Sydney both have complicated relationships with their parents that affect their self perception and their self esteem. Sydney is determined to make Ainsley her enemy... but Ainsley isn't intimidated by Sydney's Queen Bee status.
The power dynamics, mean girls vibes and magical setting make this a quick, fun read.
This was a really cute take on an exclusive school for the magically inclined.
Ainsley and Sydney both have complicated relationships with their parents that affect their self perception and their self esteem. Sydney is determined to make Ainsley her enemy... but Ainsley isn't intimidated by Sydney's Queen Bee status.
The power dynamics, mean girls vibes and magical setting make this a quick, fun read.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews