Gr 9 Up—Maeve hopes that her uncanny knack for interpreting an old deck of tarot cards will be her ticket to
popularity at school. Then her former best friend Lily draws a mysterious card before she goes missing. Maeve must
delve into the origins of the cards and her own culpability in the disappearance and, with help from Lily's
genderqueer sibling and new friends, try to get Lily back. Original fantasy elements brilliantly combine with mysticism
and folklore for an inventive series starter.

A really great premise, with a lot of unanswered questions that will definitely be dealt with in the sequel (or, at least, that's what it feels like). I really loved reading it and loved the focus on LGBT rights and how it ties in to the political climate of Ireland. I wish there was a bit more of an explanation of how Lily ended up being the river, because the ending felt a tiny bit rushed. BUT I still really enjoyed it!! ( )

teen/adult fiction - tarot-themed series with dark powers and hidden powers

really enjoyed this (except for the inconsistent language describing the nonbinary character? author took care to research Filipinx culture but maybe could use some help from LGBTQAI+ community). Looking forward to the sequel, out in 2022. ( )

Has everything; is perfect! ( )

I received this book for free from the publisher (Walker Books) in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited to read this book because it focuses on tarot and I recently just learned how to read tarot.

Speaking of tarot, I liked how there were pictures of the tarot cards scattered throughout the book. I think that is so helpful for readers who may not be familiar with tarot cards and what each card looks like.

When it comes to the characters, there is so much representation. Roe is non-binary. Maeve has a lesbian sister. But my favorite character was Fiona, Maeve’s Filipino friend. As a Filipino myself, I love seeing Filipino representation so when Fiona was first introduced, I was ecstatic. I loved that Fiona’s family was a little witchy. Her tita (aunt) is a fortune teller who helps them and tells them about the White Lady (Kaperosa in the Philippines). I found it so refreshing to see a nonwhite representation of witchcraft. So often witchcraft in books is so centered on a white perspective, but witchcraft is in every culture, as Fiona’s tita illustrates. She mentions that versions of the White Lady exist everywhere, in different cultures and places.

As for the plot, it started off really strong with the mystery of Lily’s disappearance. But about halfway through, it stalled and lost some of its momentum. I felt like it dragged on a bit in the middle. I believe there will be a sequel to this book, and I think the book did set up a sequel very nicely.

Overall, I recommend this book for anyone looking for a witchy YA read! ( )