Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches: review

Big thanks to Edelweiss and Balzer & Bray for the e-galley!

Kate is a writer who grew up in New Jersey and now lives in Brooklyn with her wife and two black cats. Kate's debut novel "Fans of the Impossible Life" was a Fall 2015 Indie Next pick, a Junior Library Guild pick, a 2016 Rainbow List Top Ten Pick, received a starred review in Publishers Weekly, and has been published in ten languages. Kate is a 2016/17 New Georges Audrey resident, a Lambda Literary LGBTQ Writers in Schools author, and the recipient of a Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation grant for playwriting. Her play "Everyone's Fine With Virginia Woolf" had its debut production with Elevator Repair Service Theater in June, 2018 and toured to the Dublin Theatre Festival in October, 2018

Title: Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches

Author: Kate Scelsa

Publisher: Balzer & Bray

Release Date: May 31st, 2022

Genre: YA romance

Page Count: 336 pages

A witchy, atmospheric lesbian contemporary romance set in Salem—from the acclaimed author of Fans of the Impossible Life. Perfect for fans of Nina LaCour and Becky Albertalli.

Seventeen-year-old Eleanor is the least likely person in Salem to believe in witchcraft—or think that her life could be transformed by mysterious forces. Ostracized by her classmates after losing her best friend and first love, Chloe, Eleanor has spent the past year in a haze, vowing to stay away from anything resembling romance.

But when a handwritten guide to tarot arrives in the mail at the witchy souvenir store where Eleanor works, it seems to bring with it the message that magic is about to enter her life. Cynical Eleanor is quick to dismiss this promise, until real-life witch Pix shows up with an unusual invitation. Inspired by the magic and mystery of the tarot, Eleanor decides to open herself up to making friends with Pix and her coven of witches, and even to the possibility of a new romance.

But Eleanor’s complicated history in Salem continues to haunt her, and she is desperate to keep Pix from finding out the truth. Eleanor will have to reckon with the old ghosts that threaten to destroy everything, even her chance at new love.

Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches is an atmospheric and romantic coming-of-age about learning to make peace with the past in order to accept the beauty of the present.

Reasons to read: it's set in my birthplace, so...

Personal rating: the setting and amazing plot makes up for the lack of magic

Truth time. I had no idea going into this that it was set in Salem, Massachusetts because I see covers and I see titles and I hit the request button because my FOMO is so bad, you guys. There are so few books that are set in Salem that actually give a peek into the REAL Salem. Not the tourist traps and the cheesy shops, but the stories behind what really happened. I found a diamond in the rough! I was born in Salem, but I lived in a different city my whole life. But I did visit often. I wish I had the mind to delve into the real happenings rather than the floofy surface-level mess that is most of the city. I do have to give it to them, they did stay consistent over the years. If you have a chance to visit, don't look too deep into the things you see. Read some books on the city and the real historical sites. Either way, you do it, enjoy it!

Eleanor works at her mom's friends' tacky witchy shop while having one of the worst years of her life. Her mother's health is hit or miss and money is tight. Sprinkled throughout the book is the story of what happened between her ex-best friend and herself. We don't get the full picture until later on, but the build-up is great.

Quick fact: I love when stories wait to give you all the information abut someone's past because it keeps me HOOKED.

One day, she meets Pix, a self-proclaimed witch, and immediately starts to fall for her. Pix invites Eleanor to her coven meetings, but no matter how much time passes, Eleanor cannot let go of her past.

I could relate to Eleanor (barring the constant pot-smoking) and could see what her intentions had been when it came to Chloe. Teenage love is messy and it's dangerous. Teens don't know how to be IN relationships nevermind how to deal with the aftermath of one, so I give Eleanor a pass for the things she did despite it being wholly unhealthy. I saw myself in her in every step she took.

As I said above, there are no The Craft-style spells or creatures or anything, but you can't gloss over the magic of the author's words. There is magic in the romance and in Eleanor's relationship with her mother. There is magic in the city of Salem, beneath all the tragedy, and also magic in recognizing your flaws and working toward a better future.

I loved this story so much and hope to read more from this author in the future.

Trigger warning for assault, drug use, drinking, bullying, stalking

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐