Starred review from January 16, 2023
Sixteen-year-old Clara Lucas’s innate magic has always been out of control, resulting in overgrown flora and damaged property, but it has never harmed anyone until she accidentally curses her father, whose chest suddenly blooms with poisonous flowers. The only way to cure him is to perform a blessing, a complex spell for which she’s never completed training. Desperate to prevent his seemingly inevitable death, she turns to Xavier Morwyn, 16, a childhood friend turned calculating government magician, asking him to help her tame her magic. Though countless mentors have failed to accomplish the task, he agrees—and also offers to remove her wild magic by absorbing it into himself, post-blessing, to give her a chance at a peaceful life. As the pair work together, Clara learns the reason why Xavier pulled away from her all those years ago and uncovers secrets surrounding a mysterious potion cursing the populace. Bakewell (We Are the Song) delivers a sensitively cultivated magic system that, as evidenced by the anxiety that makes it difficult for Clara to control her abilities, operates as a commentary on mental illness and its effects on one’s ability to move through the world. It’s an uplifting and meaningful tale bursting with floral imagery and cottagecore aesthetics. Main characters cue as white. Ages 13–up. Agent: Jordan Hamessley, New Leaf Literary and Media.

January 15, 2023
Sixteen-year-old Clara Lucas makes an unbearable bargain to control her wild magic so she can save Papa from her accidental curse. All Clara and childhood best friend Xavier Morwyn ever wanted was to be healers like his parents. But while Xavier was certified as a wizard a year earlier than is usual, Clara was left behind. Her magic is wild and unpredictable, always taunting her and playing on her worst fears of failure. When the Council of Magicians declares Clara's magic must either be neutralized or bound, making spellcasting painful, Clara chooses the latter--until the results poison Papa. Only she can counter her accidental curse with a healing blessing, but she must first have full control of her magic. She begs Xavier to teach her how; he agrees but on one condition: Once Papa is healed, Clara must give Xavier her magic. A slow-burn romance and a soft, sweet fantasy unfold. The portrayal of anxiety as Clara's magic is not subtle, but many readers familiar with mental health struggles will recognize the voice that taunts and haunts Clara. At the same time, she overcomes her challenges more quickly than can be expected in real life; a subplot around a potion to cure melancholy includes subtle messaging that is ultimately more supportive of medical intervention than it may at first appear. Main characters are cued White. A gentle love story and a fantasy that faces the dark voices of anxiety and depression with mettle. (Fantasy. 14-18)

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March 10, 2023
Grades 10-12 Clara's magic doesn't work right. For five years, she has trained under numerous teachers, and she still can't get it to do what she wants it to do. She fears it's a remnant of her mother's vindictive and destructive magic, inherited even though her mother left nearly a decade ago. In an effort to save her father from her magic gone awry, and to stave off the Council of Magicians from binding her or even taking her magic away, Clara accepts an apprenticeship from her childhood friend, Xavier. While she has pleasant memories of him, they haven't spoken in five whole years, and he seems so different than she remembers him. One of her most trusted teachers has warned her to keep an eye on Xavier, but that may prove difficult, or even impossible, when her long-hidden feelings come out during their lessons. Perfect for those readers who found Bakewell's middle-grade fantasy We Are the Song (2022) spellbinding and want more in that vein.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 1, 2023

Gr 8 Up-An enchanting fantasy filled with lovely imagery and a sweet romance. All her life, Clara's magic has been out of control. When her magic accidentally harms her father, she turns to her ex-friend Xavier for help. Clara is not sure why Xavier stopped talking to her all those years ago, but it seems that he is the only one willing to help her control her magic, for a price. Cottage core vibes abound in this book, with cozy cottages filled with dried herbs, simple healing potions, and benevolent magic. However, darkness is hinted at with Clara's magic, which is insidious and negative, and characters struggling with mental illness. It is an issue that Clara's magic has a literal mind of its own and it isn't really explored or even deemed unusual by the other characters. Another issue is that struggles with mental illness seem to be used as a plot point and have no real substance. Main characters are white, although there is some diversity in the secondary characters. There is LGBTQIA+ representation with trans and nonbinary characters as well as multiple same-sex couples. VERDICT Perfect for collections serving readers who love benevolent magic.-V. Lynn Christiansen

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