annieb123's Review of What Became of Magic

by Paige Crutcher

Aline Weir, a witch who can talk to ghosts, has kept her talents hidden ever since a disastrous school slumber party, choosing to be invisible and use her powers in secret to help lost souls reunite with the keys to send them home. All the while, she finds solace in a bookstore and the three mysterious women who run it… until Aline discovers the book of Mischief, and her powers are enhanced.

Living a solitary life until the age of thirty, Aline’s life takes an unexpected turn when the wrong (or perhaps right) person witnesses her using her powers and she is invited to a town that doesn’t exist on any map. Arriving in Matchstick, Aline learns of a lost magic that desperately needs to be found and only her unique powers can do it. But what she’s not told is that Magic is a person. One that is dangerous and seductive and has been waiting for a witch with a power like hers for centuries.

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

What Became of Magic is an engaging paranormal YA/NA standalone novel by Paige Crutcher. Released 26th Sept 2023 by Macmillan on their Griffin imprint, it's 320 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is an interactive book, requiring quite a lot of heavy lifting on the reader's part. It's disjointed and not always easy to follow the plot. The timeline hops around and much of it is discontinuous and fractured. The author does have solid technique with narrative prose, and it's fairly clear that the chaotic storytelling is intentional; that doesn't make it easy to read or engaging, however.

The story throughout has more of a YA feel than an adult sensibility. It's exuberant but juvenile. Even when talking about the adult version of MC Aline, it's full of drama and *feelings*. The ending and denouement felt tacked on and hurried.

Three stars. Recommended for fans of the author's other work, and romantasy authors such as Sarah J. Maas, Stephanie Garber, and Carissa Broadbent.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Reading updates

26 May, 2024: Started reading

26 May, 2024: Finished reading

26 May, 2024: Reviewed