I freaking loved this book! The world is so casually magical in exactly the right ways, gloriously blending the real (the nerdy high school club, apps & social media, conventions & scholarships & college woes) with the fantastical (those apps are for looking up spells, the club practices magic instead of chess, the conventions test your spellcasting ability) - I didn’t want more expository detail, because the world felt absolutely lived in and rooted in Sam’s reality.

The writing was smooth & easy & an awful lot like the way I talk & write so tbh maybe that’s why it worked so well for me. The characters were moving & realistic & I spent an awfully long time hoping SPOILER wouldn’t turn out to be SPOILER so no one’s soft sweet little hearts would be broken. The ending was abrupt af but I’m kind of okay with that, I know it won’t work for everyone but.....that’s how life is. I was surprised when I turned the page and that was it, but not unhappy about it. The only problem is I do want more, not because the plot felt unresolved, but because I want to spend more time in this earthy, magical world. I loved every page and I’ll be recommending this book to just about everyone I know.