FAT WITCH SUMMER

In this YA novel, four teenage witches flee their families’ expectations.

Theodora “Thrash” Blumfeld-Wright didn’t expect her “knack” to show up in the library’s bathroom in full view of Cresca King, one of the three popular girls known as the Lunes. As the “plus-size” 16-year-old daughter of two witches, Thrash wasn’t guaranteed to get a knack and be a witch in her own right, but she had a better chance than most. The Lunes may be potential witches (“There was something that just screamed ‘coven’ about them, even though none of them had gotten their knacks yet”). Soon, Cresca confesses to Thrash that the Lunes are indeed witches, “but we haven’t told anyone.” She offers Thrash a deal—go on a road trip with her and the other Lunes, Saki Anderson and Emerald Atlandotir. Then the four of them can work together to decide their own destinies rather than letting their parents choose their futures. Thrash is unsure about the scheme until she discovers that her mom plans to give her the one power she definitely doesn’t want—the Gift of Glamour. Thrash runs away from home before her mom can officially bestow the power on her and grabs the Lunes. Now, they’re on a road trip to escape their parents’ expectations and maybe decide their own fates. But when the Lunes discover Thrash escaped with a mysterious “Gift,” a hollowed-out book filled with witchy artifacts like amulets and her baby teeth, the girls may be in for a worse fate than just parental disapproval. In this rousing fantasy, Ives turns the coming-of-age road-trip trope on its magical head. As the four teens open up to one another, YA readers will find that even witches have very relatable problems. Cresca tells Thrash: “Why should parents choose our Gifts for us? Just because some old crones decided it should work that way a hundred years ago?” Thrash’s tempestuous relationship with her mom, who frames her biting comments as just “wanting what’s best for you,” will sound familiar to many readers. With an imaginative magical system and world and intriguing characters, this novel will entertain teens and adults alike.

A fantasy that offers compelling worldbuilding and rich character arcs.