When We Were Magic
Readers rate it 4.0 (34 on Hardcover)
352 pages · Released Mar 3, 2020 · Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Content report card
When We Were Magic parent’s guide: what’s inside
What it offers
Educational value
A note for parents
This is a darkly toned paranormal thriller centered on six teens who accidentally cause a death and struggle with the moral and emotional fallout. While the core premise involves an accidental killing and its cover-up, the violence is not graphic and the focus remains on character development, friendship complexity, and emotional consequences. The book explores LGBTQ+ themes, complicated romantic feelings, and mature emotional territory that skews older teen. It's best suited for readers comfortable with morally gray characters and existential stakes.
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From the publisher
A moving, darkly funny novel about six teens whose magic goes wildly awry from Magic for Liars author Sarah Gailey, who Chuck Wendig calls an “author to watch.” Keeping your magic a secret is hard. Being in love with your best friend is harder. Alexis has always been able to rely on two things: her best friends, and th... A moving, darkly funny novel about six teens whose magic goes wildly awry from Magic for Liars author Sarah Gailey, who Chuck Wendig calls an “author to watch.” Keeping your magic a secret is hard. Being in love with your best friend is harder. Alexis has always been able to rely on two things: her best friends, and the magic powers they all share. Their secret is what brought them together, and their love for each other is unshakeable—even when that love is complicated. Complicated by problems like jealousy, or insecurity, or lust. Or love. That unshakeable, complicated love is one of the only things that doesn't change on prom night. When accidental magic goes sideways and a boy winds up dead, Alexis and her friends come together to try to right a terrible wrong. Their first attempt fails—and their second attempt fails even harder. Left with the remains of their failed spells and more consequences than anyone could have predicted, each of them must find a way to live with their part of the story.
Shelved under
- Young Adult Fiction
- Strong Character Development
- Diverse Characters
- Unloveable Characters
- Loveable Characters
- A mix driven
- tense
- dark
- emotional
- mysterious
- funny
- reflective
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ISBN 9781534432871 · Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers