Every Gift a Curse

March 15, 2023
Magic and the bonds of friendship are put to the test in this conclusion to a trilogy set in the town of Kilbeg, Ireland. Having figured out the evil workings of the cultlike fundamentalist Children of Brigid, Maeve, Lily, Roe, and Fiona are still uneasy with Aaron, one of the Children's former leaders, even as first-person narrator Maeve is continually aware that she seems to be bound to him through her magic. This strains her relationship with Roe, her genderqueer love interest, just as their music career seems to be setting off on a promising trajectory (and as Roe begins to embrace using they/them pronouns). Further, Maeve's overwhelming bouts of rage, in which she seemingly loses control of her magic, lead to problems between her, Fiona, and Lily. Readers will be swept up both by interesting magical elements, such as Fiona's communication with her familiar, a magpie named Paolo, and the more ordinary, recognizable details of the changes experienced by a group of teens on the cusp of adulthood. This appealing blend of realism and the paranormal and the evolution of each of the characters in their own rights is as satisfying as the final reckoning with the Housekeeper, the seemingly malevolent magical entity that has plagued them from the beginning. Most main characters are White; Fiona is Filipina and White. A smartly plotted end to an emotionally engaging fantasy. (Paranormal. 14-18)

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April 15, 2023
Grades 9-12 This is the conclusion to the Gifts trilogy, which began with All Our Hidden Gifts (2021), and the stakes are higher than ever for Maeve and her group of friends (and fellow witches). After the chaotic closing events at the end of the previous book, Maeve's parents have become afraid of her and have stolen or thrown away all of her witchcraft supplies. But that hardly matters--Maeve has become proficient at creating her own spells. The return of maybe-enemy Aaron, no longer a member of the strict religious cult the Children of Brigid, means there's more trouble coming, though he seems to want to help this time. Add in that the Children may be kidnapping local teens for nefarious purposes, and dangerous magic may be the only solution. Despite the fantastical backdrop, O'Donoghue's characters seem wholly real in their dialogue and in their personal stories; Roe in particular has a major victory when a national magazine genders them correctly. Buy to finish the series, and eagerly await what comes next from this author.

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