Bookish Blerd

NetGalley ARC.

This book was a real struggle.  I tried reading the ARC copy I received, but besides the formatting being all wonky, I just couldn't get into the story.  So out of desperation, wanting to finish the story so I could review it properly, I bought the audiobook from Audible.  

What gave this book a 3-star rating was the representation, diversity and the performance of the audiobook.  There were different ethnicities, and LGBTQIA+ represented in this book, as well as the cast of characters/protagonists being women.  That part was awesome.

I could not connect with the story or the characters.  There were too many jumps back and forth in time.  It made it hard for me to keep track of who was who, what they all meant to one another, and what was actually going on.

The main group of girls were witches, and one of their coven had gone missing.  A transplant from Michigan to their tiny town in California is the one element missing from their coven which will help them find their missing friend.  They help Danny find her power, treat her like an outsider and then get upset when she asks questions that hit too close to home.  They don't truly let her in, even though they expect her to help them find the missing Imogen.  Throughout it all, Danny starts to fall for Rush, who is Imogen's girlfriend.  And we learn that Imogen is not the friend they all thought she was.  She kept secrets and practiced magic without them, which is also the reason she went missing.

Perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for it; perhaps it was just the story, but I just didn't like this book.