Euphoria Kids is an enchanting, whimsical, and refreshing #loveOzYA fantasy, and is the third novel written by Alison Evans.
Coming into Euphoria Kids, I knew that it had witches and it had trans and non-binary characters in it, but that was all. Whilst reading, I was not disappointed as it was so cute and heartwarming, and free of a lot of romance, which id something you don’t see very often in a lot of modern young adult literature! I also felt that the story was definitely more character driven than world driven, which I actually really liked.
Whilst I feel like Euphoria Kids could be read by anyone, it focuses on a group of teens (Iris, Babs, and boy) who are just trying to find themselves in the world. We first meet Iris, our non-binary main, who was born as a plant child to her mums, Clover and Moss (I love these plant names). Iris goes into a lot of detail about a faerie friend, Saltkin at the start of this book too, which is cute because who doesn’t want a faerie friend from the garden?! Iris feels pretty lonely, and wishes for friends, and Saltkin essentially grants them that wish.
Enter Babs, one of the trans characters in the book. Babs chose her name because it sounds like an old person’s name (rightly so too). Babs claims to be made of fire (in a literal or figurative sense, I’m not sure- but she warms up the others), and turns invisible at times, no thanks to a witch who cursed her when she was younger. This invisibility was kind of sad as she claimed to be so isolated, and only two people (prior to Iris) could see her—her mum and the witchy cafe owner friend. To me, Babs felt like such a mum once Iris finds Babs on the school bus one day after Saltkin grants Iris’s wish! I also found it kind of sad to learn that Babs is forced to look after her mum, who has a chronic illness, but I do appreciate the disability rep here.
Boy, another trans character, who hadn’t found his name until near the end of the story, to me, felt like the glue that kept the group together, and was a sweet addition to the group. I also love the diversity, given that the boy’s dad is Middle-Eastern.
I also enjoyed reading about Saltkin, and I felt that they got really very salty (which was definitely super funny in my eyes) whilst Babs was trying to search in the forest and the fae and dryads knew about a danger there and Iris didn’t listen to them. I also loved the inclusion of other magical things such as the spells from the cafe lady and Babs’ mum, as well as the dryads. Also I love how in the book, time wasn’t well understood, as if time was also magic, which can be noted by Iris’ comments about how it sometimes only took mere minutes to get to the bus stop, and sometimes it took a lot of hours!
As a fluffy read where you just accept things that are happening, this definitely lives up to the ‘perfect for Studio Ghibli fans’ quote that is on the back cover! Overall, I really enjoyed the whimsical nature of this story, and I loved how all the parents were super accepting of the main characters, something we often don’t see in your typical young adult books.
Euphoria Kids is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
Will you be picking up Euphoria Kids? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Ever since the witch cursed Babs, she turns invisible sometimes. She has her mum and her dog, but teachers and classmates barely notice her. Then, one day, Iris can see her. And Iris likes what they see. Babs is made of fire.
Iris grew from a seed in the ground. They have friends, but not human ones. Not until they meet Babs. The two of them have a lot in common: they speak to dryads and faeries, and they’re connected to the magic that’s all around them.
There’s a new boy at school, a boy who’s like them and who hasn’t found his real name. Soon the three of them are hanging out and trying spellwork together. Magic can be dangerous, though. Witches and fae can be cruel. Something is happening in the other realm, and despite being warned to stay away, the three friends have to figure out how to deal with it on their own terms.
Anyone who loves the work of Francesca Lia Block and delights in Studio Ghibli films will be entranced by this gorgeous and gentle young adult novel about three queer friends who come into their power.
