This book is for you if:
- You want to see a group of queer witches become the best coven in the world
- You want to read about ladies who don’t hold back
- You’re in need of fierce friendships
- You like creepy vibes and spooky books (that even talk back)
Review:
“I guess my point is that teenage girls aren’t supposed to be powerful, you know? Everybody hates teenage girls. They hate our bodies and hate us if we want to change them. They hate the things we’re supposed to like but hate it when we like other things even more, because that means we’re ruining their things. We’re somehow this great corrupting influence, even though we’ve barely got legal agency of our own.”
Okay, before we get into this review, can we talk about that stunner of a cover for a second? The intricate design, the colour gradient? I want this tattooed on my body no matter if I’m part of a coven or not because it is gorgeous!
Now on to the book which felt like a culmination of grandiose 90s Halloween movies and witchy shenanigans with a sprinkle of girl power. There’s an intricate magic system that involves spectres, grimoires, and devils who used to be books and I think the first book set it up with room to grow and explore in the following books. There are plot twists and mean boys and unexpected knights in shining armour and that will definitely enamour a lot of people.
For me though, my favourite part of The Scapegracers, aside from the spooky vibes and magic tricks that were as enchanting as they were anxiety-inducing, was the depiction of complex female friendships.
I admit, at the beginning of the book I didn’t like any of the characters, not even Sideways. But in hindsight, I wonder if this was intentional because with every chapter, we get to know more about the girls, about why they are so abrasive and brash and as we gain insight into what made them they way they are, we learn to fall in love with all of them. Yates is by far the steadfast of the friends, but somehow, combined with Jing’s infallible sarcasm and Daisy’s ferocious snarls, they make up the perfect coven for Sideways. They rarely see eye to eye on anything and I loved their back and forth that eventually ended in compromising. These girls have a lot of bark and they will bite if you dare to touch any of them. There’s unwavering loyalty between the four of them and it was refreshing to see such a strong friend group that isn’t nice and proper but loud and volatile and still the most supportive it can be, even if not in the ways you expect support to be expressed. It’s the type of friendship rarely represented in books and for that, it was all the more intriguing.
Beyond that, the cast of characters is also wonderfully diverse with nonbinary and PoC main and side characters. Sideways is lesbian, several of her newfound friends identify as bi and queer, and side characters such as Sideways’ dads are queer as well. And while there was some hint of romance, it wasn’t the driving force in this narrative but gave some proper hints at developments in the future instalments of the series.
While we’re on the topic of queer characters, Sideways’ dads were definitely something else. I loved the glimpses we got at their relationship and how they care for Sideways’ in such different but equally supportive ways. Whether it’s the soft and kind energy of making pancakes in the morning or the protective decision to let your child skip school, they were just absolute parent goals even if Sideways is sometimes embarrassed by them. I hope they make a few appearances in the sequels as well!
Lastly, this story is written quite peculiarly and it’s certainly not for everyone. The descriptions are very intricate and unhurried, which reminded me a lot of V.E. Schwab’s atmospheric writing and you can tell that Clarke takes their time to set the scene and overall mood. And while I concede that it was a very fitting style of narration for this witchy story, I also felt that it took the tension and immediacy out of some of the more action-heavy moments in the book. When Sideways and her coven are hiding and doing their best not to be spotted, for example, the urgency of getting out without being caught was somewhat lost because the descriptions of every detail actively slow down the entire scene. Likewise, during one of their magic tricks in the earlier chapters, it was hard to feel the excitement everyone else seemed to have because the lengthy narration took away from the spontaneity and surprise of it all. This happened a few times and impacted the pacing of the story to the point where I thought that it dragged, especially in those scenes where it was about getting further with the plot or revealing a twist. Like I said, the writing style is a fitting choice for this kind of story but it might not be for everyone. Nevertheless, I did enjoy the atmospheric descriptions and the attention to detail for most of it.
Perfectly in time for the spooky season, The Scapegracers chronicles ferocious friendships, magnificent magic tricks, and ominous plot twists that will make fans of girl power and witches fighting back very happy!
The Scapegracers is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Skulking near the bottom of West High’s social pyramid, Sideways Pike lurks under the bleachers doing magic tricks for Coke bottles. As a witch, lesbian, and lifelong outsider, she’s had a hard time making friends. But when the three most popular girls pay her $40 to cast a spell at their Halloween party, Sideways gets swept into a new clique. The unholy trinity are dangerous angels, sugar-coated rattlesnakes, and now–unbelievably–Sideways’ best friends.
Together, the four bond to form a ferocious and powerful coven. They plan parties, cast curses on dudebros, try to find Sideways a girlfriend, and elude the fundamentalist witch hunters hellbent on stealing their magic. But for Sideways, the hardest part is the whole ‘having friends’ thing. Who knew that balancing human interaction with supernatural peril could be so complicated?
