This book was fine. It was clearly meant to be an introduction rather than an actual guide. The information provided was interesting, I just constantly found myself having questions/wanting more information, as it generally provided about as much as a very cursory Google Search would. That being said, the book is really pretty and could make a good gift as part of an 'intro to crystals' thing. As someone who isn't really into that, but was intrigued, I do have to assume that there are more comprehensive guides out there.

A nice look (different take) on about a dozen crystals. Some information, stories, personal attachment and other tidbits about them.

A quick note of the design: gorgeous, aesthetically pleasing, and easy to read.

Ok onto the content. I was expecting this to be a crystal guidebook, but it's more than that. Jaya Saxena dives deep into the history of crystals, their meaning, and makes a personal connection to her life. It's like a crystal manifesto. Both educational and relatable.

An insightful read into the world of crystals and to be honest, it wasn't what I was expecting. Saxena somehow manages to relate every crystal to a movie (From You've Got Mail to the original Muppet Movie) or life event, thus making it into a memoir.
The metaphysical properties given for every stone were quite intriguing; such as black tourmaline eliminating negative energy, carnelian being the stone of communication and public speaking by giving the user confidence and amethyst being the stone for calm and peace.

I loved that this was a blend of memoir, guidebook, history lesson, and cultural criticism, and I really gained a lot from this book. However, because it covered so much in such a small book, I found that sometimes the jumps between the topics felt harsh and could pull me out of reading a bit. I would've liked to see a bit more fluidity. But I'm very glad I read it and will absolutely recommend it moving forward.

I really liked the way this book looked aesthetically. The layout was pretty clear and easy to read. In some instances I could see myself getting bored of the repetitious layout, but if you're only focusing on one crystal at a time then the layout wouldn't matter. It's certainly informative but only focuses on a few crystals. So, if you're looking for something that includes more, this wouldn't be it. But for beginners this is a great book to get started with!

I loved the dedication at the beginning of the book "for every kid who picked up a rock and saw more than just dirt" - very sweet!!

Firstly, I loved the illustrations in this book - incredibly original, great colours. Loved it! Could see myself having some of the artwork framed and put on the walls of my flat.

The book was different to what I expected, I thought it would be about crystals and its uses but it was more of a history of the crystal and the authors thoughts, feelings and anecdotes about the crystals. This does make the book more original and complex than a lot of the bog standard crystal books I have read in the past - but I'm not sure if I liked it. It read more like fiction than non-fiction.

I didn't like the layout of the text - I was lucky enough to be given an advanced electronic copy, so I don't know if it was just the formatting of my ARC, or if this will be the finished layout. I found the text very close together and it felt very dense. Not necessarily in the writing itself, but it appeared that way with the layout.


I found this very difficult to read at times, it was definitely original - but it wasn't for me.

Crystal Clear is an excellent reference guide aimed at beginners. It is written from a personal perspective which makes it very readable and it concentrates on 10 selected crystals. The illustrations are lovely and really add some clarity and depth to the book. I enjoyed the way the author looks at the selected crystals in some detail rather than cramming lots of different ones into the book and just giving a reference overview. It would make a lovely gift book.

A beautifully illustrated guide to the healing,potential realising power of crystals, this is a perfect stocking filler.

Deep with meaning and resonating with energy,this volume shows how the author has connected with elemental substances. She frames it in a cultural as well as personal context, in such a way that it helps the reader become more aware of their relationship with semi precious stones.

As a teen I used to collect crystals, an obsession which developed from a museum visit into several shelves full of small, contained samples gathered from around the world.

When I grew older, I realised that being kept in boxes was not what they were for, they were meant to be held and used for various rituals and healing.

It is liberating and wonderful experience to walk into a crystal shop and to be drawn to certain stones, and if this has ever happened to you without knowing perhaps their significance and meaning, then this is the book for you.

The author takes an informed yet informal stance around her knowledge in a way that makes it friendly,accessible and chatty. It is like listening to a lecture by a close friend and you finish the book wiser,more determined to look into crystals further, and empowered to pick the talismans that speak most clearly to you.

After Jaya Saxena had caught my attention with Basic Witches I was very interested to see how she approached crystals as they were touched upon in the previous book. Even if the author was someone else I would’ve been drawn to it. How could I not be? Vero Escalante‘s illustrations are beautiful and compliment this book perfectly.

Of the two I definitely feel more drawn to this one, the introduction alone showcases Jaya Saxena’s writing style is maturer in this book and it feels aimed at a slightly older audience. Also I felt the introduction was way more in depth and provided information on crystals throughout history and Jaya’s own experience with crystals.

Crystal Clear covers ten different crystals in depth and I think this is a really refreshing concept. Most of the crystal books I’ve flicked through before are filled with so many crystals that it’s unlikely you’ll need to refer to every page – they’re helpful and provide short notes on them but that’s about it.

So in contrast, to see a good 20 – 30 pages for each crystal is a new experience for me. I skipped ahead to the pages on amethyst as it’s the one crystal I always have on me, safely around my neck.

This chapter is titled “Amethyst, for when you seek balance at all cost” and within Jaya explores her own experiences with amethyst and with needing or having balance. Her writing is engaging and entertaining as she reflects on her life, whilst also having a bit of amethyst history woven throughout.

From these first impressions I’d pretty happily recommend this to people who enjoy personal essays themed around crystals, all whilst learning a bit about their meanings.

"From amethyst to obsidian, Basic Witches author Jaya Saxena explores the multi-faceted meanings and history behind eleven popular crystals in this relatable personal essay collection."

A solid introductory book to those looking to learn more about crystals, especially coming in with little to no knowledge. Interesting.

This was a wonderfully insightful book that looks into more than just crystals and what they can do for you. The author bares a lot of her soul in these passages as she looks into meanings of different stones along with times in her life that she felt drawn to each rock.

I've become fascinated other the past few months by how others have been introduced to the world of crystals and I loved reading about how Jaya became involved in the world of crystals. She looks into the history of the use of crystals through the centuries and exploring why the crystal industry is currently booming. It seems many of us are looking for more spiritual help in our wellbeing.

The book is full of fascinating facts on different stones, alongside great quotes, illustrations and all showed off on soothing shaded colour pages! some of the stones she features are carnelian, citrine, black tourmaline etc and I enjoyed finding out more about each stone and their meaning and uses. Her crystal stories would often take her off on different tangents and that made for a really interesting read finding out her thoughts and opinions on a wider variety of subjects.

It touches on politicial, social and sexist issues alongside imposter syndrome and help with positive thinking so it was a really well rounded book - a little bit of everything! Even the muppets get a mention and that's always fine by me to see them included!

This book has given me a little more of an insight into various crystals, alongside Jaya as a person and I found it a really fascinating and inspiring book!

My thanks to the team at Quirk for the advanced e-copy in return for a fair and honest review.

This was a great reference guide for those interested more about crystals. I enjoyed the pictures and information about each crystal. It is very good for beginners, and those looking for an overview.