I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

After reading and enjoying The Lost Witch, I was excited to read more from Ms. Crutcher. I'd love to be able to say this book didn't disappoint, but it kind of did. It started off intriguing with the introduction of Dragon, Aline's ghost friend, and learning about her skills helping lost souls find their way to the afterlife. I was still interested when she got to Matchstick and found the library even.

But the riddles so many characters speak in became tedious. Like is it too much to just give a straight answer to a simple question? I was probably even more annoyed by the riddles than Aline herself.

The romance between Aline and Magic, who happens to be a being and not just a thing, was awkward. I wanted them to end up together, but it also felt like they really shouldn't. And that left me feeling conflicted.

Overall I give What Became of Magic 3.9721 out of 5 stars.

3.5⭐

Aline never knew quite where she fit. She was an outcast as a kid and was let down consistently by her parents. Her only friend was Dragon - a ghost she saw and spoke to regularly. It wasn't until she found a space at the local book store that she began to feel like she belonged.

Now an adult she finds herself thrust on a journey to find her friends and maybe even love in the unknown mystery man she keeps dreaming about. On this path she makes new friends and learns all about Magic and what she would do to keep her world safe.

Thoughts:

This was a cute cozy fantasy about love, loss, and the responsibility of power. It is a very fast paced story with instant attraction and love. The romance is very top layer and isn't the main focus during this story. It was a good read with interesting characters, but there wasn't a lot of depth. Other than Aline's outcast status and getting glimpses of her childhood, there wasn't anything to draw you to her. Flo, Sun, and Moon were more interesting characters at times.

I thoroughly enjoyed this whimsical book. The characters and the setting are what made it for me. For fans of anything related to magic and magical realism, this is a great choice.

What Became of Magic by Paige Crutcher is an enchanting romantasy that weaves together witches, magic, and paranormal elements. The story follows Aline Weir, who struggles to keep her ability to communicate with ghosts a secret while navigating her complex life. The plot is both captivating and intriguing, and Aline is a relatable and engaging protagonist. The slow-burn romance seamlessly integrates with the magical town backdrop, adding depth to the narrative.

However, I found myself struggling to immerse in the story due to the frequent use of riddles and cryptic dialogue, which often required multiple readings to piece together. While the beginning of the book drew me in, I became somewhat disoriented with the intricacies of the magical system midway through. Fortunately, the story regained momentum in the final third, leading to a satisfying conclusion.

What Became Of Magic
By: Paige Crutcher

3 Stars

This story was a hard one to review. Honestly, I found myself getting confused at different times throughout. It made sense, and then, at times, it would lose me while still holding my attention. It was a book that was filled with magic and fantasy while also having touches of romance, melancholy, and drama. It was a good story overall with interesting and somewhat relatable characters, but I just think it could have been better done. If it had not lost me, at times, then this is just the type of book I look forward to reading.

*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Review

Alice is a witch that can talk to ghosts, and because of this people tend to think she's a bit crazy. I mean, she's always talking to herself since people can't see the ghosts she's ACTUALLY talking to. But then someone sees, and she gets introduced to a town called Matchstick that's ALL about magic.

I really wanted to love this one, and I did love parts of it - but the chapters were all over the place and the pacing too. It was hard following what was going on because of all the back and forth. The magical parts were cool, though!

What Became of Magic is an engaging paranormal YA/NA standalone novel by Paige Crutcher. Released 26th Sept 2023 by Macmillan on their Griffin imprint, it's 320 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is an interactive book, requiring quite a lot of heavy lifting on the reader's part. It's disjointed and not always easy to follow the plot. The timeline hops around and much of it is discontinuous and fractured. The author does have solid technique with narrative prose, and it's fairly clear that the chaotic storytelling is intentional; that doesn't make it easy to read or engaging, however.

The story throughout has more of a YA feel than an adult sensibility. It's exuberant but juvenile. Even when talking about the adult version of MC Aline, it's full of drama and *feelings*. The ending and denouement felt tacked on and hurried.

Three stars. Recommended for fans of the author's other work, and romantasy authors such as Sarah J. Maas, Stephanie Garber, and Carissa Broadbent.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I love Paige Crutcher's writing, especially when it has to do with magic and witches. Just like her other books, this one does not disappoint! I love how the characters are developed and the overall story. This book is a perfect escape from reality!

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for the copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Very enjoyable read.

The plot was unique with unique characters but I could not enjoy it. If you like cozy fantasy vibes this might be for you.

As much as I wanted to like this one, I just couldn't get past all the characters and the far too unnecessarily complicated storyline. It had a good idea behind it, but it was just too hard for me to decipher the actual story beyond all the confusion. 2 stars. Thank you, for the eARC.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

I was sold by the witchy, and magical vibes of this book, and while it delivered that, it was simply not for me.

Aline Weir is a witch who can talk to ghosts, has kept her talents hidden ever since a disastrous middle school slumber party, choosing to be invisible and use her powers in secret to help lost souls reunite with the keys to send them home. All the while, she finds solace in a bookstore and the three mysterious women who run it… until Aline discovers the book of Mischief, and her powers are enhanced. I struggled with the layout of the story as it appears that most of the characters talked in riddles. However, I loved the romance blended with the magical theme.

Thank you Netgally for the ARC!

Magic and secrets and magical adventure - a light and magical read with fun characters and a little bit of romance thrown in. A great weekend mental getaway!

I was intrigued right out of the gate and loved the premise. 2/3 rds of the way in I felt lost in all the riddles and confused why nothing was happening. The magic system had lots of characters and potential, and the MMC was swoon worthy. But I couldn’t get into it. I received an advance review copy for free via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I thought this book was sweet and fun. I would consider it a more young adult version of witchy-ness (if that is even a word) vs the darker witch novels I've read as of late. I enjoyed the storyline and I felt like the setting was great. The characters were a bit hard to love. I still enjoyed this and it was perfect for fall.

I enjoyed Paige Crutcher's The Lost Witch very much so I was a bit disappointed with this book. The elements and premise seemed very interesting but it was just a bit hard to follow and confusing. It had potential but unfortunately, for me, it did not meet my expectations.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley

Such a fun and exciting witchy read. I look forward to rereading this one this fall.

I really wanted to love this book but i found that the characters were written a little juvenile which made the relationship building not work for me. I found the premise a little close the mean girls which i wasn't really a huge fan of. I would for sure try another book from this Author to see if i liked that better. I wonder if some of these story issues may be corrected through better editing and re working of the story line. I really loved the idea but not really the execution of it. It did keep me interested enough to