What Became of Magic by Paige Crutcher completely surprised me in the best way possible. This story is everything I didn't know I needed—full of magic, folklore, and emotion that had me hooked from the very first page. Aline has always felt out of place—both in her town and in her own life. After being raised without any knowledge of her witchy powers, bullied at school, and ignored at home, Aline finally finds a sense of belonging when she lives with three women who own a bookstore. But when they mysteriously vanish, she's left to uncover the truth and is led to the magical town of Matchstick by a mysterious stranger. I loved watching Aline's journey of self-discovery unfold. The relationships she forms and the way she starts to embrace her power are so beautifully written. The fantasy elements in this book were intertwined with some truly touching moments that made Aline's story all the more compelling. The magic, the folklore, the mystery—this book had it all! It's an enchanting read with just the right amount of adventure and intrigue. And the romance? It was sweet and perfectly woven into the larger storyline. This book is a mix of whimsy, heart, and magic, and I couldn't get enough. If you're looking for a captivating, emotional journey full of magic and adventure, What Became of Magic should be at the top of your list!

what became of magic starts with lonely Aline making friends at a sleepover with a ghost girl while all of the human man girls decide to make Aline public enemy number one at school for being weird. She ages up having only her ghost friend and the three sweet old ladies who run the local bookstore where she can be herself. Then she finds out magic is real, and a person, and there's a woman wanting to take over the world. And its a lot.
It's a lot, and none of it is given the space to breath. You're introduced to characters and immediately told that Aline sees them as family, and the only one I find that believable about is Dragon and Magic. That said, Magic and Aline relationship is just... nonsensical. It jumps around, at one point I thought there were two guys- no it was just Magic who, for no reason that's ever explained, acts? looks? like someone else for a bit. It's a mess.
I still don't understand how the magic system works. Or how the MAGICs work? It's a lot of building, without caring if it makes a world.

What Became of Magic- Paige Crutcher Star rating 2.5 (rounded to 3) Thank you NetGalley, Paige Crutcher, St. Martin’s Press and St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. The first half of the book had me captivated, reading about the MC’s early childhood, finding out she could see and help ghosts was really exciting and interesting. As well as the plot around being othered in school and being seen as strange. I felt like this part of the book was very relatable and enjoyable to read.But then the book fast-forwarded 15 years, I felt like it moved fast and was really hard to keep up with. It kind of felt like I was walking around in a dream world. I was lost in the story several times and not fully understanding what was going on. I really liked the magical elements and the romantic side plot. Overall, I just feel like this book was a whole lot of info dumping, but the ending brought a little more I understanding but still left me a little confused as to what I had just read

Thank you Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read and review What Became of Magic on NetGalley.

Published: 09/26/23

Narrator: Caitlin Kelly

Stars: 2.5

Okay.

The cover caught my eye and the synopsis intrigued me. I was looking for something new. The genre listed is Women's Fiction. Unfortunately this feels like middle grade with potentially young adult genre classification. In addition, at times I wondered if this was a cozy mystery.

At no point did I feel like I was reading an adult book; this missed that level of maturity.

This is for someone looking for a light uncomplicated tale.

The perfect spooky book to bring you all of the fall vibes no matter what time of year you read it. The audio variation is fantastic as well!

I’m so intrigued anytime I see a book with themes of magic or involving a witch, and was so excited to read WHAT BECAME OF MAGIC. I loved the magical elements of this story, and thought the plot was fascinating. It had romance and a little suspense, keeping me entertained.

🎧I listened to the audiobook format and enjoyed the narration which definitely brought the story to life.

*many thanks to Macmillan audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

What Became of Magic by Paige Crutcher is a book about a witch and the quest to save Magic. Protagonist Aline is a witch who can talk to ghosts but keeps her powers hidden from the world choosing to hide and help lost souls collect their keys to pass on. She takes solace in a bookstore and the three mysterious shopkeepers and life passes on for a decade or so until she gets invited to a town that does not exist. Aline learns that her powers are the only thing that can save the lost Magic but her must face off with a foe who has been waiting centuries for someone with her power. The book is interesting and unlike other witch stories I have read before. The Magics and flipping around who can do what gets a bit confusing but overall, worth the read.

Thank you @Netgalley and @PaigeCrutcher for the ARC.

I definitely expected to like this one a bit more than I did. It felt very YA and a bit lacking. There was a large time jump for our FMC, starting in middle school and jumping right to her being 30 years old. I think the plot had promise but it fell flat for me. We have a story of finding oneself, love I guess, found family, and fighting an enemy. It felt a bit like a weird dream and a riddle wrapped into one. If I wasn’t listening to this as an audiobook I probably would have DNF’d it.

*unfair star rating" I did not finish this one, it wasn't for me. But I absolutely see how others will love it. Please check out other reviews if you're interested!

I was pretty neutral towards this. I really liked the setup and the first few chapters, but once the larger conflict was introduced I got pretty bored. Aline felt pretty mediocre and seemed to never have an idea of what was happening and then all of a sudden save the day. I did really like the narrator.

This one was DNF for me - I got about half way thru and I just couldn't finish it.
I enjoyed the beginning and it had may all the way up until the MC went to this other land and that was about it. Sorry :(

I really enjoyed the narrator on this book I think that she did a great job of bringing the story to life. I am kinda on the fence on this one. I loved the magical elements and the characters, but the story line was a bit hard to keep up with at times. I spent a lot of time having to rewind and get my bearings in a few of the more fast paced places. I think that I would have probably enjoyed and understood the print version better. This is definitely one that i will come back to as i am such a huge fan of Crutcher's work.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. However, I’ve been very unsure how to review it and rate it. The over all plot was good and I liked the main character, Aline. I’ve never read a book like this one. Parts were confusing and it did take a little while for me to get into this book. It was a good witchy read that is very different from anything I’ve read before. I’m excited to read more from Paige Crutcher.

Wow, I really loved this book! Initially I thought this might actually be a YA novel, until the author used the term “tits up,” and then I let myself get completely immersed into the story. What Became of Magic had romance, adventure, suspense, heartbreak, and obviously, magic. I am sad that Matchstick is not a real place, because the description was dreamy and I would move there in a heartbeat. This cozy, witchy town where all the homes are woodsy cottages, that also has a coffee shop, library, and tons of magical stores stole my heart. Crutcher is also excellent at world-building and I love the way she writes. 4/5 stars.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Thank you NetGalley, Publishers, and Paige Crutcher for gifting me a copy of What Became of Magic in return for my honest opinion.

1.5/5

This was a DNF for me, I just couldn't get into it. I didn't find it enjoyable or interesting. I can see why others might enjoy it which is why I bumped it up to 1.5 stars.

What Became of Magic by Paige Crutcher was a book that I was hoping to like more than I did. I love witchy reads but I felt that this was not witchy enough or just a different kind of witchy than I usually read. I finished this one, but felt indifferent to the story and characters afterward.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this gifted audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advance audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
This book I describe as a witchy paranormal romance that features a lonely witch, her found family, a spunky ghost, and a curse that must be broken. I wanted to like this more than I did, but the plot felt like a convoluted and confusing dream that I somehow found a way to be able to follow along with. Much of the story was riddles and wandering so it was hard for me to dive into, but cute nonetheless. It is filled with vivid details that insert you into the story and some great characters to root for.. and some to root against. A cute story but overall not for me and that's okay.

Such a different type of magic system, it was different than anything I've read in the last little while. This was a Fantastical witchy tail, and the world, the characters, and the lower in the book was brand new but very welcome. I will be watching for the next book in the series, as I can't wait to find out what happens to the characters. I loved the main characters development and can see she will continue to grow in the next installment.

Audiobook received for free through NetGalley

Listened to 67% of this book but couldn’t get into the story as much as I wanted to for some reason. The story was written well and narrated well, but wasn't quite my cup of tea right now. Figured I'd review as is rather than leaving it undone. .

Find out what became of magic. Or is it magics?

I enjoyed this paranormal fantasy and found the romance element didn't overwhelm the story. The audiobook was engaging and easy to follow