An emotional story of family and belonging that unfortunately wasn’t fully fleshed out. I felt like this was either a powerful novella that got bloated with emotional monologuing or a novel that needed a lot more development. The family dynamics were excellently drawn and their relationship to each other and the town was interesting and unique, but Elizabeth’s character was actually one of the least compelling facets of the narrative. If you’re a fan of cozy magic and coming of age stories you might still really enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

One of the blurbs described this as a book for lovers of Practical Magic, an I would agree with this assessment. Dewerd’s descriptive language hooked me into the story from the very first chapter. Elisabeth is torn between self and duty, family and freedom. Her matriarchal family gift of magic is both her lifeline, and her anchor into a life she isn’t sure she wants. As the story weaves, I found the tale to be a little slow at times. The writing style made up for areas that felt slow, and I loved the way the story wrapped up.

What We Sacrifice for Magic is a lovely tale of sisterhood and magic, and is currently one of my favorite reads of 2024.

The story starts in a very unassuming way, following your friendly neighborhood small town witches in the 1960s. The storybuilding is solid, dropping small hints at first, then landing outright secrets about our characters without spoiling the surprise in the process. I adored the character progression as well. Our little family with 3 generations of witches, the father in a supporting role, the romantic interests - they are all fascinating to watch as they learn and grow. There's a particular focus on the sisterly bond and it is presented in a candid, flawed way. Our characters need to find their place in the world before they can truly appreciate the comforts of family, and when they do it feels right and not forced or faked.
The magic system is also interesting, apparently based on Alemannic German dialects. I'm not a German speaker so I had a hard time following the incantations at times, but you could sort of understand the main parts from context. There's probably more flavor text if you understand the language.

Overall, a down-to-earth coming of age tale in a universe where magic is more practical than fantastic. If you're a fan of Practical Magic and Garden Spells, you'll enjoy this one for sure.

✨ Disclaimer ✨ I received a free copy of this book and this is my honest review.

Historical fiction and fantasy are my favorite genres, and when put together I can't resist. Honestly, I haven't read many books that take place in the 60s, but I enjoyed it all the same. Mostly references to music and societal norms were what placed the story in that time frame. If anything I would have liked a few more references to the time period. What particularly drew me in to the story, however, was how realistic it felt to have witches living at this time in Minnesota. Having to find a place in society where they are needed and not feared. Blending in with the Catholics in town so they aren't burned at the stake like their ancestors, I thought was brilliant. A realistic and wonderful coming of age story about family relationships.

📗+🎧: What We Sacrifice for Magic-a standalone

✍🏾By: Andrea Jo DeWerd-debut author

🗣️ Narrator: Sara Van Beckum voices all the characters. The narrator's voice fit the characters with standouts from Elisabeth, Magda, and Mary. The reading style brought the text to life, and the author and narrator worked together perfectly. The pacing and flow allowed me to get lost in the story. The narrator paused and announced new chapters and there was a table of contents which helped me follow along with the eBook and audio.

🏃🏾‍♀️‍➡️ Run Time: 9:58

📃 Page Count: 308 eBook

📅 Publication Date: 9-24-24 | Read: 9-30-24

Genre: Historical Fic, Fantasy, Women's Fic, Occult Fic

Tropes: small town, witches, magic, sisterhood, coming of age, hidden secrets

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Alcove Press, Highbridge Audio, and Andrea Jo DeWerd for this ARC and ALC🧙🏾‍♀️! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions expressed are mine alone.

🌎 Setting: 1968- Friedrich, MN to Minneapolis (St. Kate's Dormitory)

⚠️ TW: death of family member, stroke-mentioned, h is a virgin, black magic, dysfunctional family, arson0-mentioned

☝🏾POV: single, 1st person-Elisabeth

💭 Summary: Elisabeth is carrying the burden of running her family now that she's eighteen. Groomed by her grandmother Magda she learns to practice magic for the townspeople waiting for her planned out life to begin. She will marry John, her high school sweetheart, live in Frederich forever, and run the family. When she discovers a family secret, she breaks away to a new life and end Magda's control over her.

🚺Heroine: Elisabeth "Lisbett" Watry-Ridder-18, a seer and practitioner heiress to Magda Watry. Grew up with three generations of women casting spells, charms, and energy healing.

🎭Side cast

John Weseloh-18, Elisabeth's high school boyfriend, farmer's son

Mary Watry-Ridder -16, Elisabeth's younger sister, great at magic but Magda doesn't believe Mary has the right magic

Magda Watry-Elisabeth's grandmother and mentor

Dorothy-Magda's mother-deceased, warns Elisabeth about Magda

Annie Holbrooke-18, Elisabeth's BFF

Jacob Ridder -Elisabeth's father, runs family business-Ridder Family Company mills and grain elevators

Helene-Elisabeth's mother, close to Mary. She does animal magic.

The Ridders- Elisabeth's paternal grandparents-against them using magic

Nick-23, a bartender Elisabeth meets after leaving Friedrich

🤔 My Thoughts: Other than slow plots, I enjoyed rooting for the heroine Elisabeth. She questioned why she was the "chosen one" and not her mother or sister. She distrusted her grandmother after finding a grimoire with a vision of Magda taking half her heart to the cedar chest as sacrifice. I wanted to get a real conversation between Magda and Helene because they chose Elisabeth's path.

🔥: Spice 2/5-h has her 1st time + another time w/ someone else
🗣️️: Narration 4/5
😭: Emotion 4/5
🧑‍🤝‍🧑: Couple 3/5-Elisabeth and John
⭐ ️: Rating 4/5

An unusual retelling of a coming-of-age story and grappling with the tethers of familial responsibility all wrapped up magic and witchcraft. Sensitively and beautifully written, it lost the thread in the middle. And I came dangerously close to dnf'ing. However I kept going and so glad that I did. As the last third continued, a real window into the different characters and motivations opened giving the story depth and universal meaning. For those looking for the magical components, you won't be disappointed

What We Sacrifice for Magic by Andrea Jo DeWerd is a mesmerizing fantasy that delves into the intricate relationship between power and sacrifice. The narrative follows a young protagonist who discovers her magical abilities, only to learn that harnessing such power comes with significant costs. DeWerd’s vivid world-building and compelling character arcs create an immersive experience, exploring themes of identity, friendship, and the moral dilemmas that arise in the pursuit of magic. With its rich storytelling and emotional depth, this novel is a captivating read for fans of fantasy who enjoy complex characters and thought-provoking themes.

What We Sacrifice for Magic is a beautifully written coming-of-age story about family, magic, and finding yourself. Set in 1960s Minnesota, the book follows Elisabeth as she navigates the pressures of inheriting her family's magical legacy while uncovering dark secrets about what that magic truly costs.

The pacing is a bit slow at the start, but the emotional depth and the dynamics between the characters make it worth the read. The ending ties everything together well, with a powerful message about self-discovery and breaking free from expectations.

If you're a fan of witchy stories with heart, this one is for you!

What We Sacrifice for Magic - Andrea Jo DeWerd

I loved the idea of this book but unfortunately it didn’t really grip me.
I found it a really slow read and not much seemed to really be happening, even in the parts that were supposed to be dramatic. It felt very YA in places and very much a coming of age story, which isn’t an issue but wasn’t what I expected.

The ending was really great and I loved how it all wrapped up.
If you’re looking for a nice easy read I would recommend.

What We Sacrifice for Magic by Andrea Jo DeWerd is described as a coming of age story involving three generations of witches. It is set in the sixties but apart from a few cultural references that setting was not heavily featured, it felt like the book could almost be set in any era.
The Watry-Ridder family live in rural Minnesota where they are revered but also feared because of their collection of charms and spells which have been passed through the generations since their ancestors left the Black Forest. Matriarch of the family Magda has chosen Elisabeth, her granddaughter, to be her heir, skipping over her daghter, Elizabeth's mother, and sidelining Elizabeth's younger sister. Elizabeth is young,, she has just graduated high school and is at odds with herself and her family about her future, one where everything down to the man she is to marry is laid out, and one that will trap her in a small town for the rest of her life. When she learns the true price of the family gift and how much it has already cost all of them she rebels and runs away with terrible consequences.
The question is not just what will she sacrifice for magic but what will she give up for family.
I was drawn to this book by both the description and the striking cover and while I can't say I loved it, it was a fine way to pass a few hours. Given that the book was set in the Sixties I wish that more of an effort has been made to ground it in that timeframe. While Elizabeth and Magda were quite fleshed out as characters almost everyone else felt flat, particularly the male characters. The strength of the book is in the power plays and dynamics of the relationship between the family members, that is what kept me reading when I was struggling with the slow pace of the book.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book!*

I loved the premise of this book but found the execution a bit lacklustre. 60s family of witches and our protagonist struggles with her life already been decided by the matriarch of the family while exploring her sexuality. I found most men in this novel ridiculous and the majority of the family members wooden, I would have loved to enjoy this more. More popcultural references please, more world building and magic system please. More character development. But parts were fun!

3 stars

I did not really enjoy the majority of this book, but I think it was really a me issue because I do have a lot of good things to say about it:
1. The magic at the beginning was super super cool with the widow. I wish more scenes like that were incorporated throughout!
2. I think this would be a great book club read- there is a lot to dissect and discuss in terms of relationships and character choices. It's a perfect fall book club pick.
3. I absolutely loved the ending of this book. I really think the story came to a really strong conclusion and I probably enjoyed the last 15% of the story the most.


Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for this ARC.

I intentionally saved this book for a day that felt like fall and I was ready to love it. I had my blanket, fuzzy socks, warm drink, and high expectations for a magical entry to witchy season. Unfortunately, it did not deliver the cozy vibe I was hoping for.

WHAT WE SACRIFICE FOR MAGIC is a coming of age story set in the late 1960s. It’s a time of change for Elisabeth who recently graduated high school and is expected to marry her longtime boyfriend and begin her transition to the matriarch role in her family’s magic business. Elisabeth’s relationships are complicated; none more so than with her younger sister. I didn’t understand the intense jealousy Elizabeth felt for her sister and it made Elisabeth an unsympathetic character for me.

The plot advances quite slowly with extensive stretches of stagnation. I found my mind wandering and had to repeatedly refocus myself on the story. This book has been compared to Practical Magic, but it lacks the whimsical elements that made that book so engaging. The pace picked up midway through, but I wasn’t invested enough to become fully engaged.

I will definitely give this author another try as I think her writing has potential with some tighter editing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

This book is a very slow burn. I am not quite sure that it ever really got where it was hoping to go by the end. I feel bad for all that Elizabeth must go through in order to figure out how messed up her family and their connection to magic is. This book just didn’t resonate with me on a personal level and was tough for me to get through. But I did get through it.
Thank you to Alcove Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

A coming of age, magical realism fictional novel based in small-town Minnesota at the end of the 1960s. Elisabeth Watry-Ridder has just graduated high school and expected to take over the family business, which is witchcraft, from her grandmother, Magda. She is also supposed to marry her high school sweetheart and live out her days serving her small mid-western town. But Elisabeth balks at this and wonders why no one else in the family can take over. She goes on a self-exploration that leads her to many family secrets and conclusions about her life.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Alcove for this e-arc.*

A new to me Canadian author, a fantastic fall cover and tons of witchy #spookyseason vibes had me clicking request on this one so fast. Sadly I could not get invested in the story, the characters or the plot. It felt a bit all over the place and while I did like the narrator, overall this one fell flat for me and I gave up half way through. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of What we sacrifice for magic by Andrea Jo DeWerd.

I really enjoyed this story, however it took me a few chapters to get involved, but once I did a flew through the pages.

Recommended.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this story, but it did take awhile for me to get into the story. It wasn't as exciting as I'd hoped it would be. I disliked the main character for a few points in the story, but then realized that given the era the book was set, this would have been appropriate responses. However, what I really enjoyed was the idea being developed through the novel about familial and especially sister ties.

This is a story I'd recommend for anyone who enjoyed realistic magical reads.

Unfortunately not the book for me. I really struggled getting through it partially because it feels like nothing happens until almost halfway through the story. I don’t know if the author was trying to build suspense or the family dynamic, but either way, it didn’t work for me. Her “new experiences” felt so superficial and like a waste of time (what about making real friends? Trying new things? Realizing that she wanted literally anything else?). Then at the end, it felt like her family was giving a masterclass in gaslighting. We know that Elisabeth has this path set out for her and seemingly spend most of the book rooting for her to get out of there only for some possible switchback at the end? TBH I skimmed the last quarter. This book had a lot of promise yet felt somehow boring.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC.