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.

Some books are just collections of words and some books draw you in so you want to know more and more. This is definitely the latter. DeWert takes the everyday life of a not-so-everyday family and makes you want to know that “more and more.” What will happen to this eldest daughter who stands to inherit the family magic business and isn't sure she wants it?

I usually reserve the phrase “couldn’t put it down” for action-packed mysteries or thrillers. But it truly applies here—I couldn’t put it down. I wanted to know what would happen to teenage Elisabeth from the magical family.

The more I thought about this novel, the more I thought that it is less about magic than it is about what it means to be defiant, to want so desperately not to do what everybody thinks you should do. When I looked at that way, the title parses differently. The “accent”, if you will, becomes more on “What we Sacrifice” and less on “for Magic.” I see a little of myself in Elizabeth. A worthy read.

Andrea Jo DeWerd is a new author for me. I picked this book up because "Magic" is in the title and when I read the description, I had to read it.

Description:
It’s 1968, and the Watry-Ridder family is feared and respected in equal measure. The local farmers seek out their water charms, and the teenagers, their love spells. The family’s charms and spells, passed down through generations of witches descending from the Black Forest, have long served the small town of Friedrich, Minnesota.

Eldest daughter Elisabeth has just graduated high school—she is expected to hone her supernatural abilities to take over for her grandmother, the indomitable Madga. She’s also expected to marry her high school sweetheart and live the rest of her life in Friedrich. But all she can ask is, why her? Why is her path set in stone, and what else might be out there for her?

She soon discovers that magic isn’t the only thing inherited in her family. That magic also comes with a great price—and a big family secret. The more she digs, the more questions she has, and the less she trusts the grandmother she thought she knew. Who is Elisabeth without her family? She must ultimately decide what she’s willing to sacrifice for her family, for their secrets and their magic, or risk it all to pave her own way.

Navigating the bittersweet tension between self-discovery and living up to familial expectations, What We Sacrifice for Magic is a touching look at coming into one’s own.

My Thoughts:
This book is full of magic and I was totally engrossed. I felt so bad for Elisabeth though - she is in a difficult situation. Although she is close to her grandmother, she is having difficulty accepting the task the grandmother says she must shoulder. Elisabeth's relationship with her mother sounds terrible and I can't imagine growing up like that. There are dark roots at the origins of the family's magic and secrets are revealed. I recommend this to anyone who likes to read about witches and magic.

Thanks to Alcove Press through Netgalley for an advance copy.

What We Sacrifice for Magic is an enchanting coming-of-age story set in Minnesota in the 1960’s. The magical elements were interesting and the story of family obligations and the pressures following in the footsteps of the witches in previous generations was done really well. However, I found the writing a bit slow or ‘choppy’ at times, especially in the beginning - but then again I loved the ending! The story itself kept me hooked and I just had to keep on turning the pages to see what happened next.

All in all, this is a very impressive debut novel – thank you so much Crooked Lane Books/Alcove Press and Andrea Jo DeWerd for the ARC! 3.5 stars which I rounded up to four.

This was a plodding pace, a witchy coming-of-age story. Okay, so I liked this story but did not like the writing. I had to push myself through it cause I was interested in the story

"Perfect for fans of Practical Magic and The Lager Queen of Minnesota a coming-of-age novel following three generations of witches in the 1960s, this enchanting and heartwarming debut explores the importance of family and the delight and heartbreak of discovering who you truly are.

It's 1968, and the Watry-Ridder family is feared and respected in equal measure. The local farmers seek out their water charms, and the teenagers, their love spells. The family's charms and spells, passed down through generations of witches descending from the Black Forest, have long served the small town of Friedrich, Minnesota.

Eldest daughter Elisabeth has just graduated high school - she is expected to hone her supernatural abilities to take over for her grandmother, the indomitable Magda. She's also expected to marry her high school sweetheart and live the rest of her life in Friedrich. But all she can ask is, why her? Why is her path set in stone, and what else might be out there for her?

She soon discovers that magic isn't the only thing inherited in her family. That magic also comes with a great price - and a big family secret. The more she digs, the more questions she has, and the less she trusts the grandmother she thought she knew. Who is Elisabeth without her family? She must ultimately decide what she's willing to sacrifice for her family, for their secrets and their magic, or risk it all to pave her own way.

Navigating the bittersweet tension between self-discovery and living up to familial expectations, What We Sacrifice for Magic is a touching look at coming into one's own."

And also, who constitutes our chosen family...

The story was very unique and concept of the book was very good. Although the writing was very lackluster and very choppy.