Is this the best MG book of the year? Likely! With such an amazing main character and supporting cast, there was very little this book could do wrong. I fell in love with Ber and read this non-stop from beginning to end then gave it to my kids and they did the same. The representation is amazing and the adventure is to die for. Perfect!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4/5 stars.

Okay, so, the fact that there is Diabetic rep and ALSO she summons a demon every time she tests her blood sugar? It is SUCH a good concept, and it's written in such an accessible way with the middle grade elements. I thought the plot was well done, and it definitely opens it up to more books in the series. I think there is a lot of background that still needs to be developed, especially with the mages and the witches, but I do think this was well done. Minus the weird romance part with Cai??

But yes, it's fun and interesting and great rep. Also....CATS

**Features:**

- Main character managing a chronic illness
- Fun, adventurous tale that explores serious themes
- Witches, covens, and summoning-based magic magic system

**Summary:**

With a small drop of blood, a witch can conjure any demon they require. Coming from a long, distinguished line of blood witches, Bernadette Crowley has always been able to summon with ease. However, ever since her diabetes diagnosis, that power has turned into a nightmare. Every time she checks her blood sugar, accidental demons find their way through the veil and cause chaos. So far, Ber has been able to handle the ‘accidentals’ on her own. But as she grows more powerful, the risk of summoning something far more disastrous grows as well. When her older sister Maeve comes up with a plan to summon a low-order demon to monitor her blood sugar, Ber is hopeful that this might be the solution. But will this attempt to avoid catastrophe end up causing it instead?

**Thoughts:**

This book was incredibly charming! I loved Ber from the very beginning and she manages to be a strong, capable character that also has moments of uncertainty and vulnerability. Though this book is creative and often lighthearted in how it represents Ber’s diabetes, it also shows her emotional and physical journey in a way that feels very real. Even more impressive is how this book manages to educate and tell such a rich story in a way that is both accessible to middle grade readers and engaging for more adult readers. This review is shorter than most of my others, but sometimes a book is fantastic and that’s really all there is to it. I will definitely be getting a copy of this one for my class library!

Accidental Demons by Claire edge, I just want to say I didn’t know this was a middle grade novel but by the time I realized it I was already in love and into the story. Bear has diabetes and before school while her and sister Meeve are messing around bear prick her finger to check her sugar levels and they accidentally summon a demon but not just one demon many demons. This was an adorable book I knew when they multiplied the cat I was in for a treat and boy was I. I don’t have diabetes myself but thought the author not only letting the main character have diabetes but also showing what managing it looks like was so super awesome. Even the sub plot was interesting this is a book I would definitely give to my daughter as well as her friends I found the author had a good grasp on preteen girls and their attitudes as well as a great talent for writing interesting stories. #NetGalley, harperCollins UK for children, #ClaireEdge, #AccidentalDemons,

Accidental Demons has so much going for it! Definitely one of the best written middle grade titles this year.

This book is pure and utter magic, Ber is probably one of my favorite middle grade protagonists. She is fully fleshed out character that also happens to be a powerful, diabetic witch. This story is full of endearing characters, including my favorite Finn. This is an instant middle grade classic.

I loved this story. I have not read a story with a diabetic main character so to see one here is nice. The diabetes representation is great and the other representation in the book is well done.

Ber as a diabetic witch who tries to use magic to find a way to "cheat" the system so to speak is great. Who amongus wouldn't try to use magic to get rid of are problems if we had the option? I don't personally if I would summon A blood sugar sniffing demon to help with my diabetes but I am glad Ber does cause Fin is great, love them. The ending of this story is complete but leaves some threads open for a sequel and I hope it gets one cause I would love to read more of this world!

This is the book I needed as a kid and did not have. I am so glad it exists now. I was crying by chapter two at how relatable this story is. The FMC Ber was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and needs to check her blood sugar to know how well controlled things are and if she needs to eat or give more insulin. However, she is a blood witch and by lancing her finger she is accidentally summoning demons. One solution proposed is getting her a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), a device that can continuously check blood sugar without the need to repeatedly lance the finger for blood. However, they cannot get her access to one due to insurance coverage. And if that isn’t the realest thing ever. This book will hopefully bring awareness of Type 1 Diabetes and some of the struggles related to it to a wider population of readers. There is also some rep for clotting disorders and asthma that I think is very well done too.

“This doesn’t mean you can’t have a normal life.

I think that’s exactly what it means.”

This story is just full of so much heart. Ber is the kind of MC to bring hope into a story by her actions and her ability to never give up even when life throws everything at her. She finds ways to fight and break the stigma surrounding her disease. One scene in particular was a particular fear of mine as a kid - I didn’t want people to know about my diabetes because of a fear of what they might think about it. There was also the fear that everything that went into managing diabetes put a strain on my family and Ber feels this too:

“I’m tired of being a burden to everyone.”

Ber and her sister, Maeve, end up conjuring a mystery demon that helps Ber detect her sugars without checking via the glucometer, but they seem to have an agenda of their own that is not so easily revealed. This demon, Fin, seems to understand diabetes better than anyone else around her:

“I know each diabetic is different.”

The two of them develop a pretty tight bond because of this. This is probably the best type one diabetes rep I have ever seen in a book and then Edge manages to also do such an amazing job with breaking down prejudices amongst the different witch communities in such a fantastic manner.

“Having an illness or a disability doesn’t make you any less magical”

Just perfect messages and perfect representation.

One of the final lines really stuck with me and though it was in reference to being a witch it felt like it was also for Ber and managing her diabetes: “You are not alone in this.” - a message that I feel all kids with diabetes deserve to hear, with the hope that it makes every day managing this lifelong disease a little bit easier.

Thank you to @harpercollins and @netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Harper Collins for sending me an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

Anyone else ever find the book that your younger self never knew they needed? Well when it comes to disability/chronic illness representation, this is it for me. (Not to mention the fantasy adventure that I've always loved).

Edge expertly weaves the wide range of emotions that chronic illness forces upon our lives. And she does it all while intertwining such a rich fantasy world and the kind of mystery and adventure that most could never dream of crafting. Ber navigating her relatively new diagnosis felt like I was being cracked open (again, hehe) and my heart was on display. She has every emotion imaginable, from fear and confusion to pride in who she is and how she fits in the world. And all of these things are so confusing that they never seem to quite fit with one another, even when they can occur at the same time. It's all so real and raw that it truly feels like Edge has reflected the chronically ill heart and soul on the page.

And then there's the depth of breaking down prejudices and traditions while also learning about family and friendship and how these things fit into your life. And muddle that all up with the chaos of chronic illness and you get to look back in the mirror at your coming-of-age self and relive the confusion of all those emotions and the pride of knowing that you've come out on the other side.

Edge takes a loveable and lovingly-flawed chronically ill main character and takes her on an adventure full of joy and failure alike and weaves her into a magical journey you won't be able to get enough of.

I cannot wait to see where this story goes, and I would be remiss if I didn't scream at absolutely everyone to read it right this second!

Thank you so much to NetGalley & HarperCollins for letting me get a sneak peek at this AMAZING middle grade fantasy!

This book has it all:
💪 strong, smart 13 year old MC
💉 T1D MC
🗡 blood magic
👭 strong sisterly bond
❤ strong family relationships
🏠 intergenerational living
🤨 questioning traditions when they start to feel more like ignorance
☎ asking for help when needed
🤝 strong friendships
💘 first crushes
& so much more!

I'm a HUGE fan of this story and cannot wait to read more from his incredibly talented author!!

An absolute stellar debut! I am so happy that I was able to get an eARC from the Publisher via NetGalley. I truly hope this will become a series as I want to know more about Ber and her adventures. I will be recommending this to anyone who will listen to me.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Accidental Demons by Clare Edge is first person-POV upper Middle Grade diverse contemporary fantasy. Ber is a diabetic comes from a long line of blood witches and accidentally summons demons every time she tests her blood sugar. Ber and her sister, Maeve, decide to summon a demon to monitor Ber’s blood sugar so Ber can stay in school, but the demon has plans of their own.

I used the term ‘diverse’ here because we have a blood witch with diabetes, a weather witch with asthma, a mind mage who is half-Japanese, a Hmong plant mage, a demon who uses they/them pronouns, and two Sapphic relationships as well as the diversity of the teachers at Ber and Cai’s school. There are conversations around prejudice in witch communities, Indigenous magics and implications of appropriation of Indigenous American practices, Ber recognizing that she doesn’t have a strong connection to her grandmother’s Irish culture but still uses Irish in spells, and Ber’s life as a diabetic is explored in detail. The novel does a lot and opens up a lot of conversations for pre-teen readers to have with educators, parents, and guardians and to start building empathy for experiences outside of themselves. The main focus is indeed on disabilities, but it was nice to see Ber recognize her ignorance, accept that she is ignorant and prejudices exist in her community, and open herself up to being educated.

I really liked how much we got to see of Ber’s daily life and how being diabetic impacts her not only as a witch but as a human with responsibilities. Clare Edge doesn’t shy away from showing a blood sugar crash and how dangerous they really are and tying it directly to the demon, Fin, whose power is weakened during those crashes. Ber has to keep track of what she eats and her carbs, keep food in her room in case of an emergency, and has to deal with her classmates not being understanding of her need to use needles to make sure she’s in the normal levels.

Ber has a strong support system in her friend Cai, her sister, and Fin as well as her parents, grandmother, and teachers. It helps to show that a community is really necessary and we can’t completely go it alone, a lesson that Ber does have to learn as she struggles to accept other people’s help when she’s in need in the beginning of the book. Her relationship with Fin really helps show her that she can lean on other people when she really needs it and that is strengthened throughout the narrative.

I would recommend this to fans of Middle Grade fantasy looking for a book exploring disabilities, readers of contemporary fantasy who want a book with blood witches and demons, and those who prefer a lot of grounding in their fantasy novels

There are no words to describe what this book meant to me. I spent my entire diabetic childhood searching for a story like this one and it was no less healing to read it as an adult. I will be screaming about this book from the rooftops until the sequel is published.

Ber, a young blood witch, is diagnosed with diabetes and accidentally summons demons when she tests. She attempts to solve the problem through (more) magic, with mixed results. Great character development of both main and secondary characters. Chronic illness is a part of the narrative in that it influences magic; we also see Ber's frustration with how people treat her. The power of family and friends, as well as the importance of challenging received knowledge, play crucial roles. Highly recommend for most audiences (with obvious exception of those with blood or needle phobias)

I was hooked on this book from the moment I read the synopsis. However, after reading the book I feel the synopsis isn’t an accurate representation of the plot.

Yes, it’s about a girl who accidentally summons demons when she checks her blood sugar. But it’s also about tribalism, isolation, and othering. It feels like two different books poorly stitched together, so I’ll be dividing my review into two sections.

Firstly, Ber is delightful. The whole family is. I appreciate the subtle plus size representation with the mother character. I like the dad’s humor and his Pullman reference.

However, if the family doesn’t have health insurance how did they visit the hospital when Ber got sick? Do they go to doctors at all? Every person I’ve known with type one diabetes has taken several visits to a pediatrician to be diagnosed. They can afford a hospital visit but not a primary care physician and a continuous glucose monitor?

Additionally, I’m confused as to why the coven is familiar with clotting disorders but not diabetes? Diabetes is more common. Being a family that practices blood magic, wouldn’t they be knowledgeable about all kinds of blood disorders?

The emphasis on family and being Irish was too much at first. I assumed there weren’t many magic users at all, which was why their family was so proud. However, the transition from “there are more magical people?” to “we have to work together“ seems extremely rushed. I feel like the friendship group should have been more fleshed out before going on an adventure. I want to know more about the different kinds of magic. Why are the blood magicians so secretive? Why the conflict with weather witches? How did Ber not notice any of this?

I would have liked the lake, shelter island, and the lake monster foreshadowed in the beginning somehow. Is the monster a result of all the magic around? Why has no one tried to talk to it before? If it’s not a demon what is it?

Finally, casually dropping that the demons are angry with the balance of power at the end is extremely unsatisfactory. That could be the plot of a whole book or two.

Overall the book is a very easy and compulsive read. I just wish it was expanded and split into several books.

What an absolute blast of a book!! I’ve been obsessed with this concept since I first heard of it, and the book certainly didn’t disappoint—ACCIDENTAL DEMONS is fun, unique, and has so much heart. I fell in love with this cast of characters and can’t wait to have a shelf dedicated to Clare Edge’s books one day!!

One thing is for sure, Clare Edge is incredible at their craft. This book felt so delightfully nostalgic to me; it had all the elements of the middle grade fantasies that I ate up as a kid, but with the inclusivity that I wished I’d had. Ber and her family and friends were incredibly charming, and when I finished, I was already ready for the next one.

This was such a perfect middle grade read! Accidental Demons strikes a perfect balance of humor, adventure, and internal struggles--in Ber's case, both coming to understand her family's secrets and dealing with her own diabetes. A great cast of side characters includes queer and BIPOC representation, a host of charming and mischievous demons, and witchy cats. I really enjoyed this and hope we get a sequel, as this book wraps up well but definitely has plenty to be explored in later books!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

Five stars easily. Not only is the writing clever and accessible, but the story is CREATIVE, both in terms of the "demons" (more fantasy than horror if that's a concern) and how they are summoned, but in the way the MC's disability is woven into the plot. As an adult, I found this charming, touching, and educational, and I am sure middle grade readers will too.