Review by Booklist Review
Openly gay senior Sam is secretly in love with his best friend, James, who is, presumably, straight. Both boys are magickers, who, along with their friend Delia, are the only members of their high school's magic club they call the Fascinators. But then Denver, the new boy in school, joins them and immediately crushes on Sam. Drunk one night, James runs afoul of a group of dark magickers ironically calling themselves True Light and winds up under a curse. Although the curse is dispelled, Sam and James find their lives changing and too soon they drift apart. Meanwhile, Delia, desperate to enhance her magic, joins True Light with disastrous results that leave James dying in a hospital bed and Sam as the only one who can save him. Although its pace can be a bit slow and presumes too much knowledge on the reader's part, Eliopulos' first novel is otherwise well plotted and boasts appealing characters. Despite some frustrating loose ends, fans of what might be called magic-magical realism will find this a compelling read.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In small-town Georgia, being a magicker is only slightly more acceptable than being gay, which makes things very difficult for high schooler Sam, who is both. With his best friends Delia and James, the group makes up the entire roster of their high school's magic team, the Fascinators. Sam leans heavily on Delia as he pines for James's affection, while James spends time at church and drinking heavily to escape his circumstances. Trouble begins as James steals a book from True Light, a cultlike magical group looking for ways to increase their numbers. When new student Denver joins the team and begins a friendship with Sam, his relationship with Delia and James begins to fracture under the strain of the secrets they have been keeping from each other. Eliopulos, making his YA debut, crafts a world in which magic is part of everyday life, but the narrative follows a more realistic journey as his main characters navigate friendship, first loves, and heartbreaks, all in witty banter. Though the fantastical elements serve as mere catalyst for Sam to realize who he is and who he wishes to become, Eliopulos excels with interpersonal relationships, building out the complexities of childhood friends on the precipice of adulthood. Ages 13--up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties. (May)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up--High schooler Sam and his close friends, James and Delia, are the Fascinators--magickers capable of summoning storms, reading minds, and performing spells. Despite the rest of their community not fully accepting their magical abilities, the trio take their gifts seriously, meeting after school to hone their skills. As an out, queer teen living in rural Georgia, Sam struggles with his identity and self-esteem in a landscape of judgmental side glances and unending microaggressions--especially when it comes to James. He can no longer deny that his feelings for James have grown beyond friendship, even if Sam knows James may not be on the same page. When the Fascinators take on a new member, Denver from Nashville, his openness and kind demeanor quietly begin to strengthen Sam's confidence. But the group grapples with their collective strength when James gets into trouble experimenting with dark magic at a party. Strategizing to use their magical powers, they rally to find a book of spells that James stole from a powerful cult group called True Light who are hell-bent on reclaiming their property. As Sam and his friends confront True Light, the group's loyalties are questioned. Sam is forced to reflect on his own willingness to sacrifice everything for his friends, and how much of himself he is prepared to lose in the process. Sam's inner dialogue is relatable and dynamic. VERDICT Part paranormal thriller, part introspective character study, this title challenges readers to accept themselves, build empathy, and stand strong in the power of personal beliefs. An #OwnVoices title for fans of Becky Albertalli.--Elise Martinez, Racine, WI
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Spellcasting gets extracurricular at a Georgia high school. Seniors Sam, Delia, and James are the three (and only) members of the Friedman High Fascinators, their school's magic club. The trio hopes to do well at their last magic competition before college, but the "infinite question marks" surrounding Sam and James' feelings for each other are nothing if not distracting. Rather than talk it out, James keeps partying and spending time with Amber, a girl from his church. Meanwhile, the club recruits new-to-town Denver, a boy who seems keen on Sam. When James steals a spell book at a party, a group of dark magic practitioners haunts the Fascinators until they return it. But even if they give it back, will their lives be the same? Eliopulos, an editor at HarperCollins, makes his YA debut with a strong, queercentric premise. The tight, third-person--omniscient focus on Sam offers a contagious flair for the dramatic. Though light on the specificities and rules of magic, Eliopulos draws powerful parallels between queerness and magical ability in a Deep South where the fear of both is present but not prevailing. However, with all the crescendo of the promising premise, the ending tumbles toward anticlimactic. Multiple unanswered questions hint at a potential sequel. The cast assumes a white default, though black-haired Amber has dark brown skin and other character names code for diversity. A magical exploration of queer and religious themes. (Fantasy. 12-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
