This was a really great YA Fantasy Stand Alone series. This book follows Clara, a witch that goes to a school for witches that can help them to train their magic. I adored the elemental magic system in this book. Every witch has a season and power derived from that. (Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring).

Clara however is an Ever witch, meaning she has magic from all the seasons. Clara is the hope for her school and those closest to her, even if she doesn’t realize it. Some might say, with the decreasing magic of other witches, she might be the only hope. The only problem is her power is very dangerous and because of that, she keeps to herself so no one can be hurt from the magic within her.

The quotes at the beginning of each chapter ‘a season for everything’ is a nice addition to this book as well as the illustrations, and for those, I will just say, you’ll have to read it to understand.

This was a really great YA Fantasy stand-alone series that included hope, magic, romance, and action. I would say though, I would have liked more communication between two characters (the tension is off the charts) and a little more world building. If I did half ratings this would be a 4.5, but since I don’t, I have given it a 5-star review because it left me wanting more, even though it’s a standalone. I just finished this book, so it gave me great fall vibes (my favorite season) while reading.

I fell in love with this book from the very beginning and totally wish I could be dropped into this world (as a witch, not a shader obvs). Part of me is disappointed this isn’t a series, but I’m also relieved as well - I don’t think future books would hold a flame to this one. Even though it’s a YA book and I’m in my late 30s, there were still so many quotes and bits that I could relate to/my soul needed to hear. I’m so glad I found this in my TBR while trying to finish more of my A-Z challenge. So, sorry The September House, I have a new fav book for this year.

ETA: JUST WHEN I THOUGHT I COULDN’T LOVE THIS BOOK MORE, I DISCOVERED THERE’S A REFERENCE TO THE MOVIE SPEED, ONE OF MY FAVORITE (AND TOTALLY UNDERRATED) MOVIES EVER, IN THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 😍😍😍

Loved the unique magic system! Clara's journey to try to love herself and her magic was wildly imperfect and also heartwarming.

Finding out at the end that the quotes at the start of each chapter are from the book Clara will eventually write for the next Ever witch did make me cry.

This is a modern day setting, which I hadn't expected, but felt it worked just fine. Also somewhat unexpected casual bisexuality rep, which is always nice to see.

This book is not just about self-discovery, is also about self-acceptance. And have the bravery to fight for what you want.
 

This book felt like a love letter to our planet Earth in the most magical way possible. Rachel’s writing style feels fresh and easygoing, but still capable of projecting deep emotions and thoughts through her characters. I identified with Clara in many ways and I loved how the author connected different areas of all the characters’ personalities with what their season represents, making you understand even some of the unlikeable ones. Yet, Clara’s self-isolation and insecurity were a bit of a stereotype. However, her overall nature is an archetype for women who are deemed too emotional, too much, or too dangerous. She represents those who are struggling with their personal power, but learn that the only way to be happy and free is to show and embrace all sides of themselves. 

This leads us to Sang, Clara’s mentor and romantic interest. Sang was probably my favorite character in the book. His quiet and calming personality clashed against Clara’s stubbornness and self-loathing and he was the perfect mirror for her to look at herself and face her fears. Sang reminded me a lot of my grandfather and how his gentle love soothes my abuela’s fiery and passionate personality. And just like my grandparents, Clara and Sang’s romance was not rushed or forced, but it was very present from the beginning.  Furthermore, I liked how the author gently treated Clara and Paige’s love story breakup without eliminating Paige from Clara’s life. 

Though the details of the magical system in the book are a bit vague, it still shows you how it works and how it is deeply connected with everything in the story. So much so that one of the characters researches how to take out harmful plants without the witch or the plant feeling pain. Or how clouds have a mind of their own when manifesting rain and thunder. Likewise, I love how the author has the witches loyal to the Sun rather than the traditional Moon veneration without demonizing the latter; as well as, referencing the Sun as a she (probably honoring sun goddesses hardly mentioned in modern witchcraft and paganism). 

Finally, my favorite element of this story is how it tackles climate change by cleverly linking it to the essence of a witch. Throughout history, witches have been deeply connected to the earth, acting as stewards of the planet and utilizing its resources for healing and sustainability. This said, the book also highlights the pressing issue of how human greed is deeply detrimental to our environment. The term "shaders" is used in the book to describe non-magical people; which, I think is fitting because it can symbolize how this greed has cast a dark cloud over our world's climate and our lives. Despite this, the book offers a sense of hope by emphasizing the importance of working together as the only way to make a positive difference in restoring balance to our environment and our lives. 

So god damn cute 

This has been on my tbr shelf for quite a while, just waiting for the spooky/witchy months, and it honestly did not disappoint. The writing is beautiful and the atmosphere that Rachel Griffen created was perfect fall vibes. I loved the idea of witches being tied to a specific season and breaking the book up by season really helped to see how Clara changed during them. Everyone needs a Sang in their lives. There’s also a cat so that’s automatically a win. Definitely slower paced and a bit repetitive at times, but not to a point that it bothered me enough to stop reading it, if that makes sense. Overall, a very wholesome, well put-together, cozy, fall read that I definitely recommend!