VenCo

Cherie Dimaline has a the unique skill of seamlessly stringing magical-elements into an ordinary life in a beautiful way. Although the book feels like it was written for a younger audience, the setting, characters, and patriarchy-smashing theme made it such a quick and enjoyable read.

The story follows the journey of Lucky St. James as she is launched into a surreal world of witches, hunters, magic, and self-discovery. After her mother's death, she struggles to find her place in the world, as her mom (despite being aloof and hard to understand at times) was always the adventurous anchor in her life.

"Standing on their bed at four in the morning, with a head full of whiskey and a desperate plea in her dark eyes, Arnya was at her softest."Dimaline in describing Lucky's mom, Arnya.

After finding the small, silver spoon, embossed with the world 'Salem' in her grandma's basement, she is approached by a mysterious woman offering a new life that seemed impossible to achieve only a day ago.

What she doesn't know is that the same woman is a part of a group of 6 modern-day witches who are following an old prophecy told by their ancestors to (quite literally) smash the patriarchy and bring opportunity and power to more women across the world.

"Focused inward and downward, she missed all the magic and chance"Dimaline in describing life in the eyes of a little girl finding her way.

After finding the small, silver spoon, embossed with the world 'Salem' in her grandma's basement, she is approached by a mysterious woman offering a new life that seemed impossible to achieve only a day ago.

"Later, after that tolling, as if of a bell, would sound in her memory, marking the separate halves of her life being stitched together: the time before she knew and the time after. The click and pull of mental through velvet time; the slip and stretch of material moments around that ecclesiastical clang. When it echoed to a conclusion, Lucky was, for the first time, both completely pulled together and completely torn apart."

What she doesn't know is that the same woman is a part of a group of 6 modern-day witches who are following an old prophecy told by their ancestors to (quite literally) smash the patriarchy and bring opportunity and power to more women across the world.

"Focused inward and downward, she missed all the magic and chance"Dimaline in describing life in the eyes of a little girl finding her way.

As she embarks on this new journey, she has to balance the seemingly impossible feat of taking care of her grandma in the throes of dementia, protecting them both from a century old witch-hunter, all while trying to find the last and final witch to complete their coven and set off a world-altering change. Oh, and there's an unrealistic deadline of course, with only days left before they lose their opportunity forever.

Beyond just creating a gothic yet welcoming culture of witches, Cherie ties in her own ancestry as well, with Lucky and her late-mother Arnya having Metis background. She even brings in elements of rituals from her culture, demonstrating that belief in magic isn't something that should just be locked away in our history as "witchcraft" and "evil". This book is incredibly inclusive and all of these elements create a feel-good, feminist read that you can't help but enjoy.