Synopsis
Elliot Green has had a rough year. His dad died, he had to move across the country, and now he’s about to start high school in one of LA’s most prestigious private schools, where his mom has accepted the position of Vice Principal. He’s quickly taken in by the school’s outcasts: the scholarship kids; the queer kids; and the ones who just don’t really fit in with the glossy trust fund babies of SJTBA. They quickly let him in on their little secret…they are witches. Elliot joins them in their world among the crystal stores and occult shops of Silverlake and ends up joining his new friends’ coven. During one of their magical experiments, they accidentally release a bloodthirsty demon that starts murdering their classmates and teachers. Elliot and his coven realize that the fun and games of playing with crystals and candles is over, that magic is powerful, real, and that it might be more dangerous than they’d ever imagined.
From: Legendary
Notes on This Title
The cast of this book includes two white queer teen boys, a bi/pansexual teen boy of Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Italian descent, and a trans teen girl of Indian descent. Also present are a Black teen girl, a Jewish teen girl, and a gay teen boy who is visually coded as Black. There are depictions of violence and gore, as well as frequent mentions of suicide.
Awards
None.
Reviews
“There is a very diverse cast of characters supporting the cis gay white male lead, and I appreciated that everyone’s sexuality and gender are features of them instead of foci of the story. While Elliot’s romantic feelings does take a good amount of the story, it doesn’t feel like tokenism or performative for the sake of having an LGBTQ+ story. All that being said, there are some problems with pacing the story and balancing how large this cast is.” (Source: The Graphic Library)
“Inconsistent in tone, with lackluster worldbuilding.” (Source: Kirkus Reviews)