This was a great coming of age story about friendship and learning about yourself. I enjoyed Thrash's journey throughout this and love how she made a change in the system.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch meets YA novel! When a young witch with a rebellious streak, Thrash, suddenly comes into her powers in her senior year of high school, she is forced into choose between meeting her mother's lofty expectations or forging her own magical path. Following the self-deterministic journey of a bildungsroman, Thrash decides to go on a road trip with some friends across the Thirteen States (inspired by Salem-era colonies); the experiences she has along the way will shape the way Thrash understands family, friendship, and most importantly - herself!

I liked this book and all of its creative whimsicality! As with other witchy/wizardy novels set in the current day, I loved the reimagining of modern objects in a magical paradigm (e.g., crystal balls being used like a cellphones) and the magical renaming schemes (e.g., -trix words). Most of all, I liked the novel's emphasis on self-love and sticking to your gut. This novel reminded me a bit of Savvy by Ingrid Law, a book with a road trip and similar magical trappings, which I loved when I was a middle school student with a big imagination. Part of me thinks this book would have been better suited to be written for a middle school age audience as well. I was often thrown off by the infrequent adult references (and I mean milder stuff, like the word DILF) in what I felt would have been a light-hearted novel for younger readers. This book is still a very cute and light-read, and I think the cover art perfectly encapsulates the story!

“Will you run away with us? And choose your own destiny?”

A group of teenage witches go on a road trip… That’s all I needed to know to pick up this book. I was ready for the bonding that comes from shared experiences and the hope our four witches would meet some interesting people along the way.

Thrash really wants the Gift of Sight. Her mother wants Thrash to have the Gift of Glamour. This is a problem for Thrash because, in this matriarchal society, mothers get to choose which Gift their children receive. What’s a girl to do?!

Well, if you’re Thrash, this is the perfect opportunity to go on a road trip with three witches from school she barely knows. They’re on a mission to liberate the Gifts they want. They didn’t expect things to spiral this much out of control.

I was entirely on board with learning how magic works in Thrash’s world. I thought some bonding time between myself and the girls was inevitable but didn’t connect with any of the characters. There were also fewer scenes involving Thrash, Saki, Em and Cresca bonding and more with a bunch of people chasing them across the Thirteen States than I expected.

This is marketed as a body positive novel and there are some elements of that. This was offset for me by many of the characters having significant struggles with their bodies, though, including those who use magic to change their appearance.

While this was an entertaining read, I wasn’t captivated by it like I’d hoped. I’m left with quite a few unanswered questions, the most pressing of which is, did Takoda survive?

I definitely need a magical bottomless trunk to store all of my books.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sword & Rose Press for the opportunity to read this book.

"You're a witch, b***h." Cresca called behind her. "Start acting like it."

Fat Witch Summer by Lizzy Ives is a coming of age story that is chock full of laughs, adventure and sisterhood. Thrash has a knack. Knacks are burst of magic that are specific to a single person. When a teenager gets their knack, it means they are a witch and it's up to their parents to offer the gift of glamour, sight or growth. Thrash's mom is a high profile glamour witch, but Thrash has an issue. She doesn't want the gift of glamour. She wants the gift of sight, like her other mother, who recently passed away from cancer. Cresca, Em and Saki make up a group called the Lunes. When Cresca catches wind that Thrash doesn't want her gift, she recruits Thrash for an epic journey and heist to steal gifts from the New Salem University. Can Thrash actually pull this off, and will she make new friends along the journey? Or is she just a tool for the girls to get what they want? Fat Witch Summer is an epic tale that will have you on the edge of your seat, rooting for the girls.

This book is perfect for anyone who has issues with self image, body image etc. I love how the author created a strong female character that doesn't hide behind makeup, trends or perfect hair. Thrash is unique, brave, powerful and loves herself. She is a wonderful role model for girls, teens and women of any age.

I love all the characters, even the ones that are supposed to be "antagonist." The author created a wonderful world of magic with unique settings and characters. I love the little quirks that each character has as well as the different knacks the girls possess. It's also cool that the author kept in mind that these girls are just teens so they will experience mishaps and distractions along the way.

I loved the inclusion of familiars, especially since the familiars were funny. It added a nice touch. I also love how accurate the author was in wiring about witchcraft and related objects to the craft. It's important to get things right to avoid it being trendy or cheesy.

The plot twist with the magic is also super cool. I love how the story included groups that were against the government as well. It gives a way more realistic feel to this fantasy novel and I love some realism in my fantasy. The author really did a wonderful job building an entire world and I would love to see this made into a series.

It took me a bit to acclimate to this world but a solid and entertaining YA witchy novel.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

Fat Witch Summer by Lizzy Ives is a fun read about friends, family, expectations, and government control.

I saw this book on Netgalley and immediately had to have it. I am so lucky I got the chance to read this book early because it sure did not disappoint! It has been described as Dumplin meets the Craft and it definitely fits. This book is not only so magical but deals with real life issues in such a unique way. It deals with overbearing parents who though they love their kids dearly don't want them to grow up just yet, loving yourself for who you are and not what you look like or could be, and the hardship of making friends and being in such a close friend group. We also see how different class of people are treated differently, and how important it is to be given the chance to have a choice of things. The characters are written perfectly and really makes you love each and every one of them as we join Thrash and The Lunes on their magical, action filled journey through the thirteen states. Definitely recommend to anyone who loves a good girl trip, and witches of all shapes and sizes. This story is truly incredible and I seriously hope it becomes a series. The writing is amazing the story is so inclusive to all. This book will forever have my heart.

"Fat Witch Summer" by Lizzy Ives was a great read. It was funny, quick and friendships galore. Worth the read.

Roadtrips, covens, body positivity, and LGBTQ+ representation. Say no more. This was a fast-paced adventurous book. It kept me hooked the whole story. I didn't want to put this book down. The authors writing makes you really feel as if you are one of the girls. All the characters are relatable and loveable. I could go on and on about this book, but you just need to read it for yourselves!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for givinc me an eArc to read of this amazing book.

This is the rare case when choosing a book based on its cover and title completely paid off! What a fun witchy read! I loved all four of the main characters (and the various grumpy familiars we met throughout the adventure) and this spin on a classic summer road trip story. The world building impressed me and I hope there is a sequel!

This was a fun and quick read perfect to read on a road trip and beach day! This book is about 16 year old named Thrash who discovers she's a witch. Witches receive gifts (or specialty) chosen by their mothers. Of course being a teenager, Thrash rebels and befriends a group of witches. They go on a roadtrip and an epic adventure. I loved how confident all of the girls are. And the way they built eachother up was so refreshing and sweet. I would have loved this book in high school. Theres not much magic in this book but I hope there will be a series because I feel like the girls' stories are just beginning!

Thank you netgalley and author for the arc!!

3.5 stars rounded down.

i love books about fat people doing adventures and also books about witches!

this one was fine! it just didn't get past that. i had a hard time really connecting with the characters, which made the plot feel a little chaotic because they weren't grounding it for me. that said, it feels like the first book in a series because a lot of weird unanswered stuff happened in like the last 10 pages, and i would totally read the next one because i guess i was slightly sucked into the world! It was doing a lot, with giving us 1 main but not POV character, 3 central but not main character, another 6 (i would say) secondary characters, vignettes from other people, setting the present story, building the history, doing a coming-of-age experience, AND running a road trip caper where they start trying to save magic partway through! it couldn't quite pull it all off--but the next book that has to do less characterization and worldbuilding could be exactly what is needed.
It would be nice in a middle or high school library for the fat rep.

NetGalley ARC.

oh my gods!!!! ive only read about half of the book so far but i had to stop and scream about how much i love it!!!!!! first of all as soon as i saw this book and description i sent a screenshot to my best friend and we both immediately preordered. i have never fallen in love with so many characters at once. i can already feel this becoming a favorite and its not even out yet!!!!

What an adventure! This was such a fun and unique read. I did not know I needed a YA, coming of age, body positive, witchy road-trip read until I started this novel. There is a political aspect that I did not expect but really enjoyed. I liked the inclusion of “knacks” on top of the three different types of magic. I love that Thrash and The Lunes are all unapologetically themselves. The friendship elements of this story were lovely, both the new and the pre-established friendships. I continually found myself rooting for Thrash and The Lunes! I am really hoping for a sequel!

A coming-of-age road trip story with a witchy twist, you will be unable to resist attaching yourself to Thrash and the Lunes. This book is full of issues that real teens struggle with: choosing their futures before they've really lived, miscommunication and misunderstandings with their parents and authority figures, struggling to be heard when they have different views or goals than their family, and the assumptions and judgments they make about their peers before really getting to know them. Throw in some magic, a critique of colonization and cultural assimilation, and the beginning of the second magical revolution, and you've got a very compelling book. What I loved the most was that there were positive endings for all four girls when it came to their relationships with their parents, and all of it was contingent on encouraging honest and ongoing communication. These aren't young people left to fend for themselves, or realize they're alone as a kid, they find their communities in a variety of ways, including with their families. This was silly and fun, but also deep and emotional, and parts of the end had me tearing up.

This is about a girl named Thrash who is about to receive her gift, one her mom has to choose for her. There’s three gifts possible: sight, growth and glamour. Her mom wants to gift her glamour but that’s far from what Thrash wants for herself.

With the promise of choosing her own gift, Thrash embarks on an adventure with the Lunes. But an adventure never sounded so dangerous.

First of all I love Thrash, this is a coming of age story about a girl that can’t make others see past her appearance, not even her mom. Thrash is fat and happy with it, and it was beautiful to read how much she just wanted to be herself. I believe that was accomplished with the Lunes.

She also had two moms and you can still see the grief for the one who is not there anymore, she can’t even face the things her mom left behind…

The Lunes are a ton of fun. I really enjoyed Cresca and her friends. Em is even half mermaid? They all have very different parents. Some want them to choose her gift, others want to wait, others don’t want to give any. But in their core they are all witches just wanting a better life, something they choose for themselves.

The adventure part and the world building was really interesting and fun, there wasn’t any info dumping, and you learn it along the way. It even has a map! The world is captivating and I loved learning more about it.

I personally really enjoyed following this coming of age story with witches that tackles fatphobia, LGBT characters and overall it’s a really relatable book, actually if possible, can I live in this world??

The pace was also spot on, it was an ‘always on the move’ type of book. Also I have to mention, in this book witches also have familiars and Thrash’s mom has a horse for one, how cool is that??

Overall, this was a gripping book, and I would totally read a sequel with them in university! I generally don’t enjoy when books are blurbed to be like The Craft but this one I enjoyed. The Craft is way darker still but I can see why it was blurbed that way. This is more a fluffy novel tackling big themes with a lot of fun!

I love a witch book but this one was not for me. However, I can see that many YA readers would really enjoy it.

- Coming of age
- Road trip
- Teenagers and new friendships
- A different take on witches
- Exploration of the relationship between teenage girls and their parents
- United States inspired world
- Creating your own destiny

This is a light read which would suit a young YA reader who is new to fantasy or one who appreciates a fantasy world built upon the foundation of our world (specifically the US).

The teenage witches are a fun group who are exploring who they are and who they want to be, outside of their parents opinions of them.

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC of this book.

This book was not my favorite. I feel like the author just added "trix" to the end of everything to make it witchy and then all I could picture was Bellatrix from Harry Potter and her crazy hair. It got old after a while and I didn't connect much with the main character.

Thrash is a lonely, plus-sized (but not ashamed of it) teenager struggling to connect with her career ambitious mother after the death of her mum. In addition, she’s eagerly waiting for her ‘knack’ - a sign that she has the abilities of a witch like both of her moms.
When her power does arrive, her mother’s superficial desires for Thrash become clear, and she takes off cross-country with a new group of friends who each have something to prove. Along the way they learn to trust each other and discover that the gifts bestowed to witches aren’t what they seem.

I was pleasantly surprised by this fun, road trip-driven story once I got into it. However, I constantly felt like something was missing, and I realized by the end it was a deeper world-building experience. There’s so much going on in this United States/Salem witch inspired universe, but more time needed to be spent building out the country, the government, and the sentiment toward witches. For example, at one point it’s mentioned that 80% of people aren’t witches, but every single person we meet in the story has magic (save 1 or 2). There was a tight focus on what was happening with the girls (with a slightly confusing POV switch here and there), but then we’d get tiny glimpses of the rest of the country and how it functioned. It left me wanting to know more about the native/indigenous people, about each state’s individual laws, about how little things work with and without magic.
Overall, a really enjoyable book! I’m intrigued to see if there are sequels planned!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I Loved this book and could not but it down. I LOVED IT