I saw this described as Dumplin’ meets The Craft and that instantly drew me in!

I grew up watching The Craft and recently watched Dumplin and fell in love with it.

The main character is Thrash. A 16 year old girl, a witch.

In this world the mom chooses the gift for the witch.

Her mom has the gift of glamour, bur Thrash wants the gift of sight like her late mum.

She finds out from a group of girls that they can actually choose their own gift. Thrash leaves the night before her gifting ceremony for a road trip to choose her own gift.

This book had me hooked. It had such strong Thelma and Louise vibes. I was constantly shocked at the twists and turns. I literally couldn’t put this book down.

I highly recommend this for anyone who loves The Craft, Sabrina The Teenage Witch, and any other witchy show.

it’s so exciting getting a chance to see a fat character in the books i read. i was most excited to read this book because it’s not common i see myself represented in the books i come across. fat witch summer was so cute and charming and witty. it was so fun and enjoyable.

Thrash became a witch on the last day of school, in the library bathroom, because of course that's where it happened.

Fat Witch Summer by Lizzy Ives

QUICK SUMMARY
16 year old Thrash lives authentically as herself, she doesn't use enchantments, not that there's anything wrong with enchantments of course. When she discovers she has a knack for magic and she'll receive one of the three sanctioned gifts, Thrash is adamant she doesn't want glamour as her glamour witch mother wishes. Only problem is, it's her mothers choice and not hers.

But maybe there's another option, when she's invited along for a road trip with a trio of cool witches from her school to steal their own gifts.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Thank you NetGally & Sword & Rose Press.
I'll be completely honest, I don't totally remember requesting this book, and was hesitant going in, don't have a reason just happens sometimes.
My hesitancy was quickly abolished with this book. It's cute, it's fun, but it deals with issues in a way I really think young people can relate to. The author brought us a diverse set of characters who we all love in their own way. The only thing I don't think matches the story for me is the title, its so much more than just about the one fat character.

This review contains spoilers!

I really enjoyed Fat Witch Summer by Lizzy Ives! Even as a person who is well past her high school days, I feel like this book is for anyone. I like mix of magic and realism, and also the history of the Thirteen States. But what I like most is how the girls grow into their friendships and magic. I can't forget to mention that I'm glad Thrash and Osmarra seem to have a better relationship at the end of the book. As a mom, I can relate to both characters... which is why I appreciate all of the POVs in the book.

It was a fun adventure, and I hope there is a sequel, because that epilogue left us hanging! Plus, I'd like to see Thrash formally inducted to The Lunes with the tattoo, see how their knacks develop, and possibly see more of the Brotherhood too.

Thanks to NetGalley, Sword & Rose Press, and Lizzy Ives for the ARC!

Thank you to Lizzy Ives, Sword and Rose Press, and NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

Fat Witch Summer is THE summer roadtrip book. Filled with fun characters, great representation, and body positivity I absolutely could not put it down. As a queer, plus size, 18 year old reader this book was everything I needed to reinvigorate my love of reading. Thrash, Cress, Saki, and Em are some of the most lovable characters you will ever meet. Each of their stories connected with me on some level and it was a treat to see how they developed throughout the book.

And I'd be doing this book a disservice if I didn't mention the magic system and the worldbuilding of this book. Set in an alternate universe version of the United States, FWS has some of the most thorough worldbuilding from the timeline of their history at the end of the book, to the states and the map, to the magic system, I found myself picturing it all crystal clear in my head. With lore and intrigue, I spent every spare moment I had devouring this book, and I hope to everything that there will be a sequel. I would love to hear more from Thrash and Co.

Fat Witch Summer will be dropping onto shelves on June 13th, and I for one, will be picking up my very own copy.

Thank you to Lizzy Ives, Sword and Rose Press, and NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review-- all opinions are my own.

Fat Witch Summer is a really fun and enjoyable book. The world-building, characters, plot, and premise of the book are all really nice. I honestly had so much fun reading this book, it was very hard to put down a lot of times. I especially enjoyed the different point of views and narrations from the different characters. Some of which I did not expect to read, so that was an extra plus for me. This book was easy to relate to, with the issues that each character is experiencing and going through. I really enjoyed and valued the effort that the author wet through to give voice and strength to each character and their story. Sometimes this is difficult because of how many characters a story has, but Lizzy Ives gives a consistent and strong voice to every character. Also, I really appreciated the historical timeline and discussion questions at the end of the book. Finally, as always I have to mention the cover., It is so cute and a perfect addition to any reader's shelf. It's one of the things that initially drew me into requesting an ARC copy. If you are looking for a fun and fast-paced book filled with friendship, adventure, and self-discovery- then this book is perfect.

This book was such a fun read. I loved the magical world that the book took place in; modern and relatable. The characters were also great; they all had something going on below the surface and I loved following their journey. One thing that I wish we would have gotten more about was Cresca's glamor and why she feels the need to cover up her true self. Love the message of the story. Hope that there is more to this story.

Overall enjoyable book. Love the title and the main character, but I did find myself having a hard time staying engaged at times. I liked the premise and think this could actually make a cute little movie. Will post on my IG and review on Amazon on release day (which cool enough is my birthday).

Fat Witch Summer is a brilliant, body positive and exciting read - right from page one. In this book we follow along with our main lass Thrash, who is only coming into her magic and finding herself in her important years. She embarks on a road trip with her friends that not only helps shape her life, but also the future of the Thirteen states. This coming of age, paranormal young adult book is for you if you're ready for a ride full of fun, friendship and a sass talking familiar. Fat Witch Summer is available on June 13th, 2023 - you'll want to add this one to your preorder list!

Ahh this was such a refreshing and lovely coming of age YA book 😭 I saw this book being promoted on a stall at the LA Times FOB, and I requested an ARC of this then and there, coz the title and the cover gave such body positive and summery vibes. And the book totally lived up to my expectations!

💫 It was perfectly witchy and road-trip-y! 💫 Wholesome emotional plotlines of four young witches bonding during a road trip, and also discovering what they wanted out of their future, magic-wise and general lifestyle-wise
💫 And an underlying political plot of uncovering hidden truths and standing up to the tyrant witchy government

This book really took me back to the fun books I read during middle and high-school! It was really wholesome and fun!

TWs - mild body shaming (by others and self), mild violence

-- ty to the author and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

I love the cover and the story itself was really fun, but I don’t really understand what the title did for the story. The beginning of the book did well explaining who she is! I think the title could change but overall fun read!

The name is this book kinda confuses me. Like I'm not really sure that being fat actually had a big role in the book. I understand that it was the starting point of why she felt she wasn't being listened to and I fully understand that but that wasn't the real reason. I liked the growth between the friends as individuals and as friends. It was very realistic. I like the different magic system and how the world worked and the parallels of the real world.

Cute story. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters, but it was a quite an adventure. There were a lot of unanswered questions which leads me to believe this is the beginning of a series. If not, what a pity.

I love a body positive book centering friendship and magic!
Thrash just got her “knack” basically her magic abilities have appeared and her mom now has to give her a gift which will be the type of magic she will have to use for the rest of her life. Her mom wants to give her the gift of glamour and she wants a different gift. A clique at school called the Lunes see that she wants something different so they all decide to take a road trip across the country to get the girls they want. Chaos ensues.
Friendships are forged.

Overall it was cute. It did have a lot going on with every character and a politics of the witches, non magic people and radical magic groups. Because it had so much to cover it felt like the pacing was a little stilted. However I would read a book two.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sword and Rose Press for an eARC.

Despite the magical elements of this story the girls all felt so real, as did the friendships. I love a book that not just has plus sized characters but lets them be front & center. The ending felt a little rushed but still good!

SO so so cute, uplifting, atmospherical!! loved it! Definitely a new addition to my "cosy fantasy" collection, which is not only magical but has a lot of character developement as well! Big win for a body positive narrative which is well-needed in YA books!

Thank you so much for the publisher for the earc!

Fat Witch Summer is a lighthearted book with a lot of heart. It features an already established group friend and another girl, Thrash, that feels like she’s always on the outside looking in. Her strong willed mom is still getting over the death of her wife, Thrash’s other mom. Right when summer is starting, Thrash gets her “knack”, which is a witch’s first sign of magic. With the knowledge that her mom is going to give her the gift of Glamour and thinking it’s because she’s not the body type and beauty type her mom wants, she decides to go on a road trip with the other three girls and steal their gifts from a magical college.

I absolutely loved the friendships in the book! They were all envious of each other in ways that reminded me of myself at that age. The magic system was interesting but I wish we got to know the gift of Growth better. I liked how the country was split up into 13 states and Indigenous peoples’ magic was talked about and colonization was discussed. The ending felt a bit rushed and I’m not sure if there’s going to be a sequel but it felt well accomplished as a stand-alone.

This was such a good read! I really enjoyed it! It’s so witty and charming! I love a book with body positivity! And this book excelled in that!

The one main thing that drew me to this book was the title. Like come on, us thicker people need some representation too! Jumping right in we meet 16 yr old Thrash. A proud plus sized witch in the cusp of getting her gift over one of the following: Glamour, Growth and Sight. The only problem is that mothers choose the gifts and her mother Osmarra, a slim and elegant Glamour witch is dead set on choosing Glamour to ‘fix’ her daughters looks.
When she meets the Trio of witches with the leader Cresca, she decides to road trip with them to take control of their own destiny.
What I love about this book is the idea of being in control of your own destiny and Thrash just wants to be accepted for who she is. And most importantly, to be able to have a say in what direction her life takes . We’ve all felt this way at some point or another and to be able to root for this girl on her journey of discovery is really sweet.
The main and side characters for sure have a fun dynamic that make this book fun to read. I catch myself smiling at the conversations and the adventures these girls are having. For sure fun, memorable, insightful read.
Thank you to NetGalley & Sword and Rose Press for a ARC copy in exchange for a honest review.

Enjoyable, great pacing, exciting settings kept me hooked. Fun novel that will be the perfect beach read. Thank you Net Galley for ARC in exchange for my honest opinion