What Became of Magic is all about betrayal upon betrayal. It actually took me a while to get through the book. I didn’t really connect with Aline. I didn’t really feel any chemistry between Aline and Magic, therefore I didn’t care whether they got together or not in the end.

Thank you, netgalley for my copy of this book.

I enjoyed this one, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if I read it during spooky season.

The beginning pulled me in quickly, the middle almost lost me, but overall I enjoyed this one.

If you like witchy stories, pick this one up!

3 stars

My second Paige Crutcher book of the year! I thoroughly enjoyed The Lost Witch and also enjoyed What Became of Magic.

The main character, Aline Weir learned in middle school that it was not a good idea to let others know she could see and talk to ghosts. Feeling like a loner and not understanding why she had that ability, she eventually gets a job at a bookstore with 3 very quirky women. They, along with others, help her understand what she is capable of.

I enjoyed this book but found it a little more confusing than the others, especially once Aline gets to the land of Matchstick, where nothing is as it seems.

It was a solid story with likable characters and a very good pacing overall, The story makes you ask lots of questions throughout and makes you want to keep reading to find the answers.

Reading this book felt like a fever dream. It’s the oddest thing. Like a Diet Acid Trip. Light on the acid, but it’s still there. Like this one part. I don’t know how else to say it, but the person is attacked by the words of a book. At least I think that’s what happened. I think this is one of those books where in order to enjoy it, you gotta be okay with being confused the whole time. I’m not sure if I liked it or not. I’m confused. Obviously.

What Became of Magic
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Paige Crutcher

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Aline Weir, a witch who can talk to ghosts, has kept her talents hidden ever since a disastrous middle school slumber party, choosing to be invisible and use her powers in secret to help lost souls reunite with the keys to send them home. All the while, she finds solace in a bookstore and the three mysterious women who run it… until Aline discovers the book of Mischief, and her powers are enhanced.

Living a solitary life until the age of thirty, Aline’s life takes an unexpected turn when the wrong (or perhaps right) person witnesses her using her powers and she is invited to a town that doesn’t exist on any map. Arriving in Matchstick, Aline learns of a lost magic that desperately needs to be found and only her unique powers can do it. But what she’s not told is that Magic is a person. One that is dangerous and seductive and has been waiting for a witch with a power like hers for centuries.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed the previous book, The Lost Witch, a little better than this one. I really struggled with the layout of the story as it appears that most of the characters talked in riddles. However, I loved the romance blended with the magical theme. While I am not a huge fantasy reader, I do love books revolving around magic and witches. Aline feels like an outcast, as she has the special ability to talk to ghosts, even her own parents made her feel like an outcast. It is not until in adulthood, she meets these eccentric sisters and works in their bookstore, she really comes into her own. Then all of the sudden, she is abandoned by both her ghost friend and the sisters.

The book started off great and grabbed my attention. However, towards the middle, the world switching and magical system became a little confusing. It picks back up towards the last third and finished strong. I loved the ending. The author does a great job at detailing the worlds and building this imagery that really pulls you into the story, immersing you into the story. The characters, while unreliable narrators, were relatable and likable. It was very whimsical, creative, and intriguing. If you love Lana Harper, you should pick this up. I did enjoy the story and would recommend to other readers.

What Became Of Magic is my third novel by Paige Crutcher, and despite being a bit all over the map for me, as it were, it won't be my last. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

Aline is a lonely girl, ignored by her parents and having no friends until a fateful slumber party shows her the beginnings of a world of magic she never knew existed. As an adult she has found a place in an unusual bookstore and a vocation in her magic but then she finds that the town she thought was just a story is, in fact, real and that her future and the fate of the worlds - real and magic - will rest on the choices she makes.
This book was hard for me to get into and I am not sure why. It had most of the elements I enjoy in a book - magic, a sympathetic main character, a touch of mystery and a clearly viewed “villain”, It even had a very satisfying end yet I found myself putting the book down and days passing before I picked it up to read again which is unusual as I usually devour a book of the this size in a day or two. I really enjoyed Ms Ccrutcher’s “The Orphan Witch” which had many of the same elements as this book and I devoured it in two days. This book will appeal to fans of Ms Crutcher and I may reread it again in a few months to see if I can nail down why, while I enjoyed it, I was not drawn in to this world as much as I was with “The Orphan Witch.” Recommended

What Became of Magic by Paige Crutcher
Publisher: Macmillan
Genre: Women's Fiction
Published: September 26, 2023

What Became of Magic by Paige Crutcher is a standalone fantasy romance. It was definitely different and not exactly what I expected. I would characterize this as unique.

Thankfully, it was a quick read. I think that is why I finished it. There was something about it that kept me reading, but I can't say that I loved it.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Sadly, What Became of Magic by Paige Crutcher, just did not catch my attention from the very beginning. Aline was not an interesting character and I didn't care what happened to her and the magical system was confusing at best.

I was given a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I wanted to like this book so much, I’ve enjoyed her other books a lot. However, the plot was confusing and disjointed in my opinion. I’m still not 100% sure what happened! 3 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

I was really intrigued by the premise of the book, but am struggling to keep with it and finish. I fully intend to read through to the end, but it's going to take sometime.

I think the book is exceptionally well written; my challenge seems to be that I find the concepts, the narrative to be very abstract and my brain struggles to wrap my head around the storyline, and follow along.

I am finding it to be a bit slow for my liking, with lots of exposition before some action happens.

I do want to know how it ends, so I'm sticking with it and will update my review when done!

Thanks to the publisher for an eARC of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Some books you read and you love them, but they fade away a bit after a little while. And others you start reading, and you immediately know they are going to stay with you for a very very long time. ‘What becomes of magic’ is definitely that kind of book for me. Absolutely enjoyed reading it.

thank you to netgalley for a free arc of this book!
an interesting story but a little hard to follow sometimes. it didn't really draw me in but it had it's cute moments

What if Magic isn’t someTHING, it’s someONE?

Aline has had trouble fitting in ever since she realized as a child that she can talk to ghosts - a lonely existence with unfeeling parents & cruel classmates is finally made better by the discovery of a bookshop & the three caring sisters who own it. Aline hides away from her problems amongst the books, but one day a powerful witch arrives & turns her world upside down…

The beginning of the book had a bit of a Matilda feel to it, & the way Aline felt pulled to books & the woods was lovely & relatable. Her passion for helping ghosts find their way was beautiful, & the new home she made with the Pop-Tart-loving sisters was a cozy haven. The town of Matchstick was an interesting creation, & I felt like all the fun little references to Anne of Green Gables, Alcatraz, & Stonehenge (among other things) really enhanced the story. Also, the sexual tension between Aline & Magic was sizzling.

Thank you to NetGalley & Griffin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately What Became of Magic was a DNF for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this novel.

Started Sept 27. Finished Oct 23. Oof... I can get through a book on average 3 days. As you can tell I struggled with this one. I was drawn into the story in the beginning. Aline Weir, a young girl who can talk to ghosts and help them cross over was a really interesting concept. As soon as Aline got older and met the sister's followed by Florence, the book lost me. It just felt like it had too much going on with not enough pages to actually build the story properly. Although, this book was not for me, the author has a few other books based on witches which I'll be giving a chance.

What Became of Magic is such a great book. It is magical and crazy and perfect. It tells of Aline Weir a witch who talks to ghosts and what happens when she discovers the Book of Mischief and her powers get turned up. The characters are nuts and I loved all of them, the Magics were the best. The book is written in an odd way and at times I felt like I was taking crazy pills and would lose track of what was going on. Could just be me of course. I loved the story and watching the characters grow and change. I hope that the author will revisit this crew again, I would love to learn more about the Magics. This is one that I have to reread to find out what I missed the first time. Fantastic stuff!

An interesting plot but a hard book to review. I really liked the summary but some parts of the book were slow and some confusing. Overall I consider it a good read.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of What Became of Magic.

Aline Weir is a lonely child who thinks she is finally fitting in with the cool girls at a sleepover, especially when she finds her bosom friend there. Except none of the other girls can see this new friend. And then when this new friend retaliates against the girls for being cruel to Aline, the girls thinks Aline did it. So now Aline eats her lunch alone in the bathroom. From there she discovers that she can enter whole other dimensions and find her bosom friend there. Flash forward a few years and Aline thinks she finally has found a boy who wants to be with her. After that ends disastrously, she leaves high school and doesn't return. She is "adopted" by her former school librarian who now runs a bookstore with her sisters. The sisters welcome Aline into their midst and she continues with them into her thirties. Then the sisters and her bosom friend disappear and the world starts to erupt in chaos. A mysterious woman comes to the bookstore and convinces Aline to go with her to the town of Matchstick, a magical place that Aline had read about in a secret book. Can Aline help the woman save magic? Or is something else going on?

I struggled with the pacing of this book. The first third feels incredibly rushed as if it is trying to establish the backstory as quickly as possible but is also covering 20 years of Aline's history. The rest of the book still felt rushed. I struggled to understand what was going on most of the time. The story was good and the conflict was interesting but there was not enough description of the magical system for me to truly understand.