I really enjoyed this story! It was clever, funny, emotional, and unique. I was hooked from the first few lines and it delivered all the way through to the end. The pacing was consistent, I was never bored!

The setting, backstory, and atmosphere were all there for me. I loved the friend group characters. Especially getting to know Bastion, it broke my heart knowing that he was already gone the more I learned of his story. The kids finding and exploring their powers was fun to read.

This is 4.5 stars rounded up, there was a little too much foreshadowing (telling, really) for me on things that I think I would have rather just found out when they were revealed.

Rep: LQBTQIA+

Thank you NetGalley for the ebook ARC and Union Square & Co for the finished advance copy!

Genuinely my favourite YA book I've read in a few years. The description of the magic, the very real-feeling threat of the villain, the dynamics between the characters, I could heap praise on this book for hours.

One note I want to make is that there is a scene early on where the characters use a box cutter to cut their arms as part of a magic ritual, which I thought was just a bit too reminiscent of a real-life self-harm scenario. I understand it's a horror novel, and scary stuff should be expected, but that specific scene hit in a way that nothing else in the book did. If I were the publisher, I'd consider a trigger warning in the front of the book.

Would recommend to those who enjoy the occult, the tragic, and creepy circuses.

This was such a creative story with great characters, real emotion, and a setting that felt real and affected the story, too. Such a great read. Cannot say enough good things about it.

From page one, this book grabbed me and never let go. I devoured it in one weekend, and it left me wanting for more of this strange and intriguing setting where witches are real and monsters lurk behind our deepest desires and wishes.

This is a good horror story, but it’s also an excellent dark-fantasy story and even a good mystery. Add to the mix a crew of well-developed characters—each one unique in personality, identity, and goals—that grow to become more life-like with each passing page, and you have an excellent YA novel.

It all starts in 1999 with the discovery of the dismembered body of all-star student and athlete Bastion Attia by his classmate and self-proclaimed nemesis in the woods surrounding the small town of North Dana, Massachusetts.

From there, we get to know Nesbit—Bastion boyfriend— and Dove—Bastion sister—who along with Brandy and Drea, their two good friends, form the North Coven. Yes, Bastion and the coven are all witches, real ones, who for the past five years, long before Nesbit (a.k.a. Nez moved to North Dad), had been working hard, casting spells to make their wishes come true. Problem is, while the coven members do have real magic within them, a dark force has been acting on their behalf and without their knowledge.

Kolsch has managed to write an excellent debut novel, where the supernatural mixes with the mysterious but very down to earth, to gift the reader a new experience as we move along the characters trying to understand what really happened to Bastion, who killed him and what does his dead mean for the surviving members of the North Coven?

For the not so YA reading this book, Now, Conjurers also does a good job at tugging at our nostalgia strings with various bits and pieces of what it meant to be a teen in the late 1999s, from the panic of the 2YK to the total absence of smartphones. That Kolsch integrates The Neverending Story as a constant reference within the story, and that the references are to the book more than the movie, only won her a bunch of bonus points from me, because that book is one of my all-time favorites MG novels.

This is a story that manages to lift the hairs at the back of one's neck, keeping us in a heightened state of suspense and suspicions, while also offering a heartfelt look at grief and love and how teens navigate the hard corners of their young lives.

A really entertaining story. A scary story at times. A fun and emotional story as well.

Thank you so much to tbrandbeyond tours for the chance to read and review this book! My full review will be up and posted here and to Instagram on my scheduled tour date, 5/22 with a review and mood board!

Thank you to Union Square and Co @Unionsqandco and Netgalley @Netgalley for this arc. All thoughts are my own.



Nesbit, Dove, Drea, and Brandy are all members of the North Coven. One day Nesbit discovers the body of Bastion, the star quarterback, secret witch, and Nesbit’s secret boyfriend. Now they vow to get answers.

North Coven must confront the red-gloved monster that took a piece of Bastion, that he fought until his last breath. Not knowing that Bastion left behind the key to its destruction.


This one took a little while to get into, and I almost lost my patience, but I am glad that I stuck it out, because it did end up being an enjoyable read. I found the writing style to be quite different than I am used too, and that is partially why I struggled with it in the beginning. In a way it was very YA, but in others it was more advanced, so this was a little bit of a reconciliation for my brain. I really enjoyed the 90’s vibes. This is what I grew up with so it felt like home to me and was a lot of fun. I appreciated the queer representation in the book, and I thought that it was well done. The humor was also top notch and I found myself chuckling several times throughout the pages. Then the witches, yes, witches. How much fun is that?

Like I mentioned, it was a little bit of a struggle in the beginning, but once I got past that, I didn’t want to put it down. I did end up enjoying this one quite a lot and think that this author has a lot of promise. Can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for a chance to read Now, Conjurers as an ARC! When I saw that Tamsyn Muir had blurbed Freddie Kolsch's debut, I KNEW it was going to be right up my alley- and I was right! Now, Conjurers had me in a chokehold from the first page; the prose, the humor, the horror, the queerness of it all- I adored this book. I found Kolsch's writing and characters to be so clever and so lovingly gut-wrenching, and I look forward to picking up absolutely anything and everything Freddie writes in the future.

Thank you again for the chance to read this as an early copy- I so look forward to its publish date in June. If you're a fan of magic, unsettling otherworldly beings, and queerness, you will LOVE this book!

Thank you to Union Square & Co, Net Galley, and Nerd Fam for this ARC!

This book will literally hook you from the beginning. I was absolutely on the edge of my seat.

This was my first Ya horror novel of the year and it did not disappoint. This a debut novel and I'm just need more from the author. The story was rich and will have you turning page after page to figure out what is happening. If you're looking for witchcraft and demons set in the 1990s then you will absolutely need to pick up this book. When you get to the horror part of the novel at the end I was envisioning this as a movie and I know I would be freaking out if I was watching it.

Though I will say there was times I was a little lost on what was happening and felt that there was too much information being thrown at you that could have been left out or just spread out through the book. I can't wait to read more books by Freddie.

Thank you Union Square & Co and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. What a thrill ride! When Nesbit joined his new school he was just hoping to hide that fact that he was gay and make it through. The last thing he expected was to discover he could do magic or to join a Coven. But that’s what happens when he meets Dove, Drea, Brandy; and the handsome, charming Bastion. Things are good with the Coven and in his relationship with Bastion, even though it’s the 90’s so they are keeping their relationship a secret. But there are the odds things like how Bastion speaks and how he can’t seem to say certain things. And when he ends up dead, the Coven make it their mission to find out who killed him. This only gets harder when they wake up one day to find that no one besides themselves know who Bastion was and there’s no signs he even existed. What was Bastion up to before he died? Will they be able to handle the secrets he kept? Can they stop evil before more people end up dead? First of all the 90’s vibe was so nostalgic for me! Just the way that Freddie Kolsch wrote the book created a very 90’s feel. Not to mention the references to The Craft, which this book is so reminiscent of, without the turning on each other! Also, while not so fun to think about, Freddie had me reliving what it was like to grow up queer in the 90’s. Plus I loved the relationship between Bastion and Nesbit and how we got to see that develop as Nesbit relived moments from their past! Charming, emotional, and full of intrigue that’ll hook you until the end! Be prepared to cry as well! Highly recommend!

Dammmmn. This is a stellar debut. When it says the details matter, the details matter, and not a single detail was spared. Like the attention to detail that Kölsch paid this story is mind blowing to me.

The first 70ish pages took me a minute to get into, but once the heart of the plot started happening I devoured this book. It doesn't feel so 90s that it will be off putting, but it also feels like an homage to 90s kids horror. In someways (the best ways) it feels like a grown up Goosebumps book. The horror is paranormal and fark, there's a terrifying other-world amusement park, the characters show growth and are lovable, despite also being head strong.

It's truly just so good.

Thank you Netgalley and Union Square & Co for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"Now, Conjurers" by Freddie Kolsch is a YA debut that blends witchcraft, mystery, and into a captivating narrative set in 1990s Massachusetts. This is basically a take on “The Craft” that is unflinchingly queer, which I absolutely loved going into the book. I also really enjoyed the setting and time period in which the book was set. With a lot of YA readers right now who are enthralled in the 90s (which are making a comeback), I think a lot of readers will be able to enjoy this book and will find themselves sucked into the setting.

From the outset, you are drawn into a web of intrigue surrounding Bastion Attia, whose death sets off a chain of events that will leave you spellbound and eager to learn more about the mystery that is filled with twists and turns throughout the book. Kolsch masterfully crafts a cast of dynamic characters, each with their own secrets and struggles, that leap off the page and into your heart. The small-town New England atmosphere also adds an eerie yet cozy backdrop to the unfolding mystery, while the looming presence of a monstrous entity keeps you on the edge of your seat. A mystery/thriller/horror book has to have a richly detailed setting and atmosphere, and Kolsch is definitely to accomplish this throughout the book; I found it difficult to put the book down as I was so invested in the plot!

What sets "Now, Conjurers" apart besides its richly developed world and vivid prose that transports readers to the heart of North Dana, Massachusetts is the queer representation. This representation is beautifully done in the book as it’s handled with sensitivity and authenticity, and it adds depth to the characters' experiences and relationships. I loved how the book showed different aspects of LBGTQIA+ representation, especially with the main characters, as well as the idea of found family that is developed through this representation.

I did find the plot in the beginning to be a bit slow as the focus shifts to character development, but the payoff is well worth it as the plot builds to a gripping climax. Overall, "Now, Conjurers" is an excellent debut that will leave you haunted long after you turn the final page.

This is a bit of a meandering, almost slice-of-life YA horror that starts with a bang but really focuses on building characters and a lived-in world over plot for the first two-thirds of the narrative. But while I couldn't charge through this book in one extra-long sitting, it was a very compelling read nonetheless, and once the reveals started happening and the endgame conflict took over, it was pretty much impossible to put down. I loved the queer representation in here (along with the sadly understandable focus on concealment and not being outed, given the 1999 setting-though obviously that can be necessary even now...), and I loved the way this book was a refreshing take on the age-old desire: what if 'The Craft' was actually, OVERTLY queer?

This book is everything I ever wanted from a debut YA horror novel. It perfectly combines the comfort of found family, the ache of lost love, and pure terror from what lurks beneath the mausoleum in the cemetery. Nesbit and his friends' characterizations are fantastic, and the horror is so expertly executed. Lovers of queer found family and horror will obsess over this book the same way I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and UNSQ for the arc!

I don't know what to say about this book other than WOW. It is a story of grief, first love, ad all the 90s whimsigoth feels float through the book without making it feel like it's trying to hard. If you are a fan of The Honeys, Stranger Things, and supernatural murder mysteries, this one is for you.

I am still trying to formulate words for what NOW, CONJURERS by Freddie Kölsch did to me. This book rearranged my brain in the best way possible and I mean it whole heartedly that it will be one of my top reads of 2024.

This novel delivers raw heart-wrenching emotions — grappling with grief and loss with care and nuance as well as first love and the tenderness of those first romances. A novel that absolutely delivers on the horror with a truly terrifying monster and the most found family group of kick-ass characters. The story is told through our lovable, flawed, and amazing protagonist Nesbit Nunez as he navigates the murder of his boyfriend alongside his friends who are witches and make up North Coven.

We go on journey told both in the past and present as North Coven attempts to piece together the clues of Bastion's death and the sinister forces that tie them all together.

I was smiling, crying, laughing, and yelling with this book.

Let me not to forget to mention how the vibes were vibing with a true 90’s vibe and throwback to classic 90’s pop culture with a fully realized cast and enough emotions to have me sobbing through the end. This book is freaking queer and it’s freaking brilliant, and I am so excited to continue to devour whatever Freddie writes next!

I found this a really original read and a and refreshing take on the genre. The horror details were really visceral. Always here for the LGBTQIAP+ rep! Thank you for the ARC!