3.5 stars.

As an avid fan of The Craft and all forms of Sabrina, this was the YA book I didn't know I was waiting for. Sideways (first of all, that name) is a outcast, a werido, angsty, awkward and to top it all off a lesbian witch who's about as good with girls as a 12 year old boy. And when the 3 most popular girls at school hire her to do magic at their party well .. goodbye mean girl trope & hello badass girl gang who's not afraid to show they're friendship and loyalty and hex the boys who want to hurt girls.

The friendships are wholesome, the magic is cool and while the plot twist was seen almost from the beginning this book was a good time. I cannot wait to read more, make my friends read more & learn more about that sneaky little devil and this new coven.

I had a bit of trouble getting into this book, but I enjoyed it and appreciated the premise. It felt like a unique spin to have the tough outcast girl becoming friends with the popular girls. And of course I love books about witches!
Thanks to NetGalley for the book for my honest review.

Sideways is a witch, but she’s only ever been able to do small things. When the most popular trio at school invite her to do some magic at their Halloween party, she enlists the girls to help, and they do something collectively bigger than Sideways has ever been able to do alone. Post party, though, weird stuff happens and the girls find out someone or something with nefarious purposes is tracking them. They’ll form a coven and protect each other at all costs, and Sideways may just stop being a loner.

Think about a book that you’ve been meaning to read for a while but it has been pushed to the back burner. For me, it’s this one. I was super excited to read it when it came out, checked it out a couple of times but kept having to return it, unread for whatever reason. Pandemic anxiety life, ammirite? I love that the cover shimmers, it’s about witches, and it paints the popular girls in a dynamic light. I love it when authors turn stereotypes on their heads and create deep, rich characters.

Anyway, due to the backlist, this one’s out now for your enjoyment. For some, it’s an October book, but for me, witchy books belong in every month, so I had a good time.

Unfortunately this was a DNF.
I didn't DNF because I wasn't enjoying it, not by any means, but instead it just wasn't the right time for me to read it as I fell into a massive slump. However I'm definitely going to pick this back up again at some point in the future.

DNF
The premises for this book sounded interesting so I was pumped to start it. Unfortunately, it didn't meet my expectations and I didn't connect with the characters or the plot.

This felt very silly. I unfortunately could not connect to the characters or the plot. I was excited for queer witchy drama, but the premise just didn't feel substantiated in anything real or coherent.

I’m ashamed of how long it took me to finish this one. I read the first 50% in about 2 days, then I got overwhelmed by life and put it down for a few months, just to finally pick it up again and read the second half in less than 24 hours. I absolutely adored this book – it was the vicious and raw queer book of my dreams – and it’s about witches. So like, yes. It was ridiculous in all the best ways and it’s a new forever favourite that I can’t wait to reread.

The book follows Sideways, the town’s resident lesbian witch, and her adventure of finding a coven of fellow witches at a party. I loved how quickly the bond between Sideways and the other girls was solidified. They instantly welcomed her into their tightknit group of 3 and there was never any question that they would all do anything for each other. It was just an amazing group dynamic and I loved reading about a group of teenage girls that had each other’s back with no doubt about that for the reader.

I really enjoyed the plot of the book but it was really the characters and the writing that made me fall in love. It reminded me a little bit of Foul Is Fair by Hannah Capin in the way that both are about teenage girls reclaiming/discovering their power and not apologizing for being themselves and doing what makes them feel strong. I meant what I said earlier. the writing is absolutely vicious and raw in the way that teenage girls are rarely allowed to be in YA. Whether you like these characters or not you can’t deny that it’s a joy to read their story.

I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel because I need to see where these badass witches go next. I think that the next part of the story is gonna be even more cutthroat and I can’t wait for it.

Thank you so much to Erewhon Books for providing an advance reading copy of Clarke’s The Scapegracers in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.

Eloise Pike, or better known Sideways Pike (because she’s not straight. I swear I snorted so loud when I read that), is a witch. Everyone knows. She’s a weirdo, a loner. Mean Girls Jing, Daisy and Yates--I mean, the ‘triumvirate’ clique of West High invites Sideways to throw them a few tricks. Sideways’s trick goes haywire that leads her in finding a spot among the three hosts as they fight against evil.
The moment I read the first chapter, I knew this was going to be lit. Gays, high school, witches, drama? Count me in! The Scapegracers is like Heathers if only the three Heathers were witches, Veronica is into magic and girls, JD is a pretty lesbian-soul-sucking teen (I mean he definitely was a soul sucking teen) and no one dies from suicide and Veronica doesn’t kill JD. Oh, and by the way, Veronica here definitely wears the red scrunchie (or robe, that is. You know, witch things).

What I really loved about this book is the voice of Sideways. Some people might get annoyed with it but damn that’s how a teenager in highschool belonging to the bottom of highschool’s low hierarchy-loner would sound like! The anxiety, the yearning to fit in, the thoughts that you wouldn’t dare get out of your mouth, or your soul (cough cough), the inner confidence despite the lack of it outside. I relate to her a lot, and I like to think I’m a teenager still. The voices of Jing, Daisy and Yates were also wonderfully done. It’s been so long since I read a book with such distinct and consistent voices.

Another thing I loved about this novel is how you can’t easily trust anyone. They’re all different from who they really are. The three mean girls in this story are so far from being the mean girls they are supposed to be. They have a friendship that is rock solid. They stick for one another. What hurts one hurts all. It’s a friendship that we all yearn and deserve to have. Women sticking with one another; women protecting one another. They are each powerful on their own right, but together, they are unbeatable.

I really enjoyed reading this. As this is set in high school, of course there are cliché tropes but nothing like the usual tropes. I could list them all here but this would be too long. It is also why I loved this book so much. Definitely a recommended read! I’ll be looking forward to the second book. The end got me both frustrated, mad and melting in sweetness. I’m expecting a badass revenge unleashing Daisy’s all glory and nastiness.

CW: Sexual assault, magical consent violationsEloise "Sideways" Pike is an out lesbian, and a practising witch, in a high school where both of those things put her at the bottom of the social heap. That is, until Jing, Yates and Daisy - the coolest girls in school - invite her to perform a magic ritual at one of their parties. What starts out as a one-off party trick almost immediately gets transformed into a friendship, with Sideways and her new friends discovering they all have magical affinity - and that there are plenty of people out there who would happily take that from them, and mould it into a form that they can control. Balancing the sudden change in her social circle, the pressures of sudden covenhood and the challenges of trying to pick up the hot queer girl, Madeleine, who she also met at the party.The Scapegracers is an odd book in some ways: throwing its audience right into dead deer, kidnappings and magical book heists and only then deigning to sprinkle a bit of high school note-passing and generic teenage drama into the mix. Its external threats are present, and the first half of the book had me pretty concerned for Sideways' safety during one sequence in particular, but the second half of the book almost puts them on hold to instead escalate the tension on the teenage cliques side of things instead, before bringing back the supernatural threats at the very last moment. This feels particularly odd as a tension structure because of something I otherwise enjoyed very much: Sideways' relationship with Jing, Yates and Daisy, while full of quirks and development, is not really a source of conflict as much as it is a challenge of emotional growth for a girl who has been totally used to only looking out for herself. Sure, there's plenty to remind us that the trio aren't objectively wonderful people who deserve power and status more than other kids, but Clarke kicks any potential mean girls tropes to the curb and instead offers up a group of girls who are on top because they're willing to fight for each other, and the friendship they offer to Sideways is genuine. That's underpinned by several other positive relationships, and while there is one significant betrayal, there's a lot more characters with whom Sideways and her crew end on solid ground.Structural quirks aside (and perhaps for people closer to high school, there's far more tension in these scenes than I originally picked up!), if you're on board for a soap opera-esque ride with a messy but interesting and very backable group of young women, The Scapegracers is well worth sticking with. It does end with things up in the air for a sequel, and I'm very intrigued to see where the next one goes.

The Scapegracers is a story about Sideways Pike, a loner fledgling witch, and unapologetic lesbian as she not only comes into her power as a witch but also as she learns what it’s like to have friends. Right from the get-go, Scapegracers had a very strong voice and great prose that gripped me from the first page. I loved how Clarke would describe things in ways that felt both vivid and visceral. This I think is a skill that is all the more important when writing about magic or unnatural things like in this book. The descriptions really grounded the fantastical elements in ways that made it tangible and really wonderful to read.
More than anything though, I absolutely loved the girls in this, how they were all so wonderfully flawed and fierce yet still distinct from one another. Few things really touch my heart like stories about finding your tribe and this one really hit the sweet spot for me. I also loved how natural and important the queer aspect was in this book. There a lot of books out there that feel like they use a queer character for ~diversity~ or ~flavor~ but not this one! This one felt organic and I could feel the love behind it. But mostly I just loved the Scapegracers themselves. I loved the twisting of the mean girls trope, it is so common to see fiction where the popular girls invite in a loner just to be mean but I was so happy that that wasn’t what happened here. I really felt Sideways’s pain and loneliness and getting to see her find people who cared about her was just so wonderful and cathartic. No, that didn’t solve all of her problems, but it made them more manageable and that was so good to see.
I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to see what comes next for these weird witches that I love so much. In the end, this book was wonderfully bizarre with a ton of heart and love and chaos in the best of ways.

What a fun beginning to a new series! I admit, I didn't realize it wasn't a standalone but now that I've come to love these characters I am glad we will get more of them! This book is a mix of The Craft and Mean Girls, if Janice had joined the Plastics and they were all queer. Love it!

Love the world. Hated most of the characters. It’s so angsty and it just reads like teens trying to hard to be edgy. I’ll probably read the second one because what a cliff hanger. Also one of the best covers of the year.

I had very high hopes for this one, but sadly could not connect to the characters or story. There wasn't anything objectively bad about it, it just wasn't for me - thus I won't be posting a review anywhere else and have decided to DNF The Scapegracers.

I just couldn't get into this one very much. It was an okay book, maybe my expectations were a bit high for it?

*thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book*

I mean what can I say! Two words my friends "Lesbian witches"! This one was so fun to read and just left me wanting more, between the lovable inclusive cast of characters, and the concept of an outcast lgbt coven, how could you not want to give this one a read.

I will say like a alot of novels this one has a bit of a slow start, and on top of that Clarke's writing style is a bit different. but as you read, with each chapter all of the characters get better and better.

If you're in the mood for an lgbt magic book you have to give this one a read, I promise you won't regret it.

This book is truly a work of art. Sideways is a weird kid who does magic under the bleachers for a can of coke. When the coolest girls in school pay her $40 at a party to do some magic she does. Things get out of hand quickly and friendships are forged. I love how realistic these friendships are. They develop so organically with Sideways questioning why they want to be her friends after so long going without any. Do they like her or are they using her? This is such a teenage way of overthinking. I enjoyed everything about this book and can't wait to see where book 2 will take the coven next.

Witches? Check.
Found family/sisterhood? Check.
Gay/bisexual main protagonists WHO DON'T DIE?! CHECK CHECK CHECK
I need my own copy right now, I swear to Mr. Scratch.

4.5 stars. Everything about this book was so unique and refreshing to read. The main character is a tough, leather wearing, queer girl and she ends up befriending the most popular girls in school. Something that would normally end in disaster, but here ends in simply friendship. Add magic into the equation and you have a recipe for a book I'm certainly going to love and love it I did..

If you love Netflix Sabrina you will love this book. I love the magical aspects of this book and the discovery of the magical world. I love how strong these characters appear too be. I think this is beautifully written book. Great for those that love dark fantasy and magical worlds

This book had me at queer witches... I was so excited to read this one.

I enjoyed the Scapegracers and the characters. I loved all the developing friendships and power, the magic and the mystery. An overall dark and edgy vibe mixed with moments of tenderness and joy.

At some parts I felt a little lost in the story. I felt the book was building to something big, but it just didn't keep me gripped throughout. I kept losing interest and did at the beginning constantly get the friendship group mixed up. The main character being sideways, and her new friends Daisy, Jing, and Yates. I found that Daisy, Jing and Yates had similar personalities, and were all pretty fierce and fabulous.

I have lots of questions still, so that builds nicely for a follow up book. I would like to try the sequel ( if there is one coming?) I feel like the story definitely has more to reveal and I'd like to see the girls becoming stronger together as a Coven.

Overall 3/5 for The Scapegracers.

*Thank you to Netgalley & the Publishers for the earc*