Aline has never fit in.  Everyone she knows always leaves her.  She's also a witch.  She can talk to ghosts and help them cross over.  She can travel between her realm and the ghostly one.  Her powers are so unique, and she's recruited to help save magic, which is becoming unstable.  When she arrives, she finds that magic is a person, one she's been dreaming of for years.

The beginning of this book was touching.  We learn all about Aline's troubled childhood.  She is bullied, and it's impossible to feel loved by her parents who seem uninterested in raising a child.  I can feel her pain and loneliness. We watched her come into her powers and find a friend in the ghostly and mysterious, Dragon.  There's a lot of things in the beginning, half of the book you can understand and relate to.   It's when she travels to the magical town of Matchstick that things become a little more confusing.  You learn about one thing, and then it's changed on you later.  Truth is given out in riddles.  You're not sure who to trust.  This makes this book equal parts intriguing and confusing.  I enjoy magical stories with witches, but this really goes into the unknown. I had to really concentrate and reread parts to try and make sense of what was happening.  Things were a little too foggy to be fully enjoyable for me.

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

Please note: My review will go live on Instagram the week prior to the publication date. Once that review is live, I will update my review here to reflect that link.

Thank you St Martin’s Press for an early copy for review!

What Became of Magic follows the story of Aline Weir, a witch from a small town who didn’t always know she was a witch but always knew she was a bit weird. But, when she discovers she can find the keys to help spirits cross over to the other side, she is set on a path that leads her to unexpected adventure and love.

This book honestly felt like a bit of a fever dream for me. Even after processing a bit, I’m still not quite sure I understand everything that happened or what my true thoughts were. However, I think I did enjoy it. For me, I think the stand out was probably Aline’s character. She felt like such a relatable person, and I also found myself rooting for her for the entirety of the story. She battled some serious issues throughout and came out better after each instance.

I also really liked how we followed her story. At first I was confused that we focused so much on her as a child, but once I realized where the story was going, I really appreciated us getting to see that background developing. I also thought the time spent in her childhood and adolescent years versus her adult years was excellently paced. At no point did I feel like we were spending too long in one era of her life. Additionally, while the romance was definitely secondary to the story, I did enjoy it.

The thing I think that lost me was the story of the magic. There just seemed to be a LOT going on in the world and I often had a hard time keeping up with it. Her writing was lyrical at many points and when I was able to keep up with the plot I did like it, but the characters and the names and the multiple names and stories for each character just had my head spinning at times.

Overall, I did enjoy the book and gave it a 3.75 star review. I think fans of books with intricate plots and out of the norm story lines would really enjoy this book.

Fun, gorgeous amazing


Thank you soooooo much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗
"I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

I liked the premise of the story, and the plot sounded intriguing. Admittedly, it did take me a few tries to get past the first few chapters before I got into some semblance of a groove in reading this one. However, I can say that once the plot picked up, I found the tone of the writing to pleasing, but at times I struggled with how the overall story itself played out.

Normally, paranormal/fantasy books that are intertwined with romance are my kryptonite. Regrettably, however, I did not connect with the characters. Some parts felt forced while other parts of the story became difficult to understand. I found myself doing that more than once. Typically, I enjoy having to decipher clues, but not if it essentially overtakes the story.

While I am sure those that enjoy the magical, mystical elements within fantasy books would absolutely devour this one, I do not think this one was for my taste.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this title.

This definitely gave me the witch vibe feels. It was written beautifully in describing the main character history but also had more of spirited haunt vibe to it with magical elements. Would recommend to anyone looking for a spiritual coming of age books

This is such a captivating read I read it from cover to cover. Thank you to the publisher , to Net Galley and to the author for the opportunity for review. My review opinion is my own. This is one of my favorite Net Galley authors. All of her books are exceptional.

This is a fascinating well crafted story of Aline. She is a witch with magical powers that as a child she does not yet understand. After being humilated at a school gathering for talking to a ghost she journeys to another world and finds herself and her meaning in life. She leaves her beliefs behind in the normal world and applies herself to do as much good as she can for herself and those in her new magical world.

This has rich charcters that dance on the page, a exceptional told magical story that captivates the reader from page one. I loved how Aline found herself in a new world and embraced her powers. She is a lovable charcter. The author created such a fascinating read that entices the reader to read to conclusion. Very well done to the author. This would be a great movie.

2.5 stars
Hold a special reading space for magical realism in my TBR, so I was exited to read this. I was disappointed. The lyrical language didn't line up with the speed of the plot. Things happen either too fast or too slow, there was no space to catch your breath and really get to know the characters outside of Aline and Magic.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I loved the premise of this book and the magic element. I had a hard time following it and found myself rereading many paragraphs.

I made it 50% through and just couldn’t finish.

Thank you Netgalley and the author for an ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book wasn't bad, but it wasn't amazing to me. I did feel for Aline's character, especially in the beginning when she was bullied by her peers for talking to someone they couldn't see. I also did enjoy her abilities, I thought it was very different from other things I've read. I just feel like there was something missing from the story overall for me.

Loved all of the fantasy and emotion in this book! It's well written and a great read for anyone who loves magic

Maybe I’m in a reading slump, because I just couldn’t find it in myself to enjoy this story, despite a love of all thinks witchy.

Alien’s character made me sad, but not in a relatable way for me, more in a depressing way. The story itself just seemed to move very slowly. There was such a pretty premise to the book and the ideas are intriguing, but it was just executed in a way that was hard to root for.

This story is not one that I could explain to someone else. It had magic, it had a sort of found family, and it had soulmates. Other than that, I was lost through a good portion of this story.

I wish there was more world building, so we could understand the rules and what's happening. Instead, it was more of an anything goes plot. You have to sit there and accept what's happening or you'll dislike it.

I'm sure there are people out there who enjoy riddles and zany magical plots, and those people will adore this story. I just need more details laid out, so I can grasp what's happening better.

"What Became of Magic" by Paige Crutcher is a novel that left me torn between an intense desire to adore it and a lingering sense of frustration. While the book undoubtedly possesses an enchanting magic system and a destined love story, it occasionally becomes enigmatic to the point where comprehension requires careful navigation through riddles. I really wanted to love this book more than I did — even though I still liked it a lot in the end... I think it's because it felt like everything was spoken in riddles towards the middle where things were being revealed. While this approach may add an element of mystery and intrigue, it occasionally hampers the reader's ability to fully grasp the unfolding events. I found myself re-reading a lot of scenes to fully understand what was going on. Despite this, the magic system and destined love story was a captivating journey and the story remains an engaging read with moments of brilliance. The chemistry between the main characters is palpable; their connection interwoven with destiny and an unbreakable bond. Crutcher's portrayal of their relationship evokes a range of emotions, from heart-fluttering romance to intense yearning, keeping me invested all the way through.

Interesting plot line, albeit a bit confusing at times. Vivid characterization. A steady read. A fun book for those in search of an afternoon or evening diversion.

Thank you so much to Crutcher and St. Martin's press for access to What Became of Magic!

What Became of Magic was a cozy Magic filled story that socks you right in. I loved being introduced to all the unique and magical characters.

The biggest critique I can offer is I want more of this book!! It was far too short for the beautiful story telling. I believe What Became of Magic would of been a wonderful series and time for the author to slow down and let the story build.

I found this book hard to follow. The characters and the world building is good. Florence ended up being quite a surprise.

First and foremost....thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and give my honest review of this book.


What Became of Magic by Paige Crutcher

This was a fun little in-between read to curl up with for an afternoon or three. I'd consider this a cozy fantasy book. I really wanted to like this more than I did. I really wish there would have been more world-building than foreshadowing. If that were the case, I think the riddles would have blended in better creating a far more delightful story.

That said, I did stick with it to the end and enjoyed it despite the odds. I loved Aline and Dragon. I also loved the magical elements and fun character names. I'm happy that I kept reading past the extended childhood flashback. The last part is where the story really picks up and gets good. Although, I do feel like there are things that readers need to know about Aline's childhood.

Overall, this book reminds me of a cozy game filled with riddles and quests. :)

Aline has always felt awkward , ever a part of what was going on. Then she meets a spirit called Dragon who tells her she is responsible for lost souls. A magical story!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this eARC

The premise was a good one but didn't translate into a coherent plot. Also, the first half of the book is very different from the second. I found the transition jarring.

What Became of Magic is more of a modern fairy tale or myth than the traditional witchy novel. I think readers will either love it or not because of that. The story starts in a somewhat traditional manner which perhaps makes the transition into the more fantastical seem almost Wizard of Oz-ish. Considering the fantastical or allegoric characters, the story is easy to follow. And considering there is a lot of death, it isn't depressing or heavy.

Synopsis: Young Aline finds herself an outsider among her peers and even her parents. The fact that she can see and talk to ghosts increases both her isolation and her connection to magic. When she stumbles upon a portal of sorts in her local bookstore, she finds not only purpose but the biggest challenge of her life. She alone can save magic - or rather she and magic together can save everything.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!