Remedial Magic just didn't work for me, unfortunately. I'm normally a fan of Melissa Marr, but I'm not a big Harry Potter person, so that might have been part of the trouble -- there are Potter references and inspirations here. I also found the writing a bit scattered, and too much going on for me to really understand the characters beyond the surface level.

I've seen some other reviews mention the marketing seems at odds with the content, and I think that was part of the trouble for me, too. I thought this was going to be more of a cozy romantic fantasy about two characters, and was excited for a lesbian cozy read. The tone was very different from that.

I wound up deciding to DNF at about 25%, as this just wasn't my thing and I was struggling with it.

DNF. Way too many characters (6). At its core, this book is a whirlwind of witchcraft and magic, but not the comforting sort one might have hoped for based on its promotional material. Instead of a singular, engaging protagonist journeying through a mystical love story, readers are thrust into a chaotic ensemble of characters, each navigating their own rapid, often bewildering romantic entanglements.

From the outset, the tone is unexpectedly dark and jarring. The opening chapters throw readers into a tense narrative involving life-threatening situations that starkly contrast the anticipated gentle fantasy setting. This sharp departure from expectation sets a precedent for the rest of the novel, which continues to pivot away from the cozy into much more intense thematic territory.

The story attempts to weave together multiple perspectives, including a deeply unsettling account of a mother and son in peril, and the life of a gay man grappling with illness, only for it to take an abrupt turn into magical realism. This sprawling cast might have offered a rich tapestry of interconnected stories; however, the execution falls short. Relationships between characters feel hastily constructed, relying heavily on the trope of 'insta-love' without affording time or depth to develop these connections meaningfully.

Moreover, the narrative's attempt to incorporate contemporary references and address significant issues like disability and illness through a fantastical lens is mishandled. The inclusion of a jarring homage to a controversial cultural artifact further complicates the narrative, raising questions about sensitivity and awareness in current literary practices. The depiction of magic as a cure-all not only diminishes the complexity of such conditions but also alienates readers who navigate these realities daily, presenting an oversimplified and exclusionary vision of an 'ideal' world.

In essence, this book suffers from an identity crisis, caught between its ambition to tackle weighty themes through a multitude of voices and its misleading presentation as a light-hearted fantasy. The disconnect between expectation and reality, compounded by the rapid and superficial development of characters and relationships, significantly detracts from the reading experience.

I had high hopes for this book, as I am a fan of Melissa Marr's previous works and was intrigued by the premise. However, upon reading it, I found the execution to be rather disjointed. The excessive use of multiple points of view made it difficult to follow the story, and the lack of a proper introduction or character development for the main protagonists was a disappointment. Overall, while the concept was promising, the book fell short in its execution.

Absolutely not. This book has so much problematic content I don’t even know where to start. Not sure how this made it to this stage of the process.
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of "Remedial Magic" in exchange for an honest review. I had really high hopes for this one. I will echo the sentiments of previously posted reviews and say that the synopsis/marketing for this book is tonally very different than the book itself. The writing felt a bit more suited to YA than adult literature. It was hard to get into the plot and the characters because it just was so unbelievable...even for a book about magic. It also felt like there was some judicious mirroring of the Harry Potter series with the houses, etc. I did not feel like any of the characters were very likable and (again, even for a fantasy) I had a reaaally hard time letting go and embracing suspension of disbelief.

not the story advertised, far too many povs, insta-love, inherent ableism. not a book i'd recommend.

I wanted to like this book so much. I love Melissa marr's work and have enjoyed some of her past works. The premise for this was amazing. Unfortunately the execution is slightly all over the place. There are too many pov's, it's hard to tell what is going on in the beginning and there's no intro or growth amongst the main characters to start.

It’s really unfortunate that the marketing for this book doesn’t match the reality of the work. I went into this book expecting a cozy sapphic fantasy focusing on two MCs. The book actually has 6 POVs following 5/6 witches in three separate couples as well as the Chief Witch. It has a much more serious feel than what I would classify as cozy, and I think the book would do better if the blurb/description more accurately reflected the tone.

While I wouldn't say this book was particularly for me, (I felt like it dragged a bit in the middle, and the multiple POV characters made it a bit unfocused at times) I will say that I am interested in seeing where this new series goes. I would definitely pick up a sequel to see how the story develops. It's worth giving it a read. I feel like you'll know pretty soon whether or not this book is for you.

This was super cute!!

The premise of the book was pretty vague and left a lot of room for where the plot could go, so I went in with an open mind. I thought the magic system and how people discover they are witches was so unique! The characters introduced were pleasant and the setting was picturesque, lending the book to a nice cozy fantasy vibe. I understood why the author chose to have so many POVs and it didn't detract from the book for me. I think where I struggled with this book was in the plot itself. While the aspects of the world were interesting and the potential was there, the plot felt rushed and not well explained. The pacing was slow in my opinion, but the plot development was too fast if that makes sense.

Overall this was an enjoyable, cozy read and I will be looking forward to the second book. However, be cautioned if you don't like multiple POVs.

I think the problem I had with this book was how it was marketed; based on the description I was expecting a cosy fantasy, but it ended up being something that had high stake situations often especially right at the beginning, and it felt a little bit disconcerting. Overall a good read, but needs to be marketed more honestly.

I dove into this story with high hopes, intrigued by its promise of blending fantasy with romance through the journey of Ellie, a librarian turned witch, and her love interest, Prospero. The concept of a magical community college and the urgency to save a new world piqued my interest. However, the execution left me wanting. The multitude of perspectives felt overwhelming, diluting the depth of character development and the central romance. While the story was hampered by its many perspectives, which sometimes overshadowed character depth and romance, it still managed to convey themes of empowerment and the journey of self-discovery. Despite this, the book presented an intriguing world, leaving me with a generally favorable impression and curiosity about the magical possibilities Marr envisioned.

Remedial Magic, the first in a new series by lauded fantasy author Melissa Marr, readers are pretty much dropped into Hogwarts for adults. You'll meet a librarian, a lawyer, and a cancer patient--all of whom are sucked out of the world as we know it and dropped in a magical town called Crenshaw that is on the knife's edge of disaster. A wide cast of memorable characters will keep everyone interested, especially as the story rotates through their viewpoints. Unfortunately, Remedial Magic is a bit too quick to launch, and it leaves the tires spinning a bit. While I appreciated that the plot moved quickly, the extremely fast pace does make the bonds between the characters fairly unbelievable. However, as always, there is humor and insight aplenty and fans of Marr will find plenty of her trademarks.

DNF at 15%

This was not at all what I expected based on the synopsis and marketing. It started out much darker than anticipated and one of the multiple POVs opens with a mother and a son getting into a terrible car accident due to her ex cutting the break lines. Then another POV opens with a weird insta-lovey plot point. Then ANOTHER POV opens with a mystical healing from cancer. It just wasn't at all what I was expecting, and it seems like it's going to be more fantasy focused rather than slice of life coziness. And based on what I read in the setup, it wasn't going to be one that I particularly enjoyed.

There will probably be those out there who enjoy this setup, but with the insta-love and magical healings that aren't really part of the world and only dispensed to a select few, I was pretty much done.

This fantasy follows several people who, in the moment of their untimely death, are transported into a magical world by an underlying magic that they didn't know they possessed. Once in this world, all newcomers are enrolled in a remedial magic school in which they will either prove themselves to be worthy of staying in this realm or fail and be sent back to the normal world with their memories wiped. Ellie, Daniel, and the other newcomers soon learn that all is not well in the magic realm: there is something poisoning the water supply and killing the crops, and no one is quite sure how to stop it, but they do know that their supplies are quickly dwindling and witches are dying at an alarming rate. Is this a world that anyone would want to stay in? The atmosphere is fairly dark in REMEDIAL MAGIC, but there are queer romances, a darkly funny and creative penal system, and lots of intrigue and tension that will have you preordering the sequel as soon as you finish this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC copy!

I do not really know where to start with this book. There are parts that I enjoyed and parts that made me want to put it down. I think that if I had not been listening to an Audiobook I would have seriously considered DNFing the book.

My main complaint is the mismarking of the book. It is marketed as a cozy fantasy with magic and a Sapphic romance, but its actually a high stakes situation that constantly has some kind if drama pulling you in all different directions. There are also too many POV. There are two characters that every time their chapters started I had to really think back to even remember who they were, and I feel like that part of the story could have been told just fine with a dual POV. Also, Harry Potter references, seriously? If you are marketing your book as a LGBT+ book then you should probably just leave controversial real world people out of it all together.

I still don't really understand the magic system or how/why everyone has the powers that they have, I'm sure it was explained, but really all I can remember about this book is how combative the FMC was, and just how selfish and rude she was when she didn't get her way.

I really expected this review to be the things I liked and the things I didn't, but really this was just okay. I'm not upset that I read it, but I will never feel the need to pick it up again.

what a fantastic fantasy book with amazing characters and great world building! I couldnt put this down!

I'm sorry to report that this book was just not for me. The cover and synopsis make this sound like it's going to have all the good cozy sapphic witchy magic vibes, but it was honestly kind of a mess. There are too many characters and too many perspectives and too much mishandled heaviness (a cancer storyline, a domestic abuse storyline, a Harry Potter reference in a theoretical queer romance) to really get anywhere with getting to know any of them or get invested in the plot or what's offered up as a romance. I felt like the book set my expectations for something totally different and is being marketed in totally the wrong way and it really underscores how little it delivers on the promise that's set up.

I received a digital copy of "Remedial Magic" by Melissa Marr from Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This will be exceedingly honest.

Ellie Brandeau doesn't know it, but she's a witch. Her powers start awakening after a compelling encounter with a beautiful, mysterious woman named Prospero. A near-fatal accident sends Ellie to Crenshaw, a magical Brigadoon-like place where witches live in peace, safe from the centuries of persecution witches experience in what the witches call the "Barbarian Lands." Except, things are very, very wrong in Crenshaw. The land and water are polluted, witches are dying, and Ellie is the key to fixing all of it.

This is the worst book I have read in a very long time. The marketing for this book would lead you to believe that it's a cozy, sapphic, witchy romantasy. It has a cute cover, a cute description, a cute setting. All lies.

A romance implies a happily ever after. There is nothing happy about the ending. A romance implies two people consenting to being in a loving relationship: THERE IS NO CONSENT IN THE CONCLUSION. I can't describe it without spoiling it, but Ellie emphatically and specifically does not agree to be in the relationship she ends up in. I was horrified.

As far as the technical aspects of the story, here's a quick summary: none of the characters act like real humans with real human emotions. There is only one potentially happy relationship but they are side characters and even then I have my doubts. The writing is awkward. The world-building is superficial at best. The plot would be interesting (Let's save the day!) but the Big Serious Problem is not actually resolved. I mean, at all. The book just ends before the Crenshaw is saved from danger. There are a ton of other, minor dangling plot threads.

I am guessing this is meant to be a first book in a series and that those things will be resolved in a future story. There's a suggestion that even the nonconsensual relationship issue will be resolved at some point. I will not read any further books to find out.

There are two things I liked. First, Crenshaw is a place where members of the LGBTQIA community are safe to live and love whomever they choose. It's about the ONLY thing that's safe in Crenshaw but at least there's that. Second, when people break Crenshaw law, they are temporarily turned into badgers. Why badgers? Who knows, but I did find that amusing.

I would have ordinarily DNF'd this early on because I had doubts very quickly. But I committed to reading it for NetGalley and I take that seriously. I genuinely wish I hadn't. I typically believe that when a book is not to my taste, there will still be readers who like it. So I review accordingly and while I may criticize, I try to consider who might actually enjoy it. My first draft of this review was a pages-long, sputtering mess and I still can't think of anybody I'd recommend "Remedial Magic" to.

This book was not for me. I enjoyed books like Ex Hex and My Roommate is a Vampire, so I got interested in reading witchy paranormal romances, but this is one of several in a long string that I have just not enjoyed, so i think it is perhaps not the subgenre for me. If you enjoyed books like The Very Secret Society for Irregular Witches, Enchanted to Meet You, and The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic, you will likely enjoy this one too. There has just been something in the writing style of these books that just is not clicking for me, but it will be a slam dunk for the right reader!