I really loved this. It's hopeful and sad, reflective and forward-looking, scary and sexy. A lyrical ode to love, disco, and the joy of gay sex, it's about the competing pains and joys of youth and of age and wisdom. The book is highly uninterested in the question of whether magic is "real"—there are certainly threats to the gay community in the summer of 1989, and these dancing queens will fight those threats wherever they are called to do so, with bells on. This is a semi-autobiographical book by Blair Fell and the events and feelings experienced by the characters hit with veracity.

This one…..*sigh* oh how I wanted to love it. It was such a wonderful campy premise and I put aside the fact that I usually don’t touch fantasy because of it being queer, but it just felt rushed and off kilter to me somehow? I also didn’t love the sexual violence, it seemed completely unnecessary

It took me a while to get into this book, but once I got into it, I was hooked! I am not normally into fantasy novels. I wanted to read this one because it was queer. I loved how loyal the characters were to each other. I also loved how the characters communicated and worked through their issues. The end of the book was so wholesome!

Dear Blair Fell,

I stumbled across this author’s debut audiobook when it was a daily deal at Audible in 2022 (which for some reason feels like last year). The Sign for Home made my Best listens of 2022. (I have a brief review of it at Goodreads, here). So, when I saw there was a new book I had to pick it up.

It’s about as far away from his debut book as it is possible to be. It’s set in 1989 and has paranormal elements. But the writing style was familiar and welcome. I found myself sliding into the book like a hot knife through butter – at least initially. As the book progressed, I had moments of disconnection. It’s true that the writing style always held my interest and there were portions of the story which sang.

Joe Agabian is a 29 year old gay Philly native. It’s 1989, the height of the AIDS crisis and life is difficult. Joe’s boyfriend, Elliott, died of the virus 18 months earlier and he’s still grieving. There’s clearly more to their story than is revealed at the start of the book, but what is consistent is Joe’s deep grief and his fear that his entire life will be defined by AIDS, one way or another.

When Joe meets Ronnie Kaminski, tall, a Fabio-haired, muscle-bound Chippendale-type famous within the city, Ronnie tells Joe he can just tell from looking how old someone is. When he guesses 24, Joe doesn’t have the heart to tell him he’s wrong. Besides, being 24 again is a kind of do-over and it may be just what Joe needs. After their first meeting, they both realised they were not destined to be lovers and instead Ronnie took Joe under his wing to teach him how to be a “good gay”.

Joe seemed to me much younger than his 29 years, lacking in self-awareness and having a more youthful selfishness to him which fit better (but not perfectly) with him identifying for most of the book as 24 and far less when I remembered he was actually nearly 30. Joe felt emotionally stunted for much of the book and I didn’t find a lot in the narrative to support the extent of it.

Ronnie has a grand plan to go out to Fire Island for the summer. He’s going to work at a fancy gay bar and pick up a wealthy daddy to treat him right forever. (Of course, things don’t quite go to plan.) In any event, he invites Joe to go with him.

“Um … you know I don’t know anything about bartending, right?” Joe said.

Ronnie waved his hand. “Nothing to it, especially in a gay bar. You just have to be cute, smile, flirt a little, and slosh some booze into a glass. A beagle could do it if he had thumbs and looked hot in a T-shirt!”

When Joe arrives a few days after Ronnie, he finds that the largesse promised by Ronnie is nonexistent – there’s no job and no place to live. Ronnie is a messy character, at turns rude, selfish, unkind and ungenerous and at others, he’s the best friend Joe could hope for.

Luckily for Joe, he kind of falls into an arrangement where he rents the attic of the home of a couple of “old queens”, Lenny and Howie.

“This is the most comfortable bed I’ve ever been in,” he said. “Thank you so much. You really didn’t need to do all this.”

“Oh, poo!” Howie waved his hand. “We’re gay. We’d redecorate the inside of a milk carton given the chance.”

Howie, Lenny and their friends, Saint D’Norman and “Dory the Boozehound” are part of a coven of disco witches. Their leader, Max, is in hospital in the city sick with AIDS-related illness and whether he can make it to Fire Island during the summer is in doubt. Whether he can make it until the end of the summer is in doubt.

From the start, Howie sees something special in Joe. Every now and then, the coven is called upon to use it’s boogie magic to protect a tortured soul. Usually, that person is 29, not 24 though. And there are other things which are “required” for them to be the “chosen one” but still, for Howie, Joe’s aura is telling him to pay attention.

In addition to a place to live, the coven ends up helping Joe find a job so he can survive for the summer.

Joe works in a rundown bar at Asylum Harbor with a grumpy Irish bear of a bar manager, Vince. And he meets a local ferryman, Fergal (who seems to be a magical being himself). A nice little romance develops between Joe and Fergal but it takes a long time to get started and the sailing is not smooth for the pair.

Fergal laughed. “But I got a little surprise waiting for you over at your house.”

“A surprise? For real?” Joe’s heart did a little flip.

“Yep.” Fergal leaned over the bar until he was touching distance from Joe.

“What is it?” Joe let the tip of his finger touch Fergal’s, eliciting a smile.

“Then it wouldn’t be a surprise.”

Vince groaned like he had stabbed himself with broken glass. “Ah Jaysus feckin’ Christ! Get the hell outta here already! The both of you! Please. Before I have to rip my ears off! Go! Now! Feck off! And use protection!”

AIDS and how the gay community was being treated, how they were involved in self-advocacy, how their community was dying in droves, the juxtaposition between a kind of desperate denial over the summer and the in-your-faceness of it all as Joe watches bar customers sicken and disappear over the summer, pervades the book.

How did Howie and Lenny do it? The vast majority of their friends still living either had AIDS or were HIV positive. Howie had told him that he and Lenny had lost eighty-two of their closest friends to the disease so far. How do they breathe without crying?

From reading the acknowledgements at the end, it seems there is at least a part of the story which is semi-autobiographical and I have a feeling it is that part of the story which resonated more strongly with me.

I was a little jarred by the disco witches – their manifesto and methodology was very camp and fun but what was behind it was very serious indeed. It sometimes gave me a little emotional whiplash.

While “boogying,” they chanted the sacred questions together: Knuf annaw uoy OD? Em htiw Knuf annaw uoy OD?

(Hint, read the chant backwards.)

I suspect that the whole witchiness of the book made the dire situation of the gay community due to AIDS a little less heartbreaking to read about but it was still desperately sad. There are references to the Gay Mens Health Crisis and famous activists, familiar to me from The Normal Heart and And the Band Played On, both of which document AIDS in the 1980s in different ways. (Fantastic books but enraging, heartbreaking, terrifying at the same time as being uplifting and motivating.) Notwithstanding the paranormal elements, the story is firmly grounded in history.

Overall, the book was a bit of a mixed bag, with parts a bit too kitsch for me and the story a little meandering and others touching, or funny, insightful (or a mix of all three). There was a large cast of characters and many subplots. At times I wasn’t sure exactly what the book was going for. Then again, I’m a straight, Australian, cis woman so…

Grade: B

Regards,
Kaetrin

A great rollicking read that I worry may drive away straight viewers with its perfect title. Too bad for them! This was a beach read before Pride month even hit and I suspect it will make a hoot of Netflix adaptation.

Note: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is so campy, and there were so many parts that made me feel connected to my community while reading. At the same time, there were quite a few scenes that made me very uncomfortable. Just some sexual violence that I didn’t feel added anything to the book. This book was big on tell don’t show which also made it hard to sink into. I think unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Content warnings as mentioned by Storygraph users: Graphic: Drug use, Pandemic/Epidemic, Death Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Grief Minor: Homophobia, Violence, Sexual violence

Disco Witches of Fire Island is set in the late 1980s, and it deals with themes like queer identity, LGBTQIA relationships, and emotional resilience. The focus is on the community during the height of the AIDS crisis (which was actually called the “gay plague” by unfeeling people and even the press.) Because of that, there’s a lot of emotional depth to this book that focuses on the historical part of the LGBTQIA community during the Ronald Reagan years, whose administration did very little to help.

There’s a fantasy element to Disco Witches, and while I normally veer away from that genre, I appreciated that aspect of the story. There’s so much grief and trauma to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, but ultimately, Disco Witches also has themes of hope and queer solidarity.

I have mixed emotions about this book. It was written very well, and it transported me back to the late 1980s, when I was a teenager, and it seemed like the AIDS epidemic was on the news all the time, with little response from the White House, but there were some parts that could be triggering, like the sexual violence. I would still recommend the book if you don’t have problems with heavy content.

I'm grateful to the publisher for offering me a free copy but this was not the book for me. I had the hardest time with the repetitiveness as well as the dialogue.

The premise is intriguing—a MM romance and disco-era magic during the AIDS crisis—but the fantasy elements in Disco Witches of Fire Island did not have a point. The central magical plot is never clearly explained and adds little to the story, often distracting from the emotional core rather than enhancing it. The love story was completely rushed, and the book was surprisingly less sexy than advertised.

I definitely picked this one up for the title but I am so glad I did! It was wild witchy fun but still felt really rooted in the reality of queer history. In some chapters I felt like dancing, in some I felt like crying, but I always wanted to keep reading.

DNF 18%

I don't like giving star ratings to books I don't finish, but there's no option to leave it unrated! I requested this book because the premise sounded really interesting, but unfortunately the execution fell flat for me. I find the writing style dull and I'm not interested in any of the characters. I kept trying to push through to at least get to the magic elements, but it's just not holding my attention, and I think it's time to move on.

Really wanted to like this, but the characters felt immature and childish, regardless of their ages in the book. I think the author did a great job of setting a realistic world that unfortunately revolved heavily around the AIDs epidemic.

This book sounded fun and I had hopes of it being a nostalgic trip to a late 1980s summer. Add in a touch of magic and it seemed like a great fit. However, I knew within the first few pages that this was not a match for me.

Joe is 29 and is stagnant in life. He has dreams of being a doctor, but has made no move to finish the undergraduate work he needs for that. Some of that has to do with the loss of his boyfriend to AIDS, as this book takes place during a volatile time in that crisis. Joe befriends Ronnie and the two spend the summer in Fire Island, although when Joe gets there, it is not at all as expected.

The writing style and tone were off for me in the portion I read. We start in Joe’s point of view, but then quickly shift to almost everyone that comes on page. Sometimes this was done by chapter and sometimes we were in a different point of view within the same scene. It wasn’t confusing so much as an awkward way to handle scenes and it was too many viewpoints for me.

There is a magic element woven into the story, as Joe meets two older men as he arrives in Fire Island. Everything was a mystery with these men and I couldn’t be sure if they were actually witches or had mental health issues.

At halfway through the book, I still knew this wasn’t for me and chose to stop there. This one might work for a different reader.

Fire Island, 1989, a place where gay men and women could feel a little freer while the AIDS epidemic raged on.
I am a little late with my review because I was on a cruise and had little time to read, but I came home and finished today.
As others have stated, this is not a book for everyone, but the themes of grief and love are universal.
Joe and Ronnie meet at a gay bar in Philadelphia, become friends, have a tepid hookup, and decide to spend the summer on Fire Island as bartenders. The jobs fall through, but Joe meets two very gay men and is invited to live in the attic of their house.
They get him a job as a bartender, and he becomes part of a family. He does not believe the stories that his friends belong to a coven of witches.
AIDS has cut a swath of death through the community, and how each character deals with this moves the story forward.
Joe has lost his first love and his grief and the mystery around the actual truth of the relationship, as well as how the witches look after him propel the story forward.
The climax is quite exciting, and many of the characters have life changing epiphanies.
I would recommend this book to liberal minded people who will not be surprised by the gay characters and suggest that though this is specifically a gay book, the themes are universal. I hesitate to say this as in a discussion of another specifically gay book someone mentioned the universality of the theme, and some of the gay members objected to that. Read the book and make your own decisions.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the EARC. This is my honest opinion.

How could I resist a book with a title like this? My thanks to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the advance copy!

In 1989, Joe and his best friend Ronnie plan to spend the summer working and playing at the gay mecca of Fire Island Pines. Ronnie is looking for a sugar daddy, while Joe realizes it’s time to move on from grieving his late boyfriend Elliot, who died of AIDS.

When Ronnie’s promised job and accommodations both fail to materialize, Joe meets Lenny and Howie, two older gay men who are housecleaners on the side. They take Joe under their wing, and although they’re tremendously kind and generous to him, they seem to have a lot of secrets and quirky habits. What are they hiding?

Howie and Lenny are part of a coven of disco witches. They use dance to conjure up protection for the younger gay men who might become overwhelmed by the availability of sex and drugs on Fire Island. Both of these have destroyed too many men already, and they’re committed to protecting Joe. But the coven has been depleted by the loss of many of its members to AIDS, so they’re not as powerful as they once were.

While Joe works as a bartender, he finds himself attracted to a bisexual ferryman, and tantalized by a muscular man that keeps disappearing. Lenny and Howie try to warn Joe away from the mysterious hunk, saying that he represents impending danger. Will the disco witches be able to keep everyone safe?

This was such a fun, poignant, nostalgic, and steamy book. I can’t pass up anything set in the 1980s, and when you throw in a little magical realism—plus disco—I’m hooked. I really enjoyed this, and it made me think back to those we’ve lost.

When I tell you that I hate to give this a low rating, I mean it. This book had so much potential to me. When it came to all the witchy stuff I actually think this book was pretty good. The way the magic worked was very interesting, the plot surrounding it pretty intriguing, and those scenes were extremely atmospheric. However, it was just such a tiny part of this book, it couldn't fully save it. On top of that I also think this book has some interesting discussions around the HIV/AIDS epidemic as well, and I do think it is a recommendable read because of that.
However, as mentioned before all of that ended up being such a small aspect of this book. This was just such a slog to get trough as the author just kept waffling on and on and on about things that just did not matter. The narrative felt so incredibly bogged down by it, and the truly interesting elements of this book didn't get a chance to shine because of it either.
On top of that we also have extremely flat characters. They are very one dimensional, very unlikeable, and overall just blend into each other. There is such a large cast, and none of them (not even our main character Joe) is memorable, in my opinion. Why couldn't we have spend all this time we were doing nothing at all developing these characters more? That is also why the romance fell flat to me. It just happened extremely quickly, and had no developement at all. On top of that we of course have such unnoteworthy characters so of course I couldn't also understand what they saw in each other.
So yeah, overall I think this book is just one massive waste of potential, and I truly hate that it turned out that way. This deserved so much better!

Literally, this book is exactly what you would go into it thinking, simply because of the title. Gay witches, 80's, disco, but it also touches on some very heavy, serious topics, which really added depth to the character development. Disco Witches of Fire Island was a beautiful read.

Many thanks to Alcove Press for a complimentary eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Joe, heartbroken after losing his boyfriend to HIV/AIDS, is convinced by his friend Ronnie to spend a summer on Fire Island, working as a bartender by night and enjoying the freedom of a gay oasis by day. Things get off to a rough start when Joe learns that there is no bartending job or place to stay. Luckily, he comes across two quirky, eccentric, and downright weird house cleaners who offer him a place to stay and even manage to find him a job. Little does he know that his new housemates are disco witches whose power extends from and draws upon the the Great Goddess Mother and the joy and power of disco. Joe is thrust into the heady world of gay Fire Island as he deals with the trauma of losing his boyfriend, the prospect of new admirers, and the spectre of something that threatens his life.

This novel is ambitious. It deals with very serious themes like the HIV/AIDS epidemic which decimated an entire generation of queer people while also bringing a levity and brightness through its focus on queer joy, found family, and liberation. Despite the darkness that faces Joe and the disco witches, the story is suffused with light refracted through the disco ball of diverse voices and characters. I appreciated that this novel is somewhat hard to categorise -- not quite memoir, not quite fantasy, not quite romance -- and so it doesn't rely on the same tropes that some books have come to use. Characters are relatable, diverse, and deeply flawed, making them seem more real; they are clearly written with great care and affection. For readers who identify as queer, the book is hopeful and joyful in the face of darkness; for readers who don't identify as queer, the book is a window into the difficult navigation of queer identity, belonging, and community.

Above all, this is a novel with a lot of heart. Joe's internal struggles with trying to move past his boyfriend's death (and the events leading up to it) are genuinely heartbreaking. The disco coven are quirky and eccentric, but the strength of their bond to one another and to protecting the queer community is moving and inspiring. Even Ronnie, whose missteps lead to no small amount of frustration and sadness, has his moment of stepping up and defying social expectations of what a young queer man should look like and behave.

I've rarely come across a book which is able to move from the deep pain of heartbreak to overwhelming queer joy, from total abnegation to lust as Disco Witches of Fire Island. What a blessing the Great Goddess Mother has offered to us readers in the form of this novel! Let yourself be led by the magic and sorrow of 1980s queer disco magic on an unforgettable journey.

Whimsical and brash in the way only the best of camp can be. The setting, the vibes and the particularly gay male voice doesn't seem to have any interest in catering to anyone except gay men. Which is great, but I'm only adjacent as a non cis queer. It's not really heartwarming but still charming, and I can appreciate the story as what it is, but not really felt connected or invested in specific characters. Excellent and fun setup and premise and title though

i had a lot of fun with this. its a unique, heartfelt story that tells you exactly what it is and lives up to its expectations. Blair created a world and community that felt real and vibrant.

the strongest work here is all the characters. Joe is a great lead, and his arc plays well into his own personal issues but also issues facing the community at the time. and every single person on that island was thorough and well characterized. and i loved the found family that was built with everyone.

and god, i LOOOOVE disco. who doesn't?

this a very original and compelling novel. it all felt so authentic. great way to kick off some summer-ish reading.