I got an arc of Aislinn Brophy’s upcoming <u>Spells to Forget Us</u> so being me, I decided to read her debut first, and this was phenomenal. Shay is in her junior year and burning the candle at both ends in the hopes of wining the Brockton scholarship, a scholarship for her school that would pay for college tuition and basically ensures she’d be able to go to a licensing college. There is so much good commentary on access and privilege and the American dream through a magical lens, and I really loved Shay as a narrator. The teacher most in charge of the scholarship, Mr B, dangles the scholarship in front of Shay to manipulate her into auditioning for the school play, especially as it’s a play with primarily Latine characters but most of the cast is white. For whatever reason (racism, the answer is racism) he was under the impression Shay was Latina rather than Black (there is even an acknowledgment of Afro-Latine people, but she’s pretty sure that’s not an identity even on Mr B’s radar), and she ends getting cast as one of the leads, even though by her own admission she’s more of a singer than an actor. Over the course of the play, Mr B further manipulates Shay and also pushes her boundaries with touch and makes all kinds of inappropriate comments (also SO MANY RACIST MICROAGGRESSIONS!), but Shay worries she’s making a bigger deal out of the situation than is truly the case, especially when comparing her reactions and thoughts to the things she heard and saw from other cast members. I really liked how the power dynamics and manipulation was explored and Shay’s own journey of recognizing what was happening and harnessing her rage to change things, for herself and for future witches.
The romance between Shay and Ana was also really cute, especially the whole academic enemies but it’s all in Shay’s mind part of their dynamic. Lex is also a fantastic friend, and I love the elements of their friendship where they have to contend with the differences in their socioeconomic status and experience with academics. Shay is forced to confront internalized elitism about the need to go to a licensed college, especially because her parents aren’t licensed so even though they’re high skilled and capable, they’re limited in the jobs they’re able to get, which has created financial insecurities and stress.
This book tackles many complex topics, and I thought it was all handled really well with a lot of care. I liked how things resolved, even if it isn’t an “everything is resolved and perfect” kind of ending, it was hopeful and positive. I also really enjoyed little ways reality was woven into the story, such as Madam CJ Walker Beauty company for hair care potions and history textbook discussing the ways enslaved people had their power stolen and it fed into the fallacy that Black people are naturally stronger and have a higher capacity for magic. I thought the world development and the character’s journey were all so well executed, and I’m so excited to see what Brophy will write in the future!
