[Review] The Charmed List - Julie Abe

Summary: Ellie Kobata has spent most of high school on the sidelines, keeping her art Instagram private and shying away from the world. She can’t even tell her only friend, Lia, who she really is: Ellie is part of a secret magical community, and no one outside of it can know it exists. The only person Ellie could fully relate to was Jack Yasuda – her childhood friend who mysteriously started to snub her a few years ago.

But before senior year, Ellie is ready to take some risks and have a life-changing summer, starting with her Anti-Wallflower List – thirteen items she’s going to check off one by one. With this list, she hopes to finally come out of her shell; even though she can’t share her full self with the world. But when number four on Ellie’s list goes horribly wrong—revenge on Jack Yasuda—she’s certain her summer is cursed. Instead of spending her summer with Lia, Ellie finds herself stuck in a car with Jack driving to a magical convention. But as Ellie and Jack travel down the coast of California, number thirteen on her list—fall in love—may be happening without her realizing it.

In The Charmed List, Julie Abe sweeps readers away to a secret magical world, complete with cupcakes and tea with added sparks of joy, and an enchanted cottage where you can dance under the stars. (Pub Date: Jul 05 2022)

 

Magical realism is the perfect way to describe the universe where this story takes place. Ellie is part of the magic community that lives among the common people, the magic-unaware. Her best friend Lia, with whom she's been planning a summer road trip had no idea of that secret until her revenge of her former-childhood friend/current nemesis Jack go very wrong, and Lia finds it out the worst way. Magic-unaware have to remain so or there will be consequences to whoever exposes their community. That is how Ellie is grounded to traveling without her friend—who is now stuck to taking classes on the magic community—and with Jack. Of course, the trip will include the "there was only one bed" compulsory stop in any rom com with enemies stuck together. 

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

The summary got longer than I had intended, the core of this story is really how Ellie and Jack fell apart and how they'll mend the broken pieces of their relationship. But the beginning got me fooled for an even more basic trope, to a point I wondered if this story hadn't started as a fanfic of some enemies-to-lovers manga story. Ellie's issues with Jack are far more interesting, however. I loved the way this was constructed, even if the average reader can more-or-less guess why Jack started ignoring Ellie so it's not big mystery. Still or maybe because of that, the depth this part of the plot went surprised me, it was very pretty. 

The magic part isn't like a Harry Potter lookalike, by the way. As I mentioned, the story takes place in our world but with some characters who are able to perform a limited kind of magic. It was a refreshing bonus, giving us obvious reasons for the two to get stuck together and also a background for cuter scenes.

The story itself has its ups but I can't really call it amazing, I won't ever forget it. It was enjoyable, a great way to get our mind off and a have a fun time. And of course, all the world-building wasn't even necessary, so that's where the bonus points come from. I recommend it.

Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

Rating: 4 out of 5.