The Fascinators

Unique plot/concept. Loved the characters. I'm hoping there are sequels.

This book is.... beyond words. I've never read a story I connected to so strongly. My only disappointment is that it ended. The understanding of young queer culture, of a crippling distance with the rest of society, and of religious experience continues to strike a chord. The books portrayal of Magic also revolves remarkably close to my understanding of legitimate practiced witchcraft. If I take the time to sit here the review will never end. All in all, phenomenal book, could not recommend enough.

I read this in one day so I must have liked it but I'm not sure why. It seemed all over the place. And the ending? What was that? All I can think of is that it's a set-up for a sequel. Sequels are fine but the first book needs to be finished first. My favorite characters are Denver, Sam's mom and Benjy, James's little brother. That's weird--not one of the three main characters is included. I can't help it. Delia and James made no sense to me. Sam was . . . I'm not sure who Sam was. I liked him but . . . he didn't like himself. I hope he and Denver truly find each other. How about Delia? And James? Where will they be? Who will they be? I'm confused.

This was a really good book. It's awesome to see a book with a plot about magic like so many I've seen as a kid, but one that features gay characters. It's great that we have reached a point where characters in books like this are diverse enough that you can say "hey, this book has a character like me."

I found myself frustrated with the main character so many times. His frustrations could be solved if he just confronted them head on. This is ultimately what he needed to learn. Solid read.

Loved this book! Wish it was the first in a duology. Great read with a gay MC and his friends. Story is focused on friendships, but has a romantic relationship as a subplot.Pacing is solid but really speeds up at the end.

Picked this up because the title of the facinators fascinated me. While there is a lot I like in this book, sadly the main cast of three are a complete let down and Delia in particular becomes so unlikeable it hurts. While I hate over powered leads, Sam is a nothing burger that seems to lead nowhere with no promise of improvement. James is the stereotypical suffering child who acts out to the detrement of himself and those close to him nothing wrong with that, if at least there was indication for improvement, which brings us to the abrupt ending that basically finishes no storyline and sets up nothing important (other than maybe something with Delia, hopefully a bit of a redemption arch). First book in a long time that I have read that just feels so empty at the end.

Great for fans of magic, and lgbtq coming of age stories. Highly recommend. I hope a sequel comes along soon.

This was a pretty good story but very clearly part 1. This wasn't really long enough to develop the characters or plot in much depth but is very promising and I'd love to read more!

Like many other reviewers, I enjoyed the book but felt like it ended very abruptly, with some loose ends. If there’s a sequel, I’ll revisit this rating

A great read. I really enjoyed it.

Um mundo onde a magia é extremamente comum, porém pouquíssimas pessoas a praticam. Essa é a premissa básica que o autor quer que você engula. Como justificativa, as religiões não deixam a magia ser praticada, pois o poder é divino e, portanto, passa a ser blasfêmia praticá-lo. Logo, o estado da Geórgia (EUA) passa a ser praticamente todo ele religioso. Sim, num mundo onde há poder e ele é permitido, o que poderia trazer muitos benefícios à sociedade, quase ninguém o utiliza. Fala sério.Fora isso, o livro traz muitas ideias, muitos personagens, mas nada é muito trabalhado. Até mesmo o romance do personagem principal parece mais um chamariz para atrair leitores que gostam deste gênero, uma vez que, bem, nada dá muito certo, pois nada se desenvolve. Aliás, nenhum dos pontos inseridos pelo autor se desenvolve, e o livro termina extremamente em aberto, típico de alguém que quer fazer uma continuação, porém sem explicar muita coisa, o que torna a obra super rasa.Enfim, ele apresenta sim alguns pontos e ideias interessantes, por isso merece duas estrelas, mas não mais que isso.