Breanne Randall’s debut novel follows Sadie, a young witch dogged by a curse and memories of her childhood sweetheart.
Randall notably used social media to promote her book, successfully racking up 10,000 pre-orders before the novel hit the shelves. Too bad the book is a dud.
Dominated by a plot that really drags, The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic is tonally confused, veering wildly from cosy fantasy vibes to jarringly dark plot turns, and is riddled with soap-opera melodrama, annoying characters, nonsensical descriptions ("the summer heat cocooning them like a secret”), and impressively clichéd dialogue ("You and I, we’re like fire and gasoline").
Do not be sucked in by the comparison to Gilmore Girls and Practical Magic. Randall’s novel lacks both the wit of the former and the enchantment of the latter, and will brutally disappoint fans of both.
Feby Idrus is a writer, musician, and arts administrator
