Feeling rejected, Charlie, an artist, is drawn into a destructive new relationship with her sexy older co-worker, a 'semifamous' local musician who's obviously a junkie alcoholic. But things don't go as planned in the Arizona desert, because sweet Mikey just wants to be friends. After spending time in treatment with other young women like her-who cut, burn, poke, and otherwise hurt themselves-Charlie is released and takes a bus from the Twin Cities to Tucson to be closer to Mikey, a boy she 'like-likes' but who had pined for Ellis instead. Seventeen-year-old Charlie Davis, a white girl living on the margins, thinks she has little reason to live: her father drowned himself her bereft and abusive mother kicked her out her best friend, Ellis, is nearly brain dead after cutting too deeply and she's gone through unspeakable experiences living on the street. While the final two-thirds of the book are beautifully paced, balancing introspection and character development with plot, the first third at times feels weighed down by explanation and backstory.Īn intimate portrait of female friendship laced with literal and metaphorical magic.Īfter surviving a suicide attempt, a fragile teen isn't sure she can endure without cutting herself. The fully realized characters are diverse in ethnicity, sexuality, and gender identity. But as their relationships strengthen, the spell takes its toll: Every time they lose a body part, the girls lose something too, forcing them to rethink how they define themselves and each other. This work of speculative fiction is a profoundly thoughtful exploration of female friendship, love, growth, and identity.

Alexis insists on witnessing each body-part-releasing ceremony, in the process exploring her bonds with her friends-and, in one case, feelings that go far beyond friendship. They divide them up and agree to dispose of what is left of Josh, piece by piece. Attempting to make things right, the girls cast a spell but are left with a disconnected collection of Josh’s body parts, including a cold, glassy version of his heart. Alexis knows she can rely on them, not only because of their unshakeable friendship, but because of what they have in common: the ability to do magic. On prom night, when Alexis accidentally kills Josh Harper, she panics and summons her five best friends-Paulie, Roya, Iris, Marcelina, and Maryam-for help. Getting through high school requires more than a little bit of magic.

When we were magic