When We Were Magic

Written by Sarah Gailey

Narrated by Amanda Dolan

A moving, darkly funny novel about six teens whose magic goes wildly awry from Magic for Liars author Sarah Gailey, who Chuck Wendig calls an "author to watch."



Keeping your magic a secret is hard. Being in love with your best friend is harder.



Alexis has always been able to rely on two things: her best friends, and the magic powers they all share. Their secret is what brought them together, and their love for each other is unshakeable—even when that love is complicated. Complicated by problems like jealousy, or insecurity, or lust. Or love.



That unshakeable, complicated love is one of the only things that doesn't change on prom night.



When accidental magic goes sideways and a boy winds up dead, Alexis and her friends come together to try to right a terrible wrong. Their first attempt fails—and their second attempt fails even harder. Left with the remains of their failed spells and more consequences than anyone could have predicted, each of them must find a way to live with their part of the story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Mar 23, 2021
• ISBN: 9781705280461

Sarah Gailey

Sarah Gailey is an internationally published writer of fiction and nonfiction and a winner of the Hugo Award. Their nonfiction has been published by Mashable and The Boston Globe, and they are a regular contributor for Tor. Their most recent fiction credits include Fireside Fiction and Uncanny Magazine. Find out more at SarahGailey.com and find them on Twitter @GaileyFrey.

Reviews for When We Were Magic

[Federica Barufaldi · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

2.5 stars
It’s not a bad book, but it’s not a good one either.
I really appreciated the other books by the author, this one seems very childish and bland in comparison

[Joanna Disch · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Unerwartet gut und gerne würde ich mehr von den Mädels erfahren.

[Chée · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I've never hated a MC that much, she was horrible and the end doesn't make sense.

[Meagan Fischer · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The narrator is excellent. The books story left me wanting more closure.

[barnesbookshelf · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book was a little hard to get into. It starts in media res, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it took me a while to actually care about the main characters and what was going on for them. I also struggled to tell the characters apart at first, especially Maryam and Marcelina because their names start with the same letter.

Overall, the story is fine. It's not the most intriguing plot, but the story is more about friendship and women supporting women than anything. Still, it really didn't feel like the stakes were that high. Also, Alexis was angry and sad for most of the book, which was understandable given the events it starts with, but got tiresome after a while.

I found it to be a pretty average book. I wish I had gotten to know the characters before Prom night because I feel I would've been more concerned for them. I totally called Gina though.

[tornadox-962417 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lovely YA book about friends who share magic. Many different characters, some body horror.

[lavaturtle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I saw this book on Instagram and knew I wanted to read it right away! I love the diverse cast of characters and the way they relate to each other. The plot is compelling and the ending is satisfying.

[m_mozeleski · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

4.5/5!
Gailey brings her usual wit and snark to the table with When We Were Magic. A quick examination of what guilt can cause, and how genuine friendship can help soothe (to a degree) some guilt.

An exploration of genuine friendship, support, & love.

[tldegray-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sarah Gailey has two books out now, Magic for Liars and When We Were Magic. I read them back to back and enjoyed the different takes on magic and being magic in both.
Magic For Liars is about a private detective investigating a death at the magic school where her estranged sister teaches. It's about family and finding your place.
When We Were Magic is about an accidental death on prom night and how the girls involved get through it. It's about friendship, acceptance, and support.
Both books are thoughtful and tender. I highly recommend them.

[elenaj-147457 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A challenging, complicated, and fascinating read. Really cool magic, really troubling plot.

[susan.macura · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I wanted to like this book. The basic premise of six friends united by their magical gifts was a positive one. However, right from the beginning I was turned off by the death of a teenage boy, their lack of compassion and empathy for him and his family while he was missing and ultimately found dead, as well as how they only cared about hiding the fact that one of them was responsible for his death - simply because she wanted to make another girl jealous. I kept hoping that something would redeem them but in the end they moved on, while a family was devastated by the death of this teenage, though no one seemed to care. This is not a book I would recommend to anyone.