Witches of Brooklyn

I saw this graphic novel suggested to me a few times on Amazon and then when I was on vacation last year, an ARC copy was randomly in the little free library box in the gelato/chocolate shop I was in. I decided it was fate and took it with me. 

It's a really cute story with fun art. Effie is an 11-year-old orphan, who recently lost her mother and never knew her father. She goes to live with her (much older than her mother) aunt and her aunt's best friend. She goes to school, makes new friends, and then her powers awaken from being around so much magic and she's revealed to be a witch. 

I love all the details of being a witch in the real world. The author makes it sound completely believable and realistic. All the characters are likeable. It was just plain enjoyable from start to finish. 

So today, I received the second volume that just came out on Tuesday. 

In this one, Effie is introduced  to more New York witches and she deals with some friend drama. She has two best friends, one male, one female. Her female best friend doesn't return any of her calls over the holiday break and then turns up with a new girl on the first day back to school. I would definitely be pissed, as Effie was, though she directs it more at the new girl than at her friend. This drives most of the action of the book while the witches are also trying to solve a mystery. After things come to too big a head and Effie's friend is hurt, she and the new girl try to talk, only for them to each discover the other is a witch. This leads to them working together to solve the mystery and the new girl finding a place here in her new home. Effie and her friend finally talk things out, too, including the friend admitting she was horrible to not return Effie's phone calls. I was glad to see that finally handled, because I thought it was absolutely horrible that everyone kept telling Effie to be patient with her friend and this new girl when that friend had behaved really badly. That's not how you treat a friend! Come on. So at least they addressed that. I hate when characters get away with shit and it's never properly called out. 

This second volume is just as fun as the first, so I highly recommend both of these.