I loved this book. Work and *gestures around* everything had really impacted on my ability to read of late, but this book caught me from the opening pages and kept me entranced. I loved Maeve and Fiona, I wanted to know what had happened to Lily, and I was so delighted by the resolution and how O'Donoghue handled the ambiguity and intensity of teen friendship and love. A great book, I can't wait to read the next one!

First things first - I totally judged this book by it's cover. It is GORGEOUS. I can only imagine it will look even better when it's a physical book.

While I did enjoy All Our Hidden Gifts, it was a little confusing in parts. Some of the content felt very YA, but the characters felt much younger than they actually were. I had to remind myself a couple of times that they were 16ish and not 12. I also felt like the subplot with the Children of Brigid was really underdeveloped. It could have been really interesting to see how that played out, but it just sort of fizzled out. Overall, it was a pretty good read, and I would definitely read something else by the author.

A study of dark and light and the delicate balance in the world. Behind a story of witchcraft, tarot and the mysterious disappearance of a friend is an examination of Ireland’s political change. Touching on divorce, equal marriage and gender, this is a powerful story of finding your people, and coming together to stand up to injustice. Engaging and intelligent, with lots of threads to follow and twists in the tale, this is a gripping story of friendship, first love and finding yourself. We loved it.

Caroline O'Donoghue's foray into YA will definitely appeal to fans of the genre. Although I do have a few criticisms I can safely say that I found All Our Hidden Gifts to be an entertaining read.
Set in Ireland, our narrator and protagonist is sixteen-year old Maeve Chambers, the youngest in a big family. She has quite a chip on her shoulder when it comes to her 'brilliant' sisters and brothers. Unlike them she isn't academically gifted and for a period of time she was put in a slow-learning class. Maeve now attends an all-girls Catholic school and in trying to impress her peers lands herself in trouble. It just so happens that her detention includes cleaning out a cupboard know as the 'Chokey' where she finds a set of tarot cards...and it turns out that she has a skill when it comes to reading the cards.
The story takes a Labyrinth turn when Maeve's new talent results in the disappearance of her former best friend, Lily, who she'd ditched in order to climb the social ladder. Was I expected the Goblin King to be responsible for Lily's disappearance? Maybe...
Anyhow, when the police gets involved and things get serious Maeve's life becomes quite messy. Maeve believes that a mysterious card from her deck may have stolen Lily away so she decides to deepen her knowledge of magic. Along the way she becomes close with another girl from her school and with Lily's older brother, Roe.
As the kids investigate Lily's disappearance they become increasingly suspicious of a cult-like Christian group that is very vocal in opposing LGBTQ+ rights.
I appreciated the issues O'Donoghue incorporates throughout her narrative. We have characters who are discriminated against for not being white or for not conforming to one gender. Lily wears a hearing aid, which is probably another reason why her classmates bully or exclude her, Maeve's sister is gay, Roe is exploring his gender identity. As inclusivity goes, this novel is beautifully inclusive. Maeve, who is white, cis, straight, and from a possibly middle-class family, is called out for being insensitive or naive when it comes to discrimination. She's also somewhat self-centred, in an angsty sort of way, and this too is pointed out by other characters. Fiona also makes a point of reminding Maeve not to make other people's oppression all about herself.

While I appreciated her growth, I still struggled to sympathise or like her. I found Roe and Fiona to be much more likeable and interesting characters. Maeve was the classic 'I'm not beautiful like x or intelligent like y' self-pitying kind of gall. She was boring and sounded much younger than her allegedly sixteen years of life. Which brings to my next 'criticism': there is a discrepancy between the tone and content of this novel. The tone, which is mainly created by Maeve's direct narration, would have been more suited to a middle-grade book while her narrative's content—the issues and discussions that came up in the story—are more tailored towards a YA audience. Both Maeve and the other sixteen-year olds sounded like they were twelve a lot of the time. Which made it weird when things like sex came up.
The bad American dude was somewhat cartoonish, and that whole side-plot felt rather undeveloped.
Lily was a promising character who might have been more fleshed out with some more flashbacks. And, to be honest, I would preferred this to be a friendship-focused kind of story. The romance between Maeve and Roe did not convince me, at all. She crushes on him from the get-go of the novel, but I could not for the life of me understand or see why he reciprocated her feelings. She says some pretty shitty things now and again to him and acts in a possessive way which irked me. I get she's insecure but still....she knows she may have been responsible for his sister's disappearance...and all she can think about are his lips?

Nevertheless, this was far from a bad or mediocre book. I like the way O'Donoghue writes and I appreciate her story's themes and imagery so I would probably still recommend this. I, however, might stick to her adult fiction from now on.

Maeve is, at times, a frustrating character to read. This is partly because she’s a bratty 16-year-old not quite aware of her own privilege and somewhat because she gets a “chosen one” trope while being that character. She speaks too quickly without thinking and hurts the people around her. While she tries to be sensitive to other issues, she still misses the mark on some things. There were moments inside Maeve’s thoughts that made me cringe, but that had more to do with Maeve and less to do with the romance. While I loved the relationships in this book, I felt a little confused by the timeline and the speed at which these characters grew close. It felt like instalove and instafriendship, and while difficult times can definitely lead to these sorts of things, it isn’t always an excellent time for them to happen.
The book interestingly addresses homophobia. The subplot of the Children of Brigid cult was the most exciting part of the story, and I would have liked more about that. The book was enjoyable, but it’s pacing was strange, and the lack of questions answered was a little frustrating to me.

Exciting, engaging, and full of surprises, this book really does have it all!

All Our Hidden Gifts is a Young Adult paranormal fantasy novel, focusing on fledgling witch Maeve. Drawn to an old pack of tarot cards and finding herself suddenly immersed in all things occult, Maeve soon finds out that she's bitten off more than she bargained for when her ex-best friend Lily goes missing after a disastrous tarot reading. Feeling responsible for Lily's disappearance and desperate to find the answers, Maeve embarks on a dangerously thrilling journey to bring Lily safely home.

Maeve is a flawed heroine, yet one who is still inherently likeable and relatable. She's not perfect, but then, who is? With Fiona, her new best friend, and Roe, Lily's older sibling, the trio begin to step further and further into the unknown. With mysterious events happening around town and a rise in homophobic and intolerant behaviour, the world they thought they knew quickly comes crashing down around them.

As well as paranormal fantasy, this book also features love, friendship, mystery, and LGBTQ+. It's current and relevant, yet with added mysticism and the occult. It's extremely well-written and highly readable - gripping and thought-provoking throughout.

All Our Hidden Gifts is a complete dream of a novel and I am keeping my fingers firmly crossed for a sequel!

Generally not a fan of witchcraft, especially in YA, but this book hit all the right notes. The main character, plagued by a pack of old Tarot cards (and not understanding why they send her senses spiraling) is interesting and real. Her friends (the new and the old) are believable, especially Roe/Rory, who is thinking ... maybe ... he's non-binary but is definitely interested in a relationship with Maeve. The Irish setting and characters were an added bonus, and the resolution felt authentic (as much as a seance and spell-weaving can, anyway!) Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance ecopy.

Quick disclaimer: I know the author IRL. These are my genuine thoughts, but I think it's only fair to let you know.

I reckon a lot of people reading Caroline's first YA are going to pick over the details of having one main character who is non-binary, and another who is mixed race. That's understandable: we're not at the stage of representation where having these things feels part of the norm yet. All I'm saying is: don't be so distracted by unpicking who these people are, that you miss what they're there to do.

This is really a book about forgiveness. What can you say or do to a friend that can or can't be forgiven? Does anyone owe you their forgiveness? Does intent matter? It doesn't claim to answer them all, but it does examine the whole messy business, and I find that endlessly interesting. We've all done things we regret. We've all been hurt. Our teenage lives are some of the most emotionally intense we'll ever have, and I can tell you that at 40 you still haven't forgotten how it feels. And that's what I took from All Our Hidden Gifts the most: that no matter what the complex structures of our ever-changing identities, we all need to negotiate boundaries - our own, and other people's. Plus there's some really awesome and genuinely creepy magic.

I can't wait for book 2!

I enjoyed this debut YA novel from Caroline O'Donoghue. A spooky magic school without the baggage of Rowling's real life views, this felt lovely because everyone has a place.

The dialogue was funny and quick, I loved the plot of using tarot cards. Will definintely keep an eye out for more in this series (if there are any more!)

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I read a sampler of the first few chapters of All Our Hidden Gifts a few months ago and was immediately hooked and immediately needed to know more about Maeve, an Irish teenager who seems pretty ordinary, until she finds a deck of tarot cards in her school and finds it spookily easy to read them, right away. She decides to read cards for her classmates, enjoying the glamour and the noteriety, until she's forced to read them for her ex best friend Lily, who mysteriously vanishes shortly afterwards. The cards aren't quite what they seem, and something strange is going on in the town, so Maeve enlists some new friends to figure out what is going on and how they can get Lily back.

I loved Maeve and her friends, Fiona and Roe, and how open and supportive they are of each other. Maeve quickly realises despite her own insecurities about her academic intelligence, her life so far has been a lot easier than theirs, one being discriminated against for being Fillipina and the other for their sexuality and gender expression. She is therefore especially disturbed by the increasing popularity of a seemingly religious, right wing youth group in their town, and their charismatic but unsettling leader. Maeve gets a lot wrong (notably her treatment of Lily and how she sometimes speaks before she thinks) but her heart is in the right place and the injustice she feels on behalf of the people the "Children of Bridget" is genuine and motivated by kindness and empathy. This mix of the real world tension between apparent social progress and worryingly young right wing movements allows O'Donoghues magical world to take root and grow into something unique and exciting.

Thankfully, there are rumours of more books in this series, because I am desperate to read more about Maeve. This would be ideal for readers of Sarah Maria Griffin, Deirdre Sullivan, and Moira Fowley Doyle, and really interestingly touches on themes O'Donoghue explored in her recent excellent novel, Scenes of a Graphic Nature, which is for older readers

I found this it be really easy to read. There were times when I found three of our main teens more grown up than their years. Having said that, the author's shown a lot of growth for the main character - Maeve - who starts of being largely ruled by her emotions and desire to fit in with the so called popular girls of St Bernadette's Catholic school

The book effortlessly blends different themes, it's a spooky/ urban-fantasy/ coming of age story about the importance of acceptance - of self and others. Set in Ireland it also gives as a sense of place, with the old Ireland and new Ireland bumping up against each other. I think readers who find the description appealing are likely to find something that will resonate for them. A key theme for me when reading this was around acceptance- of self, of others and and of change. The themes are current, and the pace jogs along nicely providing a bit of everything.

This spellbinding YA debut from Caroline O’Donoghue is sparkling, current, exciting and just dark enough to keep you totally engrossed.

When Maeve discovers a set of tarot cards in a school basement, little does she know that her uncanny skill at readings will end up with her ex-best friend disappearing.

What follows next is a journey through magic, mysticism and ultimately sacrifice with loads of tarot to boot..

While this feels like a classic teen magic adventure, more importantly it is a story about tolerance, acceptance, learning to belong, learning to be different and most of all - growing as a person.

In the wake of everything that has happened with JK Rowling, it’s really refreshing and heartwarming to read a book that is so clearly designed to make sure that everyone feels safe and can find a role model or reflection of themselves.

The world Caroline draws embraces the differences between us whether through gender, queerness, colour or class, but what’s more it delights in them. Stunning.

I liked this book! The writing was great, the characters felt very real, the dialogue made me laugh aloud a good few times. I also got VERY creeped out by The Card I Shall Not Name when it started appearing. I think the magic/fantasy of it all confused me—I finished it not entirely sure what the magic system was, which was a shame because I love new magic systems, but I wonder if that's because it's the first in a series.

I really enjoyed this book and read it over a day. The concept was interesting and I really liked Maeve as a character - she's flawed but that's what makes her interesting.
I struggled with Promising Young Women and didn't enjoy it, so am very pleased to have enjoyed the author's latest offering.

Also, the cover is gorgeous!

Maeve Chambers is struggling in school and fell out with her best friend, Lily, a year ago. But when cleaning out a storage cupboard, she finds a pack of tarot cards and starts giving people tarot readings. Lily is the only one not to get a reading, but one Friday, she does, and her and Maeve fall out even more. When she does not come into school and the police get involved, everyone is blaming Maeve...

From the very beginning, I loved how Maeve’s character was built: a struggling student who finally finds something she’s good at. The mysterious additions of the protest group helped add lots of suspense and anger as well, and I was always reading on intently, trying to find out what happens. The friendships she builds with Roe and Fiona are very strong, and there to stay for a long time. I really enjoyed this book, and definitely recommend it.

All day I was waiting for the clock to strike 5pm so that I could get back to this book and ended up finishing around 60% of it in one sitting. I don't think I have ever been so jumpy when reading a book before. The witchy occult vibes really pulled me in and any little sound I heard when reading made me jump out of my skin!

The main character, Maeve, is brilliant (and also I just really love that name). She is flawed but recognises her flaws and tried to rectify her behaviour and actions. The book ended with so much left open that I am keeping all my fingers crossed that there is going to be a sequel!

All Our Hidden Gifts is a paranormal YA novel about lost friendship, adolescence and the supernatural. When Maeve finds a pack of old tarot cards, she discovers that she has an affinity for tarot reading and other supernatural powers. But when Maeve gives a tarot reading for her ex-best friend who then suddenly disappears, Maeve begins to see her true power and searches desperately for a way to bring her friend back.

There's a lot going on in this book. The main plot point is Maeve's learning about witchcraft, but the story also focuses on LGBTQ+ issues, homophobia, racism and the dangers of radicalisation. However, the book also focused quite heavily on Maeve's love life, which I felt wasn't woven into the story and detracted from the other aspects of the plot.

The characters in All Our Hidden Gifts are well-written and ground the story into feeling very real and immersive. Maeve, particularly, feels like a very real teenager, with her impulsivity and vibrant emotions. However, the book had a very juvenile feeling with the characters feeling more like 13-year-olds than 16-year-olds. The story feels caught in a limbo, being too safe for YA paranormal, but handling too heavy topics for Middle Grade. It makes it difficult to decide who this book should be pitched at.

Overall, this is an enjoyable paranormal story that touches on several important themes, but overall doesn't pack the punch I wanted it to.

This was one of the best YA books that I have read in a long time. It's a mixture of contemporary and witchcraft set in Ireland.
I found the characters very interesting and the author developed them perfectly throughout the story. Not only does the protagonist have to deal with her new found talent as a sensitive but there's a lot of racial and gender issues brilliantly written in too.
I definitely recommend this book if you like your YA books to be extremely interesting and well written.
Thank you to Walker Books and Netgalley uk for providing me with an arc of this book for my honest opinion.

I loved this book, scary, witchy but also dealt really well with well with sexuality, and the classic teenage angst of trying to fit in at school when you really don’t.

Maeve Chambers is the main character, typical badly behaved teenager who whilst being punished at school stumbles upon a pack of tarot cards. This puts into motion a series of events which Maeve gets swept up in and which ultimately puts a lot of people in danger.

Can Maeve make it all right again...??!!

This felt like a really short book, I picked it up at every opportunity, and struggled to put it down again. The characters are likeable, interesting, and it’s a really enjoyable book.

My thanks to Netgalley and Walker Books for the advance copy.

When Maeve finds a dusty, old pack of tarot cards, she feels a connection to them that she can't explain. She sets up a business giving tarot readings to the girls in her school, enjoying the attention she gets from her classmates, and the energy she feels from the cards. However, when her ex best friend Lily is pressured into a reading, draws an ominous card, and disappears soon after, Maeve realises that her new hobby might be to blame. She teams up with Lily's older brother Roe to try and find Lily, while trying to keep her possible involvement in the disappearance from him.

Although I felt that I couldn't connect with Maeve, I LOVED Roe. What an amazing, well-rounded character. I was living for the will they/wont they aspect of their relationship. I really liked the start of this book, but once the paranormal element came to the fore I kept wanting rational explanations, so I guess magical realism isn't for me. I know that this will be a five star read for a lot of people, and with that cover a lot of people will be picking this up.

Thank you #NetGalley and Walker Books for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.