This is such a fun and entertaining series, not only is the inside brilliant the covers are beautiful! Highly recommend

This is such a great book. It is second in the series. It starts off slow. There were new characters that didn’t appear in book one. There is so much tension and twists. The ending was so great.

A fantastic read from O'Donoghue.

Have sent this across to my old manager to recommend to the bookshop. Needs to be seen by all.

"The Gifts That Bind Us" by Caroline Donoghue: A Sequel That Evokes Mixed Feelings

As a fervent fan of "All Our Hidden Gifts," I eagerly anticipated the arrival of "The Gifts That Bind Us," hoping for another enthralling journey into the world of dark fantasy and supernatural intrigue. However, this sequel leaves readers with mixed feelings as it diverges from the path set by its predecessor.

The first book in the series masterfully blended dark fantasy with a coming-of-age drama, captivating readers from start to finish. It skillfully wove these elements together, creating a seamless narrative. In contrast, this sequel feels like it's divided into two distinct sections. The first half of the story focuses on Maeve's adolescent struggles, encompassing themes of feeling left out, friendships evolving without you, and the challenges of coping with differences related to race, gender, sex, and magic. This part of the book appears to be more character-driven and friendship-centered, exploring the journey of self-discovery at a slower, more contemplative pace. The darker fantasy elements don't fully kick in until the latter half of the narrative, where the story gains momentum and becomes action-packed.

While the first book evoked strong emotions and deep connections to the story, this sequel falls short in that department. The story elicits sympathy for the pain of teenagers who struggle to trust themselves and envision a future they believe they deserve. However, it may be more a matter of personal age and perspective than any fault of the book, as the emotional resonance is somewhat diminished in comparison to the previous installment.

Several reviewers express disappointment with the pacing of the sequel, as it lacks the smooth flow that characterized the first book. They note that a once-strong and compelling relationship takes a hit, riddled with unnecessary conflicts that make the characters appear less likable. The magic, which played such a captivating role in the first book, loses some of its allure and feels more commonplace in this installment. The plotline involving an evil organization raises some concerns, with some readers finding the execution to be less than satisfying.

Despite these criticisms, the heightened stakes in the story do provide motivation to keep reading. Maeve, however, comes across as more unlikable in this book, making it challenging to root for her at times. Her perceived selfishness and lack of growth despite being called out on her behavior may strain readers' empathy.

Despite its challenges, "The Gifts That Bind Us" still holds promise. It delves deeper into the lives of the young gifted teens from the previous book and introduces new complications and conflicts related to an antagonistic group, the Children of Brigid. With LGBTQ+ representation and strong characterizations, it manages to maintain a level of intrigue that keeps readers invested. The supernatural elements and friendships are tested, promising more captivating adventures in this evolving series.

In the end, this sequel to "All Our Hidden Gifts" may not entirely recapture the magic of its predecessor, but it sets the stage for what could be a bewitching and captivating series for YA readers.

Okay, this is a tough one. I had to DNF this book - because I found the Children of Brigid just too damn triggering to read about. This is not a criticism, but rather a testament to O'Donoghue's writing skills, as it's not often that I feel anxious as heck while reading a book. So while I did DNF, I would still recommend this book to people who are interested in reading about magic, growing up and the way teens relate to one another.

Received an ARC from Netgalley

Another great book in the series , in this we explore deeper the friendship group and their emerging powers.

It is a fast paced book with amazing character development. It has brilliant LGBT+ and mental health representations and great plot.

Highly recommend!

I really wanted to thoroughly enjoy this one but found myself rushing through it out of boredom and really not connecting with any characters, I often found them shallow and annoying (sorry!). I would’ve loved more deep character development and a bit more explanation on the coven system

I was so so about the first book in this series, but I knew it had great ideas and was tackling some difficult subjects well, so I decided to give the second book a go and I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed this one a lot more than the first book and Maeve had a lot more room to grow as a character, which I loved to see. Her relationship with Roe is by far my favourite part of this story, they really have something special. Along with the expansion of the witchy, magical world that Maeve and her friends inhabit, this ended up being a grand read. Looking forward to the next instalment.

I absolutely loved All Our Hidden Gifts and was very excited when this sequel arrived.

Whereas in the first novel in the series the dark fantasy elements really gripped me from beginning to end, neatly weaving in and out of the coming of age drama, this time around it felt more like the novel was split into two distinct sections. The first half of the story focuses more on Maeve’s teen angst – all about feeling left out; friends moving on without you; struggling to cope with differences like race, gender, sex and magic. The pacing feels very much that of a character-driven, friendship-centred, journey-of-self-discovery drama… slow and exploratory. The fantasy side of the plot kicks in more around halfway through and from then on the second half of the book picks up speed and is pretty action-packed.

I felt really sad for Maeve and incredibly angry at what the Children of Brigid were propagandising, but otherwise didn’t feel as strong an emotional connection to this story as I did to the previous. Perhaps that is more my age talking than anything in the book, however, as my strongest emotions were my sympathy with the burning pain of teenagers who don’t trust themselves and can’t see a future they feel they deserve, and my relief that I am long past that stage in my own life!

The magic did still hold me transfixed and I am still eagerly anticipating the release of Every Gift a Curse in Feb 2023. I need to know what happens next!

" A couple of loose ends left floating around upon closing the back cover.... however, I'm a sucker for series, so bring on #2!!"

... Was how I ended my review of book #1. Well, I was not disappointed in the least. Absolutely lived up to the hype and sheer excitement waiting for this continuation.

The characters yet again just burst from the pages and drag us into the world that O' Donoghue cleverly weaves around us. I adore reading scenes and terminologies that are familiar and 'feel like home'.

Very excited to explore what else this fabulous author brings to us in the future.

I stupidly requested this one with the aim of reading the first book asap and having an inkling that I would love this series.

I still haven't picked up the first book but still have high hope for this series. I will pick this one up soon but the file has expired on my kindle so I'll just buy a physical copy.

Sorry!

The first few words drew me in. I couldn't put the book down, but if you haven't read the first one, you might not understand what's going on in this one. Overall, an amazing and intriguing book that I will definitely recommend to others. To summarise, Maeve and her friends are adjusting to the changes in their lives brought about by the events of the first book. The sinister religious group The Children of Brigid is still active. I admit that when I first started reading this, I assumed it was a duology and was surprised by the pace. I couldn't see how it would all come together. The Gifts That Bind Us picks up soon after the end of All Our Hidden Gifts.

2.5 stars.
I've been brooding over this one for a couple of months, but I think it's time to put down my thoughts.

Frankly, I was a bit let down by this book after quite enjoying the first one in the series. The pacing didn't feel as smooth, the main relationship that was so strong and compelling kinda fell flat and riddled with conflict that didn't need to be. It just made both characters look bad and didn't have the effect of making a relationship between nice people seem stronger for their shared struggle - rather, they just seemed more unlikeable by the page.
While I still enjoyed the magical aspects of this story and getting some more background, the magical feeling that the first book absolutely nailed kind of disappeared in this one and it felt much more run of the mill. The entire evil organization plotline just seemed.. odd to me? Not in concept, but moreso in the execution.
I will say that I did like the heightened stakes, that was definitely what got me through the book. Meave, to me, was much more unlikeable here, so she made it kinda hard to keep going at times. She's incredibly selfish and just fails to grow, despite her repeatedly being called out on her behavior.

Frankly, I'm unsure if I'll continue this series. While it isn't a terrible read at all, it has lost its appeal to me and I'm not sure if that interest can be rekindled.

I really enjoyed this second instalment of Caroline's series about witchy, sapphic teenagers in Cork. It's an area of Ireland I grew up near, so that connection was great to have.

I was, however, a little disappointed there wasn't as much tarot in this book as previously. It was an aspect of the first book I enjoyed a lot and I would love to see it explored a little more.

But, seeing Maeve and Roe together was wonderful.

I didn’t realise this was book 2 but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Great book about friendship and learning who we are.

I have not read the first part to this book, but I loved this. Very interesting characters, that kept me turning the pages. Looking forward to the next book.

I reviewed this book as part of my monthly wrap up on my Youtube channel https://youtu.be/6xKSz7GE77Q

I loved this and have gone on to read the authors adult books because of this. There is great representation as part of the story and I couldn't put it down.

I was so grateful to receive the second installment of this crazy story to read after enjoying the first! The second did not disappoint like a lot of sequels have the tendency to.
It was lovely to see what happened to Maeve, Roe, Lily and Fiona.
I think this book is really important because of some of the topics it covers. Bringing queerphobia among other things to light was really special.
I am also obsessed with the witchy aspects of this story.
This book is so incredibly inclusive and diverse.

More cults and high stakes.

*The Gifts That Bind Us* by Caroline O’Donoghue was my most anticipated 2022 release and my high expectations were met! I am really glad that the cult thread that O’Donoghue started in *All Our Hidden Gifts* continued through this book and that there was a deeper discussion of how cults trap members.

One of O’Donoghue’s gifts is writing about the depths and challenges of friendships, especially between girls, and friendships are front and center in this book. There are a variety of different types of friendships in this book and it continues the thread of new friends, old friends, friends falling out, and friendships that become romances. Since Lily’s mysterious disappearance for most of *All Our Hidden Gifts*, she’s made more of an appearance in this book and has changed the dynamic of the group. The interpersonal relationships with the gang are so relatable and are an interesting juxtaposition to the high stakes of possible paranormal ruin. The way Maeve and Lily have to heal and rebuild their relationship feels so real and raw – I have absolutely been in the same position. This book was both heartwarming and heart bruising and it made me think. I thought about it long after I finished it.

My only disappointment was that there was not as much tarot in this installment, but that is a small issue, down to personal preference. I am very much looking forward to the third and final book in this trilogy. The release date can’t come soon enough.