Review: Witches of Brooklyn - Curse and Reverse - Sophie Escabasse

Review: Witches of Brooklyn - Curse and Reverse - Book #5 - Sophie Escabasse - September 2025

Right, so I'll be totally honest with you  I have been deep in a reading slump lately. You know the kind. The sort where you pick up a book, read two pages, and put it back down again in favour of staring blankly at the ceiling. Not fun. So when this gorgeous physical ARC from RH Kids Graphic landed on my doorstep, I knew exactly what I was doing with my afternoon. Sometimes you just need to go back to what you know, and for me, that's Effie.

And oh my goodness, did Curse and Reverse deliver.

If you haven't yet discovered Sophie Escabasse's Witches of Brooklyn series, first of all where have you been? and second, you genuinely don't need to feel overwhelmed catching up. These books have such a warm, welcoming energy that feels a little like settling into your favourite armchair with a mug of something hot. They're cosy and fun, but with real heart underneath.

In this fifth instalment, our favourite tween witch-in-training Effie is dealing with something that will feel uncomfortably relatable to anyone who's ever been twelve years old: the absolute chaos of teenage emotions. But there's a twist  a local witch is actually targeting the feelings of teenagers, sending things spiralling in ways that go well beyond normal growing pains. To get to the bottom of it, Effie and fellow witch-in-training Garrance have to go undercover as regular teens (which, honestly, sounds like its own kind of nightmare). Things escalate quickly though, and before long Effie finds herself in the middle of a full-blown duel. Gulp.

What I adore about this series is how Escabasse manages to make every new adventure feel like a natural step forward for Effie. She's growing up in front of our eyes  navigating friendships, self-doubt, and her own magical abilities  and it never feels forced or preachy. The themes of emotional manipulation and finding your own footing hit differently when you're reading about them through the lens of a plucky young witch in Brooklyn.

The whole time I was reading, I kept getting the most delicious waves of nostalgia. This book absolutely gave me 90s Melissa Joan Hart Sabrina the Teenage Witch vibes  that same playful blend of magic, girl power, and relatable awkwardness that made the original show such a comfort watch. It's fizzy and fun with just enough stakes to keep you turning pages.

If you're in a slump, reach for this. It's exactly the remedy.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ZNRqc8