Review: The Gifts That Bind Us by Caroline O’Donoghue

The second book of a trilogy is a complex task. It needs to build on the story from the first, lay the groundwork for the third, and also have its own narrative arc. Too much focus on building to the third book and the second will feel incomplete: not enough, and the momentum falls flat.

 O’Donoghue has mastered that balance. The Gifts That Bind Us sees Maeve and her friends dealing with the aftermath of the events of All Our Hidden Gifts: The magic they’ve gained, the enemies they’ve made, the trauma they’ve experienced. Alongside the magical transformation they’ve experienced and are coming to terms with is the more ordinary, but no less difficult, challenges that come with being teenagers. Maeve is afraid of the future, of growing apart from her friends, and the more tightly she tries to cling to the people around her the more they pull away.

The characters in this book are flawed and authentic, written with nuance and compassion. Themes like identity, friendship and love are interwoven with magic in a tale that neither shies away from difficult themes nor sugarcoats them. The intense emotions of a coming-of-age tale are combined with a gripping, twisting tale of power, magic and the things that bind us: for better or for worse. It’s a beautifully written, moving book that will leave you crying out for the third installment the moment you turn the last page.

Amy Clarkin