Published: 2021
Series: All Our Hidden Gifts (Book 1)
Author: Caroline O’Donoghue
Illustrator: N/A
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, LGBT, Queer, Fiction, Paranormal, Witches, Mystery, Romance, Magic
Audience (Grade Levels): High School (Grades 9-12 / YA)
Number of Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Goodreads Link: All Our Hidden Gifts
Triggers: Homophobia and transphobia, including violence against LGBTQIA+ characters
Review By: Evan Waugh
Publisher’s Summary:
“After Maeve finds a pack of tarot cards while cleaning out a closet during her in-school suspension, she quickly becomes the most sought-after diviner at St. Bernadette’s Catholic school. But when Maeve’s ex–best friend, Lily, draws an unsettling card called The Housekeeper that Maeve has never seen before, the session devolves into a heated argument that ends with Maeve wishing aloud that Lily would disappear. When Lily isn’t at school the next Monday, Maeve learns her ex-friend has vanished without a trace.
Shunned by her classmates and struggling to preserve a fledgling romance with Lily’s gender-fluid sibling, Roe, Maeve must dig deep into her connection with the cards to search for clues the police cannot find—even if they lead to the terrifying Housekeeper herself. Set in an Irish town where the church’s tight hold has loosened and new freedoms are trying to take root, this sharply contemporary story is witty, gripping, and tinged with mysticism.” (Amazon.com)
Review:
All Our Hidden Gifts was a novel that I picked up on a whim, drawn to it by its eye-catching cover, which resembles a tarot card. Once I read the book’s back cover and noticed its $10.99 price tag (the way ALL YA books should be priced!!!), I figured that there was no risk in giving the book a try. From beginning to end, I was invested in Caroline O’Donaghue’s story of a teenage girl who discovers an aptitude for tarot readings, as well as her connection to the world of magic that is hidden around her.
Caroline O’Donoghue is best known for her novels for adults, including her 2019 debut, Promising Young Women. All Our Hidden Gifts is O’Donoghue’s first novel for young adults, and I think that she presents a convincing depiction of teenage life. Yes, this does include all of the drama-soaked interactions of a teenager’s day: I couldn’t help but laugh at a few scenes that were so over-the-top dramatic, but I don’t think this made these scenes any less believable. The magic in the book is used as a vehicle to navigate common teenage adversity, as well as more complicated issues, like reckoning with one’s own gender identity.
My favorite aspect of the book is that it is set in contemporary Ireland, and O’Donoghue – an Irish author – takes time to weave the country’s history throughout the plot, making Ireland almost like a character in itself. There were some especially resonant moments in which O’Donoghue evokes the darker aspects of Irish history, such as sectarian conflicts and the potato famine, highlighting the pain and trauma that is tied to the land.
In all, I greatly enjoyed All Our Hidden Gifts, and look forward to when I can read its sequel. 5-star Maeve’s strangely astute tarot readings make her the talk of the school, until a classmate draws a chilling and unfamiliar card—and then disappears.
After Maeve finds a pack of tarot cards while cleaning out a closet during her in-school suspension, she quickly becomes the most sought-after diviner at St. Bernadette’s Catholic school. But when Maeve’s ex–best friend, Lily, draws an unsettling card called The Housekeeper that Maeve has never seen before, the session devolves into a heated argument that ends with Maeve wishing aloud that Lily would disappear. When Lily isn’t at school the next Monday, Maeve learns her ex-friend has vanished without a trace.
Shunned by her classmates and struggling to preserve a fledgling romance with Lily’s gender-fluid sibling, Roe, Maeve must dig deep into her connection with the cards to search for clues the police cannot find—even if they lead to the terrifying Housekeeper herself. Set in an Irish town where the church’s tight hold has loosened and new freedoms are trying to take root, this sharply contemporary story is witty, gripping, and tinged with mysticism.
Classroom & Curricular Connections:
- English Language Arts (ELA): This text acts as a powerful young adult example for analyzing magical realism and contemporary fantasy structures. It provides opportunities to discuss how authors use supernatural elements as extended metaphors to navigate real-world teenage milestones, peer relationships, and identity development.
- Social Studies & World History: The inclusion of Irish cultural heritage enables educators to link the narrative to units exploring modern Irish society, its transition away from religious institutional control, and historic structural events like the potato famine and sectarian conflicts.
- Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): Excellent for prompting secondary school discussions on identity, peer alienation, navigating complex relationship dynamics, and resolving deep interpersonal conflicts.
- Extension Activity / Library Application:
- High School Book Club & Literature Circles: An engaging choice for high school book clubs or choice board selections focusing on contemporary fantasy, modern witch tropes, or international settings.
- Creative Visual Display & Writing Workshop: Capitalizing on the book’s eye-catching tarot-style cover artwork, library media specialists can set up a “Design Your Own Fate” display. Students can analyze how cover art draws in young readers, then write a short narrative scene or design a custom card archetype representing an internal character trait or personal strength.
- Diversity & Representation: This OwnVoices Irish text features explicit, meaningful representation of LGBTQIA+ youth, particularly through the inclusion of a gender-fluid character, Roe, and an exploration of identity boundaries within a changing contemporary culture. While it contains necessary content warnings regarding homophobia and transphobia, it successfully centers themes of acceptance and community support amidst social evolution.
Readalikes:
- The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
- The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
