Every Gift a Curse

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Here s something that they don t tell you about being cursed: The first thing you feel is fear. But the second thing the thing you really notice is beauty. The world is so beautiful when you don t think you ll have long to look at it.
   The colors shine brighter. Even now, in the December twilight, when it s almost completely dark. The chilly mist from the river melds with the light of the city, and all you can see is a gold-and-blue blur. A box of jewels you need to squint your eyes just to look at. The sense of a city dancing in your blood.
   Thirty-six days have passed since I became responsible for the deaths of two women. One who tried to kill me; the other who died trying to save my life.
    There you are, Fiona says, flinging open the door to Nuala s house. No matter how early I get to Nuala s house these days, she s always here first. Come on, the Apocalypse Society is already in session.
   She takes me through to the kitchen, and everyone s here: Manon, studying a bound stack of paper; Nuala, taking something out of the oven; Roe, peeling an apple with a knife; Lily, sitting on the kitchen counter.
   The question: Were we directly responsible for the death of
   Heather Banbury and Sister Assumpta, or was it all an accident? Does the Housekeeper even care about accidents, or does she swing the ax regardless of who s guilty?
    That s the problem, Nuala says midflow, gesturing with a wooden spoon. The Housekeeper is revenge without judgment. She s not a thing who can make her mind up. She s a windup toy. Isn t that right, Maeve?
   I haven t even taken my coat off. How come no one ever says hello to me anymore? I say indignantly. What am I? Dead?
    Not yet, Manon muses, highlighting a line of text with a yellow marker. But soon, perhaps.
    Well, joyeux Noël to you too.
   We know of three Housekeeper summonings,

Caroline O Donoghue is the author of All Our Hidden Gifts and The Gifts That Bind Us as well as fiction for adults. An Irish author, journalist, and host of the acclaimed podcast Sentimental Garbage, she has contributed to Grazia, the Irish Times, the Irish Examiner, BuzzFeed, Vice, and the Times (London). Caroline O Donoghue lives in London.

Readers will be swept up both by interesting magical elements, such as Fiona s communication with her familiar, a magpie named Paolo, and the more ordinary, recognizable details of the changes experienced by a group of teens on the cusp of adulthood. This appealing blend of realism and the paranormal and the evolution of each of the characters in their own rights is as satisfying as the final reckoning with the Housekeeper. . . A smartly plotted end to an emotionally engaging fantasy.
Kirkus Reviews

Despite the fantastical backdrop, O Donoghue s characters seem wholly real in their dialogue and in their personal stories; Roe in particular has a major victory when a national magazine genders them correctly. Buy to finish the series, and eagerly await what comes next from this author.
Booklist