Review: ‘Every Gift a Curse’ by Caroline O’Donoghue (a spellbinding finale)

I’ve loved this trilogy from the very first book, and while I’m sad to say goodbye to Maeve, Roe, Lily and Fiona, I was even more desperate to find out how everything resolved and I ended up devouring it in two sittings…

Caroline O’Donoghue’s writing is so immersive and easy to read, and the characters have thoroughly wormed their way into my heart, but in case you need a refresh on what ‘Every Gift a Curse’ is all about:

With the return of the Housekeeper on the cards, Maeve must find out everything she can about the vengeful tarot spirit in order to finally defeat her. Crossing over into a parallel dimension inside the old school building, she explores the history of the Housekeeper – and spends too long in a world and a mind not her own.

With the Children of Brigid closing in once more, and Maeve's friend group now fractured across Ireland, can they hope to ultimately save the town – and Maeve – from the grip of a power greater than they ever imagined?

Themes of religion, power, faith and spiritualism have changed and developed across the trilogy and while I generally don’t enjoy novels that heavily feature religion, I found the way that the novel explored religion as a way to accrue power and influence and exert control really interesting. The ramifications of it were so much wider than the people immediately involved and the effects it has through communities and even further via the media.

Another strength of this novel is the open, jubilant support of trans and non-binary people, especially kids and teenagers through Roe’s experience and evolution throughout the series. While I do not identity as either of trans or non-binary, I do believe Roe’s experience’s were handled with sensitivity and deftness; they as a character have the power and potential to really help a teenager in a similar situation see themselves in literature finding love and being happy in themselves.

It’s to talk about the nitty gritty of the plot of a third book in a series without dumping a load of spoilers, and I’m not about the spoiler life, so I guess I just have to say: hold on to your hats, peeps. The twists! The shocks! I literally gasped aloud several times. It’s masterfully done and I devoured it all.

I genuinely think it’s going to take me a while to get over the ending of this book. The final chapter choked me up completely and even made me teary, and I finished the book in a bit of an emotional flap. It’s so bittersweet and beautiful and the perfect ending to a really wonderful trilogy.

A soaring series about friendship, finding your place, and the magic of both of those things. It’s magic.

Published in the UK by Walker, 2 February 2023, 416pp.

Thank you to Walker and NetGalley for the review copy.

Written by Sophie