The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic

Sadie and Seth are twins who were born into a magical family. The clocks in their house announce visitors. The doors lock and unlock themselves. The garden produces vegetables almost instantly. After their mother disappeared, the twins grew up with their grandmother Gigi. Each member of the family is gifted with magical abilities, which are accompanied by a curse. Sadie’s curse is that after four heartbreaks, she’ll lose her magic entirely; Seth has never revealed the details of his curse. Sadie’s life is upended when she learns that her beloved Gigi is dying. Then, her first love, Jake, returns to town after a 10-year absence, and Seth, who has been missing for a year, suddenly reappears. While grappling with long-held family secrets and grief over their grandmother’s passing, the twins must dispense with past hurts and seek support and encouragement from each other. Narrator Laura Horowitz captures the cozy atmosphere of the town and channels the love and understanding that runs throughout Randall’s affecting debut. Horowitz skillfully narrates with emotion, even when reading the recipes from Sadie’s café, which are included at the end of many chapters.