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A review by aaronj21
Disco Witches of Fire Island by Blair Fell
3.0
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pretty much what it says on the tin, lots of camp, humor, magic, and love.
Our protagonist, a sad, gay (it’s the 80’s, most gays have something to be sad about), prospective med student, Joe, follows his chaotic best friend to Fire Island for a summer of bartending, new experiences, and love. Still dealing with the loss of his first love, Joe attempts to navigate life on the island, new love interests, and his eccentric older housemates who are rumored to be witches.
Look, if you pick up a book called Disco Witches of Fire Island and don't like it’s silly, queer, historical fiction / fantasy, I don't know what to tell you. You might have known what you were getting into.
This was a delightfully engaging story that worked on multiple levels for me. Set in the 1980's it is, in part, an elegy for the previous, more carefree decade of the 70’s. During a time of Regan, AIDS, and pervasive pessimism, who wouldn’t look fondly back to disco, free love, and the birth of queer liberation only a few short years ago? It’s also a charming fantasy tinged story with a unique magic system and a satisfying, if predictable outcome.
Pick this up for an easy beach or vacation read.
Pretty much what it says on the tin, lots of camp, humor, magic, and love.
Our protagonist, a sad, gay (it’s the 80’s, most gays have something to be sad about), prospective med student, Joe, follows his chaotic best friend to Fire Island for a summer of bartending, new experiences, and love. Still dealing with the loss of his first love, Joe attempts to navigate life on the island, new love interests, and his eccentric older housemates who are rumored to be witches.
Look, if you pick up a book called Disco Witches of Fire Island and don't like it’s silly, queer, historical fiction / fantasy, I don't know what to tell you. You might have known what you were getting into.
This was a delightfully engaging story that worked on multiple levels for me. Set in the 1980's it is, in part, an elegy for the previous, more carefree decade of the 70’s. During a time of Regan, AIDS, and pervasive pessimism, who wouldn’t look fondly back to disco, free love, and the birth of queer liberation only a few short years ago? It’s also a charming fantasy tinged story with a unique magic system and a satisfying, if predictable outcome.
Pick this up for an easy beach or vacation read.