For Girls Who Walk through Fire

Gr 9 Up–Elliott D’Angelo-Brandt has a list of girls she plans to ask to join her coven. She recruits her coven members—Madeline, Chloe, and Bea—from the support group for sexual assault survivors they all attend. Together, they use the mysterious spell book Elliott found in her late mother’s things enact revenge on their perpetrators. With each spell cast, they see the consequences of their actions and they start to question their goals and intentions. As their powers grow and the girls start to share with each other, they learn what it means to be a coven and to lean on each other to heal and grow. DeRose’s debut shifts perspective among each girl, bringing readers deeper into their lives and experiences as the girls’ friendship and bonds deepen. The author presents a thoughtful depiction of how teens deal with experiences of sexual violence, how society is often dismissive of survivors’ stories, and how the systems in place are not always just.