THEY CALLED US WICKED

Surviving under a brutal dictatorship, teen witches uncover sinister plots and budding powers during their first year of college.

Adjusting to Fletcher University proves harsh for the Buenas Malas coven. The foursome, who read Latine—Lucy, Sirena, and twin sisters Clara and Fabiola—enter the prestigious school for the elite as New American Continent scholarship students, an honor that comes with brutally high expectations that force them to continually demonstrate their worth. Further dangers loom over the young witches thanks to the oppressive rule of the Path, a profit-oriented regime that has outlawed magic and champions its version of “meritocracy” at all costs. When the Buenas Malas discover a portal on campus that leads to a hidden forest, the spirited witches realize that magic seems to pop up in unexpected ways at Fletcher. Then Lucy’s roommate, who might possess magic as well, disappears. As the coven unmasks the sinister forces and secrets that lurk in the shadows, they must depend on their powers to find their way forward. A subplot involving Lucy’s conflicted feelings for both Sirena and a frat boy adds an intriguing layer that fizzles out due to her underdeveloped relationships with both potential love interests. Readers might spot real-life parallels to the Path’s autocratic edicts, but the ruling bogeymen never fully gel as a credible threat. Still, Muñoz succeeds in weaving a tale of engaging witches and cool magic feats. Fabiola is cued transgender.

Intermittently bewitching.