All Our Hidden Gifts

Maeve Chambers feels like an outsider at her Catholic school in Ireland after falling out with her former best friend Lily. When she discovers an old tarot deck while cleaning out a closet at school, she begins giving readings to her classmates and quickly gains popularity for her uncanny accuracy. The disappearance of a student rocks the school community and forces Maeve to confront dark forces beyond her understanding. She must work with new allies, including Lily's gender-nonconforming sibling Roe, to uncover what happened while navigating complex relationships and long-buried secrets. This contemporary young adult novel blends elements of magic, mystery and Irish folklore with the realities of modern teenage life. Through Maeve's journey, the story explores themes of friendship, identity, and the price of belonging in a changing world.

Readers appreciate the authentic teen dialogue, LGBTQ+ representation, and Irish cultural elements. Many note the strong character development of protagonist Maeve and praise the realistic portrayal of friendship dynamics. The supernatural elements and tarot card readings intrigue readers who connect with the magical realism aspects. Common criticisms include a slow-paced first half, underdeveloped secondary characters, and confusion about certain plot elements in the final chapters. Some readers mention the romance subplot feels forced. Quote from a Goodreads review: "The Irish slang and contemporary social issues make this feel real despite the paranormal elements." Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (21,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (500+ ratings) Barnes & Noble: 4.4/5 (100+ ratings) Notable mentions on BookTok praise the atmospheric writing and LGBT themes, while Bookstagram users frequently highlight the cover design and tarot card imagery.

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📚 Author Caroline O'Donoghue was inspired to write the book after finding an old deck of tarot cards in her parents' house when she was a teenager. 🎭 The story's setting, Kilbeg, is a fictional Irish town, but it incorporates elements of Cork City, where O'Donoghue grew up. 🌈 The book addresses LGBTQ+ themes through the character of Lily, making it one of the few YA novels to feature both supernatural elements and non-binary representation. 🎴 The tarot readings in the book are based on actual tarot card interpretations, with O'Donoghue conducting extensive research into cartomancy and divination practices. 🎸 The fictional band Ex Hex, mentioned throughout the novel, was named after a real album by Mary Timony, though the songs described in the book are original to the story.