By Sangu Mandanna __full__ — The Very Secret Society Of Irregular Witches

This structure serves as a critique of isolationist governance. The Society claims to protect witches from the world and the world from witches, but in reality, it stunts their power. Mandanna uses the Society to illustrate how marginalized groups are often policed by gatekeepers within their own communities. The "protection" offered by the Society is revealed to be a cage that prevents the witches from realizing the synergistic potential of their magic.

Mika Moon is one of the few remaining witches in Britain, bound by three unbreakable rules: hide your magic, keep witches hidden from each other, and never form attachments. To combat loneliness, she posts anonymous videos pretending to be a witch. Unexpectedly, she is contacted by a retired witch and a non-magical librarian who need her to tutor three orphaned witches (Rosie, Terracotta, and Altamira) at Nowhere House. Despite her initial resistance, Mika moves in and forms deep bonds with the household’s eccentric members—Primrose, the stern housekeeper; Ken, the librarian; and Jamie, the handsome yet grumpy groundskeeper. As she breaks the rules and embraces love, Mika discovers that her greatest threat is not exposure, but isolation. This structure serves as a critique of isolationist

The opening of the novel establishes Mika’s existence within a framework of institutional gaslighting. Primrose Jones, the head of the Society, creates a set of rules—Rule Number One being the prohibition of fraternization with other witches. The "protection" offered by the Society is revealed

The novel posits that the true act of rebellion against a suppressive system is the refusal to pass down fear. By teaching the girls to control their magic rather than suppress it, and by allowing them to practice openly within the safety of Nowhere House, Mika redefines what it means to be a witch. She shifts the pedagogy from survival to living. Unexpectedly, she is contacted by a retired witch

Crucially, Mandanna does not romanticize this dynamic. The "found family" is messy. Jamie is prickly and skeptical; Ian is pedantic. The children are chaotic and dangerous. The novel argues that true belonging is not the absence of conflict, but the safety to exist within it. Mika does not find a family that fits her perfectly; she finds people willing to adjust their shapes to make room for her.

Mika’s initial coping mechanism is performative: she plays a “fake witch” online to feel seen. The irony is that she is a real witch performing a caricature of herself. At Nowhere House, she learns to shed this performance. The children, especially, cannot be taught with fake personas; they require genuine vulnerability. Mandanna suggests that magic—like happiness—works best when it is not hidden or performed for approval. The climax, where Mika uses her magic openly to protect her new family, signifies the ultimate act of authenticity: choosing to be seen, flaws and all, for those you love.

If you enjoyed The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune or Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree, this book is a must-read. It’s a celebratory tale that proves family isn't always something you're born into—sometimes, it’s something you find in a hidden house by the sea, surrounded by people who love you for exactly who you are.