Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
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based on child development research. How do we rate?
Feminist witch tale is so very gory and so very good.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In THE INVOCATIONS, Emer hides out at Oxford, attends large lectures, works out at the school gym, and pretends to fit in. All so she can use the library to look up dead languages to study and stay safe from the witch hunters that killed her family. Jude wakes up in her own large flat after another painful night and stares at her gangrenous leg—a reminder that she messed with the occult with no experience and paid the price. She's desperate to find a real witch to break her curse. Zara hunts down, steals, and reads any book she can find on the occult after the mysterious death of her sister Savannah almost a year ago. She's determined to bring her back and will do as much research as it takes. Jude and Zara finally meet over a woman's corpse in a crime scene they pay under the table to see. It's the fifth similar murder with a piece of skin cut from the victim's wrist, but this time there's a pentagram traced in blood and the words "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." And this time there's also a small lead curse tablet with Emer's name on it—a business card of sorts. Jude is relieved to finally find a talented witch like Emer to help her, but as soon as they meet and Jude and Zara tell her of the murders, the tables are turned. Each one of the victims was one of Emer's clients, and now dozens of women are still in danger. The killer must be stopped, and Emer will need Jude and Zara's help.
Is It Any Good?
One of the quotes on the back of the book jacket absolutely nails it, calling this ultra-dark fantasy featuring all lesbian main characters "lyrical, grotesque, and pulsing with feminist rage." Somehow those three descriptors meld into a fantastic read—as long as you're cool with all the gore. The story setup immediately intrigues. A girl is stalked in the prologue, and then we meet one main character after another: Emer, Jude, and Zara. Their backstories are rich in detail and deliciously jarring—especially Jude's. Not only is her leg rotting off because of a botched invocation and some really pissed-off demons, but her whole house is rotting around her. Wow. After Jude and Zara's meet-cute at a horrific crime scene, desperation finally draws them to Emer and the mass-murder mystery gets rolling.
Every new discovery the trio makes on their windy way to identifying the killer comes at a very bloody price, and after enacting a ridiculously faulty plan. At times it's hard to root for Zara, particularly because she's so pro-necromancy—ugh. But the dead have the answers, so off to the graveyard they go. Again. Women need saving, women who sought out protection from Emer. No one was there to save Emer's family or Zara's sister from men who fear a woman with power. Here's where that feminist rage comes in to save the day, built over centuries of witch hunts and repression under the patriarchy. Even in a finale where chunks of flesh are flying and blood is spurting everywhere, the focus remains fixed on the feminist heart of this unique and riveting story.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the literal buckets of blood in The Invocations. Was it ever too much? Do you think any part of the violence could have been toned down, or was it a perfect match for the story told?
Witches in this story are women seeking power and control over their lives in a world designed for men. What are the many ways men flex their power in The Invocations? Are there ways besides witchcraft that women try to claim that power back?
Emer doesn't charge for her services as a cursewriter. How does that show her empathy? How does that empathy help her to connect with two other loners, Zara and Jude?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Character Strengths : Courage , Empathy , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Nancy Paulsen Books
- Publication date : January 30, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 17
- Number of pages : 400
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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