Book Review #24: The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman

Review of The Witches of Cambridge, by Alice Hoffman

This book. The Witches of Cambridge. I LOVED IT. No more to be said.

To be more specific, the story follows Ava Abbott, a quiet young woman from Maine who arrives at Radcliffe College, and Lauren Bell, her complete opposite: confident, wild, and very much at home in Cambridge. The two are brought into the Lilith Society, a secret society of witches at Radcliffe that dates all the way back to colonial times. As they learn about their magical heritage, the history of the witches, and the dangers surrounding them, their friendship becomes just as important as the magic itself. There is also a mystery involving witches disappearing and the terrifying possibility that the witch trials of the past aren't actually as far away as everyone thinks.

I also loved Ava and Lauren because they are such opposites. Ava is fascinated by love magic, drawn toward spells involving the heart and desperately wanting to experience love and everything that comes with it. Lauren, meanwhile, is drawn toward the Crooked Path, the darker and more dangerous side of witchcraft. She insists that she doesn't have a heart at all, which is such a Lauren thing to say considering how much of her story revolves around what she actually feels. I loved watching these two different approaches to magic reflect their personalities. Ava is drawn toward connection and love, while Lauren is much more guarded and fascinated by power. And yet, despite being so different, they become incredibly close. Their friendship is honestly one of my favourite parts of the book.

But OH MY GOD, the magic and lore. This was probably my favourite part of the entire book. The world felt so immersive that I genuinely started wanting to become a witch. The Lilith Society has this enormous history behind it, connected to the women who came before them and to the witch trials of the past. I loved learning about the different branches of magic and the stories behind them. It never felt like magic had simply been added to the story for decoration—it felt like this entire hidden history existed underneath Cambridge, waiting for Ava and Lauren to discover it. Every time I learned something new about the witches, I wanted more. I was basically sitting there thinking, “Okay, but what else can they do? Tell me EVERYTHING.”

I also loved how the book connects its magical history to the real history surrounding the characters. The parallels between the old witch trials and the fear and suspicion of the McCarthy era make the story feel much bigger than just a magical mystery. There is this recurring idea that when people don't understand something—or are afraid of people who don't fit the rules—they try to control or destroy them. The witches have survived generations of that, and seeing Ava and Lauren become part of that history made their story feel much more meaningful.

My only criticism is that the story takes its time, and there were moments when I wanted things to move a little faster. There are also so many layers to the history and the different characters that I sometimes had to mentally keep track of everything. But honestly, I didn't mind that much because I was having such a good time being immersed in the world. I would happily spend another 400 pages learning witch lore and watching Ava and Lauren make questionable magical decisions.

The biggest reason I loved The Witches of Cambridge is that it gave me that rare feeling of wanting to actually live inside the book. I didn't just want to read about the Lilith Society - I wanted to join it. I wanted to learn the magic, know the history, explore Cambridge, live in Lilith House, and discover all the secrets alongside Ava and Lauren. Ava and Lauren's completely different relationships with magic made their friendship even more interesting, and the lore made the entire world feel ancient, mysterious, and real. By the end, my main thought was basically: “Cool. Fantastic. Anyway, where do I apply to become a witch?”