All Our Hidden Gifts

By: Caroline O'Donoghue

Narrated by: Alana Kerr Collins

Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

Maeve’s strangely astute tarot readings make her the talk of the school, until a classmate draws a chilling and unfamiliar card - and then disappears.

After Maeve finds a pack of tarot cards while cleaning out a closet during her in-school suspension, she quickly becomes the most sought-after diviner at St. Bernadette’s Catholic school. But when Maeve’s ex-best friend, Lily, draws an unsettling card called The Housekeeper that Maeve has never seen before, the session devolves into a heated argument that ends with Maeve wishing aloud that Lily would disappear. When Lily isn’t at school the next Monday, Maeve learns her ex-friend has vanished without a trace.

Shunned by her classmates and struggling to preserve a fledgling romance with Lily's gender-fluid sibling, Roe, Maeve must dig deep into her connection with the cards to search for clues the police cannot find - even if they lead to the terrifying Housekeeper herself. Set in an Irish town where the church’s tight hold has loosened and new freedoms are trying to take root, this sharply contemporary story is witty, gripping, and tinged with mysticism.

©2021 Caroline O’Donoghue, first U.S. edition published by Walker Books U.S., an imprint of Candlewick Press. (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Collins's lilting Irish accent adds authenticity to the narration, drawing listeners into the Irish setting. The unhurried pacing builds tension and suspense as the mystery unfolds, engrossing the listener in the quest to get Lily back.” —Booklist

“[Alana Kerr] Collins is captivating as the voice of Maeve, a headstrong Irish high school student who discovers an old deck of tarot cards and unwittingly unleashes a malevolent being who targets her former friend, Lily. With a gentle Irish accent, Collins imbues Maeve with a full range of evocative expression, including hot-tempered swagger, quiet wonderment, breathless terror, and shocked tenderness.… Paranormal fantasy fans will be transported by Collins's strong characterizations and Maeve's quest to understand her power and repair the harm she's caused.” —AudioFile Magazine

“An immersive tale of brave, vulnerable teens facing threats both real and fantastic.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Good story, but...

.. I found there was more teen romance than I was expecting. It has turned me off a bit and I'm not sure that I will listen to the rest of the series.

Witchy and Magical

I loved this book. The characters are relatable, layered, and speak as real people do. The story kept me listening and not wanting to turn it off. The narrator was amazing. Female power, LGBTQ+, Witchy things, friendship, and mystery. Basically, I love this book and can not wait for the second book to come out.

Audible please get the rest of the series

I just with audible had the next books, very enjoyable listen. I think it has great elements of the supernatural that are very abstract. I really like how magic is approached in the novel. I also think the characters are all very well crafted and have a lot of life.

Brilliant YA Fantasy

I adored this book! I loved that this story took place in modern Ireland and focused on gender fluidity and standing up against prejudice in a community.The story was poignant and I loved the use of tarot cards and magic. I can’t wait for the sequel!

Captivating

The twists and turns keep you guessing what's coming next. Mave,, Fiona, Lilly and Ro will surely continue this mysterious magical adventure.

Magical and Educational

This was a wonderfully well written magical story with a group of diverse characters. I appreciate the openness and willingness of the main cast to learn and accept certain parts of their life while continuing to stay true to themselves and stand up for injustices around them.

Inclusive, magical, super cool

As someone whose baby gay tarot reading years aren't too far back in my memory, this book at its core felt like a delicious representation of my own story with many more interesting plot points and happenings. The author's treatment of sexual orientation and gender identity felt very natural and rang true. Her discussion of witchcraft was frankly richer than some actual handbook-type publications I've read, and was worked seamlessly into the plot. There was a lot of food for thought on racial biases and what we owe to our cultural heritage, which I thought was done in a clear and sensitive way. I don't want to say very much more because I want every reader to experience this gorgeous story for themself. I fell in love with the characters and can't wait for the next book to come out.

The narrator delivered a perfect performance, and created such atmosphere with her voice that I audibly gasped in shock a few times at the twists in the book, which isn't my usual experience.

A note on possible sensitive topics: there are discussions of hate crimes (racist/homophobic/religiously-motivated), bullying, death, suicide, biases against the LGBTQ+ community, and some discussion of gender dysphoria. All are handled with gentleness and understanding.

Bad performance

The Narrator says "Fiona" instead of "Finnola" in chapter 37 at the 11:37 mark and it changes the entire meaning of the sentence. It's supposed to be a big revelation for Maeve and considering Fiona is the name of another character in the book its really jarring and the incorrect name for her to be saying.

AMAZING

I finished the physical copy and immediately bought the audio book. It’s an amazing story with amazing queer representation and is sensitive😏 to queer situations. It also brings awareness to very real situations happening in the world but hides it in all the witchy coolness to make it seem almost pallettable. And the narrator is AMAZING I live her voice and it fitd Maeve perfectly. I really hope she comes back for the second book👀.

Really Fun

It wasn't exactly what I was expecting. The magic is much more subtle, and it feels like the prologue to a greater story in a way. That being said, the characters are charming, and the world feels deeper than you'd expect for something that takes place in our world. It's more of a mystery than urban fantasy. definitely worth the read