Park Seolyeon
HarperVia
2024 (2022)
160
Hardback
Fantasy
Xmas Gift
Twenty-nine, depressed, and drowning in credit card debt after losing her job during the pandemic, a millennial woman decides to end her troubles by jumping off Seoul’s Mapo Bridge.
But her suicide attempt is interrupted by a girl dressed all in white—her guardian angel. Ah Roa is a clairvoyant magical girl on a mission to find the greatest magical girl of all time. And our protagonist just may be that special someone.
But the young woman’s initial excitement turns to frustration when she learns being a magical girl in real life is much different than how it’s portrayed in stories. It isn’t just destiny—it’s work. Magical girls go to job fairs, join trade unions, attend classes. And for this magical girl there are no special powers and no great perks, and despite being magical, she still battles with low self-esteem. Her magic wand . . . is a credit card—which she must use to defeat a terrifying threat that isn’t a monster or an intergalactic war. It’s global climate change. Because magical girls need to think about sustainability, too.
A Magical Girl Retires was a book I guess you could say I had expected more from. The premise sounded really inspiring and intriguing and I had been looking forward to reading it. I had felt there was a lot of potential in the tale for exploring some complex themes through a fantasy lens, but the text did not live up to my expectations. I read the entire book within one hour, so it was a quick and easy read, but it didn't quite have the substance I'd expected. It raised some interesting points and thoughts but only glossed over them in a superficial way. The idea was definitely fun, but the tiny page count didn't offer enough time to explore things fully with in-depth world building or more keen consideration of the themes introduced. I certainly didn't hate it, but I felt it was a missed opportunity as more could have been done with the excellent premise. As such, I am giving this book 3 stars.
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