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Accidental Demons

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Conjuring demons seems like something you should totally not be able to do by accident, right? Well, normally it isn’t. But Bernadette Crowley is the perfect storm of magical accidents.

For the youngest in a long line of witches, demons used to be no big deal. A spell and a quick prick of the finger, and a witch like Ber could summon a demon to do anything she needed—clean a mess, send a message, you name it.

But that was before Ber was diagnosed with diabetes. Now each time she tests her blood sugar, accidental demons are slipping into the human dimension…and causing absolute chaos.

Good thing Ber and her older sister, Maeve, know that every magical problem has a magical solution. They’ll just conjure a low-order demon to monitor her blood sugar! Bonus: they only have to bend one or two teeny, tiny rules. But before they know it, they’ve stumbled into deeper, more mysterious magic than they ever could have predicted. And soon it’s not just Ber’s magic but her entire coven that’s in danger.

384 pages, Hardcover

First published September 17, 2024

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About the author

Clare Edge

2 books100 followers
Clare Edge is an author (and witch) who was raised in the Rocky Mountains. Their middle grade series ACCIDENTAL DEMONS follows a diabetic witch who can't stop conjuring demons when she tests her blood sugar. They have too many degrees, too few cats, and often too much or too little blood sugar. They hold masters degrees from University of Limerick (MA) and University of Montana (MFA). Clare can be found on most socials as @clarewonders and online at clareedge.com

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5 stars
178 (62%)
4 stars
80 (28%)
3 stars
20 (7%)
2 stars
5 (1%)
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0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
Profile Image for Laini.
Author 40 books39.2k followers
December 10, 2024
I absolutely loved this book and wish I had more kiddos in my life to give it to 🙌🏼
Profile Image for Bookishrealm.
2,946 reviews6,145 followers
November 22, 2024
I LOVEEEDDDDD THIS BOOK!!!

I haven't been this excited for a series in a while. Clare Edge has crafted a middle grade book that has a little bit of everything for every reader.

What Worked: Everything. Accidental Demons is thoughtful, intentional, well-paced, engaging, and fun! The world building was refreshing and fascinating and Edge was able to beautifully incorporate some real life social issues. There was a moment where the main character, Ber, recognized that not only has her family been prejudiced towards other types of magical creatures, but that she also has a gap in her education. In her moments of learning what it means to be a blood witch, she never took into consideration the indigenous magicks that existed prior to the arrival of her Irish immigrant family. This was a great way to incorporate information regarding indigenous peoples as well as immigration that felt both natural and necessary for the context of the story. There was also great character development. Ber is a type 1 diabetic and struggles with managing her blood sugar. Edge took this experience and closely aligned it with being blood witch and conjuring demons by accident. It was ingenious and was a great way to see how Ber grew as character while adjusting to being a diabetic. There were queer and fun side characters that served as such a great support system for Ber! Honestly, I couldn't get enough of them and I'm so excited for the next book in the series.

To be honest, this book drew a level of excitement out of me that I haven't experienced in a while. It's brilliant, different, and fun and illustrates the experience of disability we don't see recognized very often in middle grade books. I'm excited for Clare Edge's future in writing. The raw creativity and emotion needed to craft this book doesn't come around very often. If you haven't had the chance to check this out, please do so! You will not be disappointed!
Profile Image for Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany).
2,745 reviews4,444 followers
January 3, 2025
I heard about this from Ashley @bookishrealm and am so glad I picked it up! One of the best middle grade books I've read in awhile- it's clever, really well written, and has a lot of depth in an age appropriate way.

Accidental Demons follows a young blood witch with type 1 diabetes, and every time she checks her blood sugar she accidentally conjures a demon! Living with this is frustrating, especially as she's wanting more independence in middle school. Then she and her sister try a forbidden spell, trying to conjure a demon that can smell her blood sugar levels. But they get in over their head when she ends up bound to a much more powerful demon than either of them expected...

This is smart, funny, body positive, and has a lot of heart. It also tackles bigotry and prejudice in such a great way for the target audience. But it's an adventure and leaves you wanting more. Incredible debut and I look forward to seeing more from this author!
Profile Image for Ricarda.
302 reviews64 followers
November 24, 2024
For all the diabetic kids who were told you can lead a perfectly normal life. I'm sorry. They lied. But your life can still be magic. I knew this book would be fantastic from that dedication alone and it delivered on all levels.
Profile Image for Clare Edge.
Author 2 books100 followers
Read
February 2, 2025
Oh, hey hello. I'm Clare, the author of this witchy little book. I haven't quite summoned the right demon to help me claim my Goodreads author profile yet, so this will have to do for now:

Accidental Demons will be popping into the mortal dimension with Inkyard Press in summer 2024! More to come soon! 😈😈😈

UPDATE:

I have successfully conjured a goodreads librarian demon and claimed my goodreads author profile since my first missive. However, Accidental Demons and I are no longer making our chaotic, cozy home at Inkyard Press, and we can now be found, mid-conjuring at HarperChildrens. Cover and official description and release date and other mysterious goodies are coming up in early 2024.

UPDATE Part 2:
Well, the cover is out there! And what a beauty! The eARCs are also making their way into the world, so this means I'll be making myself scarce around here. I hope you love Ber, but it's okay if you don't. She's not for everyone. But I hope she finds the ones who need her most. And remember, it's just a drop of blood! 😈

UPDATE Part 3:
Well, this diabetic witch is out there in the world! And I've been truly blown away by the incredible response from readers. Thank you so much to everyone who has given Ber and all her demons your time and attention. Her story will continue in Fall 2025 with a sequel, title and cover to come in early 2025!

UPDATE Part 4:
The sequel has a release date and title! MIXING MAGICS is conjuring on November 11, 2025!
Profile Image for Elizabeth Sagan.
121 reviews2,299 followers
October 5, 2024
Can't wait to read this.
*
FINISHED. This was ADORABLE! I started with high expectations and it DELIVERED. Just as good as I expected it to be. I inhaled it in a day! Literally perfect from start to finish. So so so well written.
Profile Image for alaska.
285 reviews591 followers
July 26, 2024
i don't read nearly as much middle grade novels as i would like to but !!!! this is an auto-buy author if i've ever seen one because clare edge is a creative genius imo
Profile Image for Hana Lee.
Author 4 books187 followers
June 27, 2023
I’ve been obsessed with this book since I read the pitch: a 13-year-old blood witch who’s recently been diagnosed with diabetes accidentally summons demons whenever she tests her blood sugar. Now that I’ve read an early copy of the book (yay!) I’m ecstatic to report that it doesn’t disappoint.

I loved this book. The disability rep is so well done, the protagonist is earnest and fun, there’s a whole cast of endearing side characters, and some of them are cats. Best of all, there’s a snarky nonbinary demon with a complicated, protective dynamic with the MC. That’s guaranteed to win my heart regardless of age category.

If there’s a kid in your life who loves reading MG adventures full of magic and heart, buy a copy of this book for them and another copy for yourself. There’s plenty to love here for adult readers as well, with nuanced discussions of prejudice, disability, consent, and sacrifice.

I truly can’t wait to reunite with Fin and Bernadette in the next book in the series!
Profile Image for Amanda at Bookish Brews.
338 reviews251 followers
Want to read
July 20, 2023
I'm SO excited for this diabetic witch story!!! she's threatened with every drop of blood she needs to test!? and accidentally pulls a demon through the veil? that sounds SO STINKIN FUN
Profile Image for Birdie Schae.
Author 1 book146 followers
July 3, 2024
What an absolute blast of a book!! I’ve been obsessed with this concept since I first heard of it, and the book certainly didn’t disappoint—ACCIDENTAL DEMONS is fun, unique, and has so much heart. I fell in love with this cast of characters and can’t wait to have a shelf dedicated to Clare Edge’s books one day!!
Profile Image for Spiri Skye.
534 reviews21 followers
October 9, 2024
What I thought I was getting - a cozy fantasy with diabetes rep

What I got - a life changing heartwarming story of a 13 year old, her lgbtq+ sister, her demon that transcends gender and uses they/them pronouns, her empathic friend and his tiny plant witch friend, SO MANY CUTE CATS!! diabetes and asthma rep, AND MOREEEEEEEE

highly recommend to anyone with a disability or chronic illness or for those that want to learn more about what that’s like. unlike a lot of other books it is something that effects the entire story throughout and is not forgotten after one chapter! I also thought the witchy/blood witch element was done in such a clever way with the diabetes rep in this!! One of my top five reads of this year
Profile Image for Beth.
3,818 reviews16 followers
November 12, 2024
I liked the family magic, especially when we turn to see how blood mages are viewed from the perspective of other magical groups. The diabetes stuff was great, especially since I don’t know much about it.

Weaknesses were that the friends showed up mainly to be sudden support for the big final battle, and the problems with demon summoning weren’t really explored enough.
Profile Image for Emily.
13 reviews11 followers
July 15, 2023
I am simply so excited for diabetic kids to hold this witty, whimsical, adventurous hug of a book (also cannot wait for everyone to meet Fin, your favorite demon-who's-not-a-dude)
Profile Image for Mary Averling.
Author 2 books149 followers
November 26, 2024
Utterly magical, chock-full of delicious shenanigans, and boasting one of the best middle grade voices I've read this year! ACCIDENTAL DEMONS is heartfelt and heart-pounding in equal measure, with wonderful diabetes rep (and lots of cats, demons, family, and friendship.) I will be breathlessly awaiting the sequel, and whatever Clare Edge writes next.
Profile Image for Star.
568 reviews236 followers
April 17, 2024
Content warnings: Diabetes (central plot point), blood sacrifices (pinpricks of blood, central plot point), references to animal sacrifices, saliva used for magic, magic based prejudices.

Rep: Ber (MC) is cis, white, chubby, and has diabetes. Side sapphic characters. Side POC characters. Nonbinary demon.


This book was so much fun!

We follow Bernadette, our main character, who is a blood witch, and also has recently been diagnosed with diabetes. So she has to test her blood sugar a lot - the downside? She keeps accidentally summoning demons every time she tests.

This entire book was fantastic from start to finish - Ber is, understandably, frustrated with the fact that she keeps summoning demons every time she tests her blood sugar. She's also frustrated that her entire life has dramatically changed since being diagnosed with diabetes.

Her desire to summon a demon that will let her know her blood sugar without testing for it outweighs any potential consequences.

However, there isn't just the Mystery demon she accidentally binds to herself that is going on - there is something afoot with other covens in the area.

This book was a whirlwind of magic, new friends, and demons that had me absolutely needing to know what happened next.

I can see so many younger readers loving this, but especially ones that have diabetes themselves.

This was an easy 4 stars from me.
Profile Image for Jeremy.
242 reviews5 followers
September 16, 2024
This is the book I needed as a kid and did not have. I am so glad it exists now. I was crying by chapter two at how relatable this story is. The FMC Ber was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and needs to check her blood sugar to know how well controlled things are and if she needs to eat or give more insulin. However, she is a blood witch and by lancing her finger she is accidentally summoning demons. One solution proposed is getting her a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), a device that can continuously check blood sugar without the need to repeatedly lance the finger for blood. However, they cannot get her access to one due to insurance coverage. And if that isn’t the realest thing ever. This book will hopefully bring awareness of Type 1 Diabetes and some of the struggles related to it to a wider population of readers. There is also some rep for clotting disorders and asthma that I think is very well done too.

“This doesn’t mean you can’t have a normal life.

I think that’s exactly what it means.”


This story is just full of so much heart. Ber is the kind of MC to bring hope into a story by her actions and her ability to never give up even when life throws everything at her. She finds ways to fight and break the stigma surrounding her disease. One scene in particular was a particular fear of mine as a kid - I didn’t want people to know about my diabetes because of a fear of what they might think about it. There was also the fear that everything that went into managing diabetes put a strain on my family and Ber feels this too:

“I’m tired of being a burden to everyone.”


Ber and her sister, Maeve, end up conjuring a mystery demon that helps Ber detect her sugars without checking via the glucometer, but they seem to have an agenda of their own that is not so easily revealed. This demon, Fin, seems to understand diabetes better than anyone else around her:

“I know each diabetic is different.”


The two of them develop a pretty tight bond because of this. This is probably the best type one diabetes rep I have ever seen in a book and then Edge manages to also do such an amazing job with breaking down prejudices amongst the different witch communities in such a fantastic manner.

“Having an illness or a disability doesn’t make you any less magical”


Just perfect messages and perfect representation.

One of the final lines really stuck with me and though it was in reference to being a witch it felt like it was also for Ber and managing her diabetes: “You are not alone in this.” - a message that I feel all kids with diabetes deserve to hear, with the hope that it makes every day managing this lifelong disease a little bit easier.

Thank you to @harpercollins and @netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.
Profile Image for Shannon.
6,787 reviews379 followers
October 15, 2024
I absolutely LOVED this paranormal fantasy middle grade debut featuring Bernadette 'Ber,' a fat blood witch with diabetes who accidentally summons demons every time she tests her blood. When she casts a spell with her sister that summons a nonbinary mystery demon, Finn, things seem to be going up because they can help Ber monitor her glucose without shedding any blood.

However darker things are going on than even Ber is aware of and she has to work with her sister and other magical friends to rescue her parents and grandmother from a group of evil witches. Fast paced and great on audio narrated by Karissa Vacker. This had excellent disability and queer rep and I can't wait for the next book in the story!!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
Profile Image for Fawna.
177 reviews1 follower
October 6, 2024
I listened to this audiobook with my children, 9 and 7, and we all loved it!
This is the story of Ber, a blood witch recently diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (so clever). Every time she has to finger poke, she runs the risk of accidentally summoning demons because her blood is so powerful.
This was adorable. We loved the characters, and my 7 year old felt SO SEEN to have a character she could relate to. The descriptions of her symptoms, as well as some of her self-talk around her condition, were so genuinely depicted.
Aside from the representation, we enjoyed the magic system that was built, as well as the plot. We can't wait to see more of Ber, Kai, Maeve, and especially Finn!
Profile Image for Kim.
121 reviews4 followers
September 23, 2024
I loved this so much!! The premise is fantastic, and the execution is just as good. I loved the worldbuilding and magic - the different kinds of witches and mages and demons. I loved Ber and the T1D rep. The side characters are so loveable, especially Cai and Maeve. And the cats!!!! I adored the part the cats played in the story. But Fin absolutely stole the show. They are probably one of my favorite characters ever! This was funny and adventurous and magical and heartwarming. I can't wait for book 2!!!
Profile Image for Kelsea Yu.
Author 13 books218 followers
December 5, 2024
A beautifully written, heartfelt, and clever book that made me laugh and cry in equal measure. I absolutely love Clare Edge’s writing and will read anything and everything they write. I'm excited for when my kids are old enough to read Accidental Demons. Looking forward to book two!
Profile Image for Tammy.
29 reviews1 follower
December 17, 2024
It's such a cute book, perfect for a young reader. It also has a great story!
Profile Image for Dawn Chen.
459 reviews42 followers
January 6, 2025
This is really charming and oddly very complex in terms of character and world. It’s definitely on the whimsical side of things but is exactly what I needed. I think it also has a great message and a very interesting set of lore that would be amazing to be explored if this turns out to be a series.
Profile Image for Lauren ❦.
66 reviews1 follower
August 22, 2024
An absolute stellar debut! I am so happy that I was able to get an eARC from the Publisher via NetGalley. I truly hope this will become a series as I want to know more about Ber and her adventures. I will be recommending this to anyone who will listen to me.
613 reviews
December 3, 2024
Warm and cosy. Thoughtful portrayal of a relatively new diagnosis of type 1 diabetes, exploring adjusting to a new disability and how this has changed the protagonist's view of herself, as well as the practical difficulties. The ending was a bit messy and incomplete - the book feels like a clear set-up for a sequel, which is a shame because I think the story could have been rounded off nicely.
392 reviews5 followers
September 23, 2024
This was a wholly unique read. I loved the commentary on chronic illness and the magic system as well. It was a fun read and yet a read with heart as well. I loved the little touches of teenage romance and first crushes. A great read all around.
Profile Image for Raaacz.
112 reviews1 follower
September 28, 2024
This book is such a fun read. I enjoyed reading Ber's story and the friends that she made along the way. I hope to see Grandma Orla and Fin again.

Anyway, this is a great pick for fans of light-hearted fantasy. So thank you to Edelweiss for giving me the chance to read the arc and to the author, Clare Edge for such a wonderful book. Highly recommended!
Profile Image for Darianne Schramm.
14 reviews1 follower
March 21, 2023
I absolutely adored this book! Middle grade voice is notoriously hard to nail, but this one did it flawlessly. From page one I fell in love with Ber and her story. She's such a quirky, relatable character. The entire cast of characters is just so darn likable (including the demons!). I loved that while the characters were flawed, you totally *got* them and all their motivations. Can I please become a witch and hang out with this crew?

Also... the rep??? Such a diverse cast with characters that totally feel real, authentic and relatable.

And best of all-it somehow manages to be both a page-turner with a gripping plot, but also totally character driven. The perfect combination.

10/10 loved this novel and can't wait to read it again when it comes out in hardback.

P.S. I was a little scared by the title because... uh... demons?? But after reading I'm now wishing I had a cute little one to follow me around constantly.

Profile Image for Leslie.
1,087 reviews33 followers
August 23, 2024
This is an impressive debut. Accidental Demons has great energy and covers a lot of ground with good pacing and a lot of wonderful magic and relationship dynamics. I really dig the fat rep and the disability rep (diabetic blood witch, anyone?! so clever).

Highly recommend this for fans of the craft, the Irish, body positivity, positive sibling rep, and light grade school romance.

I'm hoping for a book 2.

with gratitude to the publisher and Edelweiss+
Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews

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