What the Spell

December 3, 2012
Every teen has felt the longing to be more beautiful, more popular, more approved. Brooklyn has that need to an exceptional degree, but unlike most teenagers, she can do something about it. On Brooklyn’s 16th birthday, her parents unbind her innate witch powers, and within 24 hours she has conjured the attention-grabbing body of her dreams. Unless the coolest kids in school anoint her as one of them, however, her triumph won’t be complete. Despite the implausible trappings of the premise—Brooklyn can perform any spell without practice; her public school classmates include a movie star’s daughter and the son of a CEO—Geragotelis’s previously self-published debut novel settles into a more realistic mode fairly quickly. How far is Brooklyn willing to go to curry favor with “The Elite,” and what price will she pay among those who liked her just as she was? This is the first book in a series, so don’t expect all the answers, but the wish-fulfilling comeuppance at the end of this installment is worth the price of admission. Ages 14–up. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marshall Lyon Literary Agency.

December 1, 2012
A little magic might have elevated this book's shallow, unrealistic characters and cliched plot, which originated with the author's Wattpad project, Life's a Witch. Brooklyn feels like she's invisible; her only friend is her guidance counselor, Ms. Zia. But all that changes on her 16th birthday, when her parents finally unbind her magical powers. The inevitable makeover from bland to beautiful ensues. Then she works to gain the attention of the Elite, her school's most popular clique and the group that Brooklyn is desperate to join. Best of all, her crush, Asher, turns out to be a witch, too. Contrary to her parents' wishes, Brooklyn naturally goes on a magic spree, using her newfound matchmaking ability to match herself with Asher and to meet the challenges the Elite put to her. This all ends predictably: Brooklyn gets blackmailed by the Elite, random students are hurt, and Brooklyn learns some valuable lessons. Brooklyn is a manipulative, self-absorbed twit, which at least differentiates her from the interchangeable supporting characters. The story's attempts at twists fall flat, failing to create tension. Readers will need a memory spell to remember this after they're finished. (Paranormal chick lit. 14 & up)

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June 1, 2013

Gr 9 Up-Though Brooklyn longs to become a part of The Elite, Clearview High's popular, pretty, and powerful group of kids, she remains off everyone's radar and spends lunch periods eating with the school guidance counselor, Ms. Zia. Things change on her 16th birthday, when her parents finally unbind her magical powers. The first thing Brooklyn does is give herself a makeover-complete with fuller lips, zero zits, and blond hair-and instantly goes from feeling invisible to being center stage. Not only do The Elite take notice, but things are also heating up with her oh-so-cute-crush, Asher, a nice guy who doesn't care about being popular (and also turns out to be a witch). As she strives for acceptance into the top clique, the challenges she faces become more and more difficult. How far is Brooklyn willing to go to gain recognition, and will she be able to keep her powers secret? As this lengthy story unfolds, Brooklyn repeatedly lies to Asher, disappoints Ms. Zia, and makes numerous poor choices, all with the best intentions. Ingredients of pop culture and home values blend to present a tale of a protagonist who struggles with self-esteem. While some of the story elements are a bit hard to buy, and Brooklyn proves to be an extremely slow learner of life's lessons, the story may attract fans of frothy paranormal fare.-Keisha Miller, South Orange Public Library, NJ

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