Book of Shadows

January 1, 2001
This delectably dark pair of novels, first in the Sweep series, brings a supernatural spin to classic teen issues--popularity, romance, alienation and the search for self. Narrator Morgan, a high school junior in upstate New York, feels plain and ordinary, especially next to her flirty, drop-dead-gorgeous friend Bree. When Cal, a remarkably poised and handsome senior, transfers to their school, Morgan likes him almost immediately, an attraction she hides when Bree announces that she plans to win him for herself. Cal makes no secret of his belief in Wicca, inviting most of the junior and senior classes to join him in a Wiccan celebration. The rituals powerfully affect Morgan--could it be that she, like Cal, is a "blood witch" (a descendant of one of the seven great witch clans)? But how could she be a blood witch when everyone else in her family is so clearly not "magickal"? While Tiernan's ingredients are familiar, she stirs the cauldron with engaging, even cinematic, prose and sharply individuates her characters. She introduces the Wiccan material with some depth as well as with a skillful degree of ambiguity; readers will not know immediately whether or not the series embraces Wicca. Both books end on cliffhangers (Shadows, for example, closes as Cal kisses Morgan, in full view of Bree and the rest of their newly formed coven), fanning what will surely be an already keen desire to learn the whole story. Ages 12-up.

Morgan can't stop thinking about her new classmate, Cal, and neither can her best friend, Bree, who is prettier and more outgoing than Morgan. But when Cal introduces a group of students to his Wiccan practice, Morgan forms a magical connection with him that Bree finds hard to accept. Julia Whelan establishes Morgan as a shy, thoughtful teen who tries to balance her new Wiccan interest with her parents' Catholic views. Whelan's narration sounds genuine as she captures Morgan's self-deprecating humor and sense of wonder. Whelan makes each teenager's voice unique, especially that of Cal, who has a deep, measured voice. C.A. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine