Legacy

October 24, 2011
In her YA debut, bestselling adult author Cochran (the Forever King trilogy) presents an exciting and well-written tale of contemporary witchcraft and romance, first in a planned series. When Katy’s negligent medievalist father sends the troubled 16-year-old off to prep school in her late mother’s hometown of Whitfield, Mass., “a village straight out of Nathaniel Hawthorne,” Katy expects the worst. And she finds it, discovering that her reputedly insane mother had tried to murder a baby named Eric and then killed herself. Katy is treated hostilely by the locals, many of whom, she learns, are witches whose ancestors fled to Whitfield during the Salem witch trials. A perennial outsider, Katy feels like she’s finally come home, and she isn’t shocked to find out that she, too, is a witch, nor that, along with the severely disabled Eric’s handsome older brother, Peter, she is at the center of a centuries-old conspiracy to bring the Darkness back to our world. Combining spectacular magic with a complex plot and believable (if somewhat stereotypical) characters, this tale should please the legions of paranormal fans looking for a sophisticated supernatural thriller. Ages 14–up. (Dec.)■

November 1, 2011
It isn't until 16-year-old Katy Jessavar is shipped off to boarding school 1,500 miles from home that she finally discovers "who--and what--" she really is. At Ainsworth Preparatory School, nestled in the mysterious, fog-shrouded heart of Whitfield, Mass., Katy--or, rather, Serenity Katherine Ainsworth--comes face to face with the legacy of the mother she never knew and the powers that have always resided within her. Descended from a long line of great witches, Katy must learn to harness her mystical powers in order to battle the Darkness that threatens the town and the people she's grown to love. Cochran's first book for teens will satisfy readers hungry for a little paranormal excitement and romance in a post-Twilight world. The novel isn't without its shortcomings, though. Readers will likely suffer whiplash adjusting to Katy and Peter's inexplicably sudden shift from icy exchanges to passionate declarations of love, and for a girl who never knew her own mother, there is far too little exploration of Katy's relationship with her newly found maternal relatives. That said, there is enough suspense and witchcraft to keep readers turning the pages. Add a little romance and a few journeys to the spirit world, and the novel makes for a quick, entertaining read. (Paranormal romance. 13 & up)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

December 1, 2011

Gr 8 Up-From the moment Katy Jessevar, 16, arrives unwillingly at her Massachusetts boarding school, sent there by her father, everyone recognizes her and calls her by another name-Ainsworth-the school's name. Her classmates instantly dislike her, especially cute Peter. Katy learns that her ancestors founded the school and that they were one of the most powerful witch families in town, and that many of the students are descended from these original witches. Her mother was an oracle who saw visions of an evil Darkness. When Katy was six, her mother went crazy and tried to kill Peter's little brother Eric before killing herself. Eric survived but suffered brain damage. Katy discovers that she's inherited magical powers as well. She falls for Peter but he says that they can never be together, and Katy can't understand why. She also starts having a recurring nightmare in which Peter is being tortured. The witch families in town believe that the Darkness is coming after they begin to see harbingers in the form of dead birds and sinkholes. Can Katy prevent the Darkness from destroying them all? The unsettling and unique plot details and well-drawn secondary characters make this novel stand out from others in the genre. The relationships among the characters grow and change as the story progresses, and the conflict among the witch families is believable, as is Katy's strained relationship with her father and his manipulative girlfriend.-Sharon Rawlins, New Jersey State Library, Trenton

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2011
Grades 7-11 Cochran's first title for young adults is a rip-roaring adventure featuring half-witch Katy Jessevar, newly exiled to boarding school when her widowed father takes up with a cutthroat businesswoman. Katy's new school is in the tiny town of Whitfield, Massachusetts, close to Salem. Because her mother was a powerful witch whose last act in Whitfield was attempting to kill a baby, Katy is persona non grata in the tightly knit community. Cochran has a great ear for authentic teen dialogue and spins a believable, if predictable, romance between Katy and Peter, the big brother of the baby Katy's mother tried to kill. The well-conceived history and culture of Katy's magical world make this first title unique in the panoply of series featuring a half-mortal, half-magic character. Other interesting features are Cochran's emphasis on nature's role in magic, a definite pro-environment and antibig business slant, and her inclusion of characters of color. The teasing epilogue promises a sequel, and readers will be ready for it.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)