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.

July 1, 2013
Gr 8 Up-Brooklyn Sparks is tired of being invisible to everyone in her high school except her guidance counselor. When she turns 16 and her parents finally permit her to begin using her witching powers, she goes all out, giving herself the physical features that she thinks will attract the attention of The Elite, the popular group ruling her high school. But as she tries to fit in with them, she finds that she's changing inside as well, doing things that she knows are wrong but that she rationalizes are worth the price of popularity. Even her new boyfriend, Asher, who also has magical powers, and her counselor are not enough to keep her grounded in her true values. Joy Osmanski skillfully varies the voices of the characters, convincingly transitioning from adults to students. She is especially adept at presenting the nuances of The Elite, catching their false sweetness and chilling ruthlessness. Listeners may grow impatient with Brooklyn's rationalizing as she spirals deeper into self deception, trying to convince herself that the ends justify the means. However, the picture of high school life is convincing and the loose ends at the conclusion of the book (S & S, 2013) will leave listeners eagerly awaiting the next title in the series.-"Edie Ching, the University of Maryland, College Park"

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