House of Ivy & Sorrow

March 1, 2014
If being an adolescent already feels like a curse, try life as a modern teenage witch. Although 17-year-old Josephine Hemlock still grieves for her mother, who died from the Curse, she and her spunky grandmother manage to hide their witch identities from the rest of their small Iowa town. When popular Winn asks her out, Jo may finally reap the happiness she deserves. The light romance turns thriller, however, after her long-lost father, controlled by dark magic, appears unexpectedly in Jo's female-only household. Questions about her parents' relationship beget more questions about the events leading up to her mother's murder and who may have stricken her with the Curse. And Jo may not be the only one in her high school with secrets. With the help of some unexpected allies (and a possible love-triangle interest), she may not only find her mother's killer, but end the Curse for good and preserve her family line. As in Transparent (2013), Whipple pays attention to details (but doesn't get bogged down with them) to create a magical, entertaining world that has the right amount of darkness to keep the story intriguing and the right amount of light to keep readers content. With unwavering BFFs, stolen kisses, red herrings and a variety of spells, there's something for chick-lit, romance, mystery and fantasy fans alike. (Supernatural romance. 13-18)

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March 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-Josephine, 17, lives with her grandmother in a house under the interstate where it's rumored that an old witch can make someone love you if you're willing to give her your pinkie finger. Jo knows that the rumors are true, because her grandmother is that witch. Despite going to great lengths to hide the fact that she's part of a long line of witches, Jo lives a fairly typical life until a mysteriously familiar man comes looking for her. She and her grandmother know that he's somehow connected to The Curse that killed her mother 10 years earlier, but they don't know how, since men are not capable of doing magic. They break tradition and learn more about themselves while uncovering centuries-old secrets. Unlike many supernatural tales, this one does not perpetuate good witch/bad witch or light magic/dark magic themes. Jo is clear that "There is only dark [magic]. A black pool full of power and pain." The story also stresses that there is always a price to pay for using one's powers, even for good purposes, and every character must deal with the consequences of their choices. This is a fast-paced fantasy, with just the right amount of romance and realism. Readers will relate to Jo's relationships with her family, crush, and two best friends. Despite the current glut of supernatural and urban fantasy, this tale will stand out.-Sunnie Lovelace, Wallingford Public Library, CT

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2014
Grades 7-10 Josephine Hemlock's family has lived in Willow's End, Iowa, relatively safe inside magical barriers designed to keep out the Shadows and their deadly Curse. But with the unsettling and unexpected appearance of Jo's father and a shadowy teenage boy, Levi, the entire Hemlock family is now in danger. Jo must face the daunting task of saving her grandmother or becoming the head of the clan. The magical aura permeates the story with vivid and gross descriptions of death by the Curse, and conjured spells demanding pulled fingernails and teeth. But Whipple melds Jo's witch world with her happy, mundane high-school life, including a sweet romance and the support of Jo's friends; both anchor the strangeness in refreshing reality. Add to this a grandmother who would make Richard Peck proud, as well as a subtle message about the importance of control over consumption, and you have a delightfully different, suspenseful YA escape.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)