Triple Moon

September 15, 2015
Terrible teen witches seek and sabotage safe haven in this spinoff's spinoff. Suspected of murdering two private school classmates, identical twins Molly and Mardi Overbrook grudgingly give up their glitzy Manhattan lives for a summer in Brigadoon-ian North Hampton, New York (setting for the Witches of East End series). Catalog-perfect Ingrid Beauchamp gives the goddesses (literally-Thor is their dad) a rustic reality call, forcing the girls to get jobs, limit their magic use, and babysit, but reform is slow in coming. Vapid, high-fashion Molly and antagonistic, retro-and-rebel Mardi enjoy playing pranks but engage in tiresome bickering and outrageous behavior to prove their (superficial) differences. Surprisingly ignorant of Norse mythology and their own family history, Molly and Mardi end up re-enacting a Wagnerian plot over a special ring and unusual romantic situations. The twins are unsympathetic characters for much of the book, and the impermanence of death lowers the stakes, but readers seeking tales of Gatsby-style excess, gourmet meals, hot bodies, and outrageous wardrobes can find a quick fix here. De la Cruz returns to the realm of teen lit but seems to keep some of her racier adult elements as she liberally-if sometimes unsuccessfully-mixes an epic story cycle and ancient legends with a summer beach romance, supernatural mystery, and teens-gone-wild tale. A stormy beach read that is more soap than opera. (Paranormal romance. 14 & up)

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November 1, 2015

Gr 8 Up-Fans of the author's adult title Witches of East End (Hachette, 2011) and the now-canceled Lifetime television show of the same name will flock to this YA spin-off that features some of the series' most beloved characters, as well as two new teen witches. Molly and Mardi Overbrook are 16-year-old twins who are in desperate need of guidance after they are blamed for the deaths of two kids at an exclusive party they attended. Rich, spoiled, and entitled, Molly and Mardi are sent to live with Ingrid Beauchamp, an old family friend, for the summer in hopes she will teach them to control their magic and behave appropriately. While in North Hampton, the sisters are forced to get summer jobs. They also meet the younger Gardiner brothers, who are as enigmatic as they are sexy. But dark forces are at work as the girls realize someone has tampered with their memories and set them up for murder. This work reads like a cross between Gossip Girl and The Vampire Diaries. There are many mentions of designer fashions and cocktail parties where no one is checking IDs. But there are also sisterly bonds that are tested and romances with the wrong guy. Best-selling author de la Cruz has said that if the canceled television show won't see a revival, she may resolve some loose ends in this new series. VERDICT Purchase this title to satiate East End fans.-Kimberly Garnick Giarratano, Rockaway Township Public Library, NJ

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October 15, 2015
Grades 8-11 Witch sisters Mardi and Molly may be identical twins and the daughters of Thor, but they could not be more different. They compete constantly, and the only thing they willingly share is a ring of their mother's. When their powers inadvertently cause the death of two teens, Thor sends them to North Hampton for the summer to learn self-control from their aunts, Ingrid and Freya. But conflict and danger find them even there, in the form of two handsome young men, and it looks like the girls may be exiled to Limbo by the White Council as punishment for their crimes. Witches of East End series fans will be thrilled with this new offering featuring the next generation. Confused identities and mysterious deaths add tension to the story, and while the character development, particularly with Mardi, may be rushed it's still believable. The sense of place and ties to Greek mythology give depth and personality to this first in a spinoff series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)