Spellbinding

February 25, 2013
Sixteen-year-old Abby Silva feels invisible at school, inadequate next to her best friend, and out of place in her family. Lately Abby’s headaches and nightmares have been intensifying, and when she finds a possible family connection to the Salem Witch Trials, she begins to suspect that she is herself a witch. Abby’s research takes her to nearby Salem, where she feels a sense of belonging, gets a weekend job, and meets the dashing boy of her dreams (literally). Abby’s newfound powers (including telekinesis and conjuring fire) make her life more exciting and terrifying, and also cause her to question the responsibilities that accompany magic. Gold’s (the Cinderella Cleaners series) novel is, at heart, a coming-of-age tale, reading like a lighter version of Stephen King’s Carrie. Abby’s narration relies heavily on long-winded internal monologues (“I ought to head home, but first I decide to unwind with an impulsive walk through a part of town I’ve never seen, out past the high school and power plant”), but readers should still enjoy the mix of relatable teenage struggles and magic. Ages 12–up. Agent: the Gersh Agency.

August 1, 2013

Gr 8 Up-Readers are likely to be familiar with the general storyline here: a 16-year-old girl who has been a gawky, invisible outsider her whole life suddenly discovers that she has magical powers and blossoms into someone "stunning" with "curves where I've never had them." In this case, the girl is Abby, and she finds out that she is the descendant of a Salem witch. She meets Rem, an enigmatic, gorgeous boy who protects her when other witches need her to help them take revenge on the people of Salem. Also in the mix are the usual suspects: an absent dad, a substitute parental figure who takes Abby under her wing, Abby's childhood crush, and a trio of mean girls. Plot contrivances run amok: a full moon, the summer solstice, midsummer night, a witches' circle, and the prom are all on the same night. Abby is described as geeky and awkward about a dozen times too many; she's another klutzy female character who feels "a sense of surrender" when kissed. The similes are frequent, unoriginal, and awkward; Rem's skin is described as looking "like butterscotch" when "the glow of late-afternoon sun" shines on it, and gossip travels through the high school "like a run through a stocking." Offensive racial stereotypes are the final straw. Stick with Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl's "Beautiful Creatures" (Little, Brown), Cassandra Clare's "Mortal Instruments" (S & S), or Sophie Jordan's "Firelight" series (HarperCollins) for paranormal romance recommendations.-Laura Lutz, Pratt Institute, New York City

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