There isn’t enough magic in the world to make this a good book.
Geragotelis’ Wattpad project–turned-series continues with another underwhelming entry.
In this, the second novel in the Life’s a Witch series, the heroine is the unrelentingly perfect Hadley. She’s beautiful, popular, smart, head cheerleader and queen bee. She’s also a witch, member of the Cleri coven, which dates to the time of the Salem witch trials. Since she cares more about ruling her school than her natural magical power, Hadley doesn’t have much time for magic lessons with the other teenagers in her coven. But then the adults in the coven are killed, gruesomely, by their ancient enemy, Samuel Parris. Hadley will have to harness her power, become a leader and every other cliché you can think of to save the day. But is that possible with the inevitable distracting hot boy, the equally predictable traitor among the teens, and Hadley’s own shallow, vapid personality? Hadley is so self-absorbed and undeveloped a character that it’s difficult for the reader to care about her plight; she name-checks her Jimmy Choo’s even as she sifts through the wreckage that contains the ashy remains of her mother. Geragotelis shows more than tells and liberally sprinkles dei ex machina to make the plot work.
There isn’t enough magic in the world to make this a good book. (Paranormal chick lit. 12 & up)Pub Date: July 9, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4424-6655-5
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 21, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2013
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and...
A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her.
Anya feels out of place at her preppy private school; embarrassed by her Russian heritage, she has worked hard to lose her accent and to look more like everyone else. After a particularly frustrating morning at the bus stop, Anya storms off, only to accidentally fall down a well. Down in the dark hole, she meets Emily, a ghost who claims to be a murder victim trapped down in the dank abyss for 90 years. With Emily’s help, Anya manages to escape, though once free, she learns that Emily has traveled out with her. At first, Emily seems like the perfect friend; however, once her motives become clear, Anya learns that “perfect” may only be an illusion. A moodily atmospheric spectrum of grays washes over the clean, tidy panels, setting a distinct stage before the first words appear. Brosgol’s tight storytelling invokes the chilling feeling of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002), though for a decidedly older set.
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and outward appearance. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-552-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
