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
Somberly beautiful.
A girl goes in search of her missing sister and discovers a strange hidden world of dreams.
Corin, who’s 18 and dark-skinned, strives to protect her 12-year-old sister, Elly. But life as a thief is full of struggle, poverty, and loss, even without Corin’s avoidance of other relationships. Elly clings to the promise of fairy tales, like the one that says a princess lies sleeping in an underground castle after pricking her finger on a spindle. After the sisters fight and Elly runs off, Corin searches for her in Gyldan’s old network of tunnels—and finds the tale is true: Cursed Princess Amelia, golden-haired, with eyes like “sea glass” and porcelain skin, lies asleep, surrounded by flowers. Corin enters the princess’ dreamworld—the place “where your subconscious desires come to life.” She meets Briar Rose, Amelia’s alter ego, who experienced her share of sadness and wanted to fall asleep. Also in the dreamworld is green-skinned Malicine, the nonbinary demon who, despite having placed the curse of eternal slumber on Amelia, is mostly friendly. All three are running from things they can’t face, though the dreamworld may not give them a choice. Pham’s debut, a Sapphic reimagining of “Sleeping Beauty,” explores mental health and asks a lot of readers as it seesaws between emotional confrontations, time jumps, and scenes where one character inhabits the memories of another, all of which demand intense engagement. Still, the ending is earned as well as positive.
Somberly beautiful. (content note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2026
ISBN: 9798217113026
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Kokila
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
SEEN & HEARD
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK TO SCREEN
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