THE BOOK OF SPELLS

Though other girls attend Billings to prepare themselves for marriage, 16-year-old Elizabeth Williams only wants to find freedom and good books at the Connecticut boarding school in this prequel to the Private series, set in 1915. Progressive-minded Eliza is determined not to repeat her older sister May’s sudden transformation and engagement. The attentive (if inconveniently engaged) Harrison Knox soon challenges her feelings about romance, though—and worsens her relationship with haughty Theresa Billings. Forbidden from creating a literary society, Eliza and the other ten members of her coven secretly study The Book of Spells. Their initial magical experiments are trivial and cosmetic, but when Eliza and Theresa’s rivalry over both Harrison and group leadership endangers the life of a mutual friend, the coven attempts a dangerous spell with disastrous consequences. The supernatural elements and class tensions are a welcome addition to the standard boarding-school romantic liaisons and social sparring, as is Brian’s skill at sketching out early-20th-century upper-class life. An enjoyable stand-alone and an entertaining series supplement. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)