PARTIES & POTIONS

Teen witch Rachel and her sister Miri discover more about their magical roots in this fluffy, style-conscious fourth installment of the Magic in Manhattan series. Newly aware of the magical community that exists parallel to their everyday lives, Rachel and Miri spend much of the book preparing for their Samsorta, a sort of witchy coming-of-age ceremony (perhaps most closely resembling a bat mitzvah). Subplots involving Rachel’s confusion over her feelings for two different boys and her fear of being outed as a witch to her father and nonmagical friends provide a bit of depth and will be relevant to teen girls. Details including a witch-specific social-networking site and popular teen text-speak may eventually date this title, but at the moment are right on the mark. Established fans of the series will find this a satisfying expansion of the story line, and it may well appeal to young teens looking for a fun, light read. However, the one-dimensional secondary characters and too-neat ending pull it down toward the mediocre. (Fantasy. 10-15)