Magical Pick: House of Ivy & Sorrow

House of Ivy & Sorrow
by Natalie Whipple
HarperTeen
2014
362 pages
ISBN: 9780062120182

Magical, mesmerizing, melodious, and macabre, House of Ivy & Sorrow is a witchy, devilish good book!

Seventeen  year old Josephine Hemlock lives with her grandmother in a little house under the bridge guarded by magic. There are only two doors in and they are hidden to the outside world. Magic keeps Jo and her grandmother safe from the outside world and away from other witching families. Jo's mother Carmina died years ago, and her grandmother casts a number of spells to keep Jo safe. When a stranger from the past shows up, he brings an evil danger with him.

Jo's friend Kat witnesses her magic and it is agreed that the two girls be bound together with a binding spell. This will keep both of them from harm, they hope.  The evil is getting stronger and the girls are in a race against time to find something...anything in the Hemlock history that will help explain who might be after Jo.

Digging into a witch family's history is a arduous task. As they uncover ancestor after ancestor, new questions surface. How long can Jo keep her friend safe from danger? A witch can never love or marry; does it make sense for Jo to date swoon worthy and nice guy Winn knowing that she can never experience lasting  love?

Cover design with trailing ivy is repeated on chapter numbers and on page numbers throughout the book. I like the idea that magic exists in all things and that witches learn to control energy. The witches in this book aren't the sunshine-y witches of Bewitched; these witches mean business and they're not afraid of eye of newt or wing of bat.

Recommended grade 7-up. Some kissing. Magic. Spells.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Spooky Pick: The Demon Notebook

The Demon Notebook
by Erika McGann
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
2014
224 pages
ISBN: 9781402295386
Available June 2014

See the author reading an excerpt

Friends Grace, Rachel, Adie, Una and Jenny find a book of spells. The girls are charmed (pun intended) by the spells and even try out a few for fun. When none of their spells work, the girls assume the book is useless and ignore the fact that they may be responsible for unleashing terrible future events.

A run-in with a Ouija board turns their world upside down. Una begins  acting strange and the girls fear the worst. Next, swoon-worthy James is following Grace around like a love-struck puppy and classmate Andrew wets his pants. Suddenly, the spells aren't funny anymore. The girls realize their dabbling in magic can be hurtful and now they feel like bullies.

The magic needs to be undone and the girls turn to the only answer they can think of--the local cat lady. Kids at school tell stories about her--that she's a witch and she can put curses on people. The old lady agrees to help them but warns them that there will be no chickening out. The spells continue working while the girls worry that time is running out.

The girls find out they have a secret friend at the school who is able to help. Will they be able to get the old Una back and banish the demon before someone gets really hurt? Who will they trust to find the answers? What are they willing to risk to set things right?

Recommended for readers who like a funny adventure with dangerous magic.
Grade 5-up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Hilarious Romp: A Bad Day for Voodoo

A Bad Day for Voodoo
By Jeff Strand
Sourcebooks Fire (Sourcebooks)
2012
251 pages

Darkly entertaining, ghastly yet inspiring, hysterically macabre, this is one ya novel I will never forget. I don’t believe I’ve ever laughed so hard while trying to read at the same time. Tears were soon streaming down my face as I attempted to focus on the hilarious, raucous, and wickedly entertaining A Bad Day For Voodoo. Jeff Strand is funnier than any prime-time sit-com ever recorded. His dialog is dead on and full of teen snark and venom.

Best friends Tyler and Adam hate their history teacher Mr. Click. Tyler is mad because he studied for a test he aced, yet Mr. Click gives him a zero and accuses him of cheating. Tyler didn’t copy any answers; another student copied off him. Best friend Adam figures they can get even and his answer to a mean history teacher is to visit a voodoo store in a seedy part of town and purchase a voodoo doll of Mr. Click. He presents the weird doll to Tyler, who is astonished and at a loss of words. I mean, who does that? Who buys a voodoo doll?

Adam encourages Tyler to just give it a try. Maybe the voodoo won’t work at all. Then there’s no harm done. Tyler puts a pin in the doll’s knee the next day in class and Mr. Click’s leg shoots off, bleeding and all. The class is terrified. The police and an ambulance are called. The boys are freaked out and Tyler hides the doll. Everything would have been just fine (well, not for Mr. Click) if Adam had left it at that. He’s afraid that Tyler will rat him out to the police, so he buys a voodoo doll of Tyler as insurance. The kids are joined by Tyler’s girlfriend Kelley as they try to race against the clock to get back to the voodoo shop and try to turn the curse around.

The rest of the novel involves a car jacking, a band of not-so-bright car thieves, four murders, one death, a careening car chase, a crazy taxi driver hyped up on Red Bull, a strange family with even stranger beliefs, one zombie fight, a gunshot wound, a pizza cutter wound, a car crash, one case of grand theft auto, a bleeding ear and two missing toes…oh, and about a zillion laughs! Who knew violence and mayhem could be so much fun?

When the boys are fighting off Zombie Mr. Click (he has escaped the morgue—oh, did I mention he died?-- and now he is a zombie with his leg attached, well, sort of, attached), Zombie Click is trying to fight Adam… Tyler tells the story, ”He (Click) pounced on top of him…so I grabbed the back of Mr. Click’s gown and tried to pull him away. The gown tore. This was officially the worst day ever.”

What’s worse than a zombie eating your friend’s face? Worse than a crazed zombie attack? Seeing your teacher as a naked zombie, of course!

If you mixed equal parts of Joan Rivers’ spot on one-liners, the comedic brilliance of Larry the Cable Guy, and the comic insight of Will Rogers, you might come close to Jeff Strand’s writing. A Bad Day For Voodoo reminded me of the movie “Adventures in Babysitting.” The kids have to travel around in dangerous parts of town where they meet more than their fair share of urban problems.


Highly, highly recommended grades 7-up. This is a no-brainer: Don’t miss this book! You’ll be sorry you did. No language, in fact, when Tyler cusses he does so by saying: s-word, f-word, etc. No sex. Zombie violence. Hilarious gun-fight between the ring of car thieves.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I purchased this book for my library. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Paranormal Pick: Born Wicked

Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles, Book 1)
by Jessica Spotswood
Putnam
2012
336 pages

Available February 7, 2012

Wickedly entertaining, witch-y-ly different, enticingly seductive and dangerously scintillating, Born Wicked is a book that will take your breath away.

Cate Cahill is the oldest sister of three and responsible for keeping her two younger sisters under control. That includes keeping their secret--all three girls are witches. This alone could get them killed, but an ancient prophesy details that three magic sisters will come along and the dark times will end. Only two sisters will welcome the twentieth century and magic will be welcomed and the Brotherhood toppled.

Cate and her sisters hide their magic, and Cate must choose a marriage soon, or the Brotherhood will choose for her--probably an elderly man who is part of the Brotherhood. Her only other way out is to join the Sisterhood, a group of nuns, and move away.

She is excited to see Paul come home and is eager for his charms until she spends too much time with Finn, the bookseller's son and part-time gardener for her own family. Secret, passionate kisses with Finn make Cate believe that she could never be happy with Paul. Her heart doesn't race when she kisses him and she doesn't dream of his embraces.

Younger sister Maura is as headstrong and tempermental as Cate is smart and calculating. Maura decides to join the Sisterhood once she realizes that they are a secret cult of witches and she longs to be more than friends with Elena, their governess sent by the Sisterhood to recruit all of them. Cate is able to save her sisters and herself only by turning her back on Finn, her secret love. Cate puts off her own happiness to save her sisters and their secret. The Sisterhood is happy to welcome a witch of such power and will use her power to make themselves more powerful.

Book 1 ends with the reader hoping that Cate will somehow get back to Finn and wondering if Cate will be able to leave the Sisterhood. Now that they have her, will they be willing to let her go?

Teen readers will await book 2 with enthusiasm. I was sorry the story ended and can't wait to get my hands on book 2. Paranormal fans and magic fans will love the story and girls will swoon over "magical" Finn--he's uber-sexy. I think Finn will play an important part in Book 2.

Highly, highly recommended grades 7-up. A couple of passionate kisses. Maura kisses Elena on the lips but it is not welcomed nor shared by Elena and then it's over. No language, some magic.

FTC required disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Bewitching Pick: Guest Review: The Coven's Daughter

The Coven’s Daughter
by Lucy Jago
Disney Hyperion Books
2010
256 pages

Blogger's Note: This review is from Leslie Rush, my BFF in ya novels and avid reader and now fellow reviewer. This is Leslie's third review. You can find Leslie's reviews at A Book and A Hug


Cecily Perrin has just turned thirteen. In 1500s England, for most girls this might bring a new skirt and cap, or maybe the boys would come courting. But Cess is not most girls. She is a bastard, with no father and no friends. She lives with her mother, both of them village outcasts. She is lucky to have a roof over her head and her job as a poultry girl at the local lord’s estate. She wishes she could look like a lady. She wishes she knew something about her father—anything! On her birthday, she wishes with all her heart that today will be different.

If only her wishes came true the way her dreams often did! Since she was a little girl, Cess has had premonitions, but learned quickly to keep quiet about them, lest she be accused of being a witch.

Cecily’s birthday wish comes true when she finds an unusual and valuable locket in the chicken coop. But it’s May Day, and as the local festivities begin, the locket and the Maypole get overshadowed by the disappearance of several boys, including her only friend, William. The villagers fear that it may be the work of witches, and their suspicions turn to Cess.

Cess must find William before it’s too late. In her quest to save him, and prove her innocence, she becomes entangled in the dark and dangerous world of political intrigue. Aided by the local coven, Cess calls upon her powers to rescue William and battle the perilous forces that swirl around her, threatening her life, her village, and England itself!

A strong sense of time and place makes this paranormal adventure worth reading. The often disgusting details about daily life in the late 1500s will fascinate budding fans of historical fiction.

Recommended for ages 11-15. Implied sexual references, one cussword.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I shared the arc with Leslie Rush, my friend and ya novels enthusiast and now fellow reviewer/blogger. This is Leslie's third ya novel review. Look for her reviews on A Book and A Hug website. Thanks, Leslie, for your review! Pamela

YA Thriller: Shadow Hills

Shadow Hills
by Anastasia Hopcus
Egmont, 2010
400 pages
Available in paperback May 11, 2011

Persephone finds it impossible to live in L.A. following the drowning death of her sister Athena. When she comes across her sister's last diary entry, Phe is sure of one thing: she has to go to Devinish Prep School in Shadow Hills, Massachuttes. Her sister was compelled by it and now Phe must discover why.

Devenish Prep is typical New England at its repressive and uptight best: red brick buildings with stern facades complete with stone turrets, tree-lined walkways, ivy covered dorms, dowdy student uniforms, and stiffling studies.

The town holds secrets: weird people with strange abilities, students who can speed read and know all the answers without ever having to study, people who can bend metal.

Phe dreams of a creepy cemetary and later discovers the place behind the church. A dreamy boy named Zach keeps showing up everywhere Phe goes. Is he following her?

Secrets are kept in Shadow Hills. Families are tight and tighter-lipped. Phe discovers some history in the museum and finds a secret room in the library where the history of the town is buried. An epidemic killed nearly all the town in the 1700s, but those who survived passed on an incredible genetic map. Their descendants continue to live in Shadow Hills, and they will silence Phe at all costs!

Exciting, suspenseful, and strange, Shadow Hills is a great read for those who enjoyed the book Ruined. Goth lovers and mystery lovers will also probably like this one.

Recommended grades 9-up. Underage partying, marijuana, mention of sex.


FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in Austin, Texas, at the Texas Library Association Conference. I was thrilled to meet and greet the author and her fellow author and signing buddy Christina Mandelski (both Texans!). I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Click here for the exciting book trailer!

Bewitching Pick: The Book of Spells

The Book of Spells: A Private Prequel
by Kate Brian
Simon & Schuster, 2010
303 pages, with sneak peek Ominous

The Book of Spells is an enjoyable, well-written page turner.

Eliza Williams can't wait to go to boarding school in Boston! She has had enough of her mother's prying eyes--Eliza can't even read what she wants. Her mother thinks that "proper" ladies shouldn't read the great books--leave that to the men. Eliza is a sassy extrovert who has other ideas.

Arriving at the Billings School for Girls in 1915, Eliza finds that her roommate is a likeable girl named Catherine White. All the other girls are nice enough with the exception of Theresa Billings, granddaughter of the school's founder. Theresa is spoiled, snippy, and downright bossy. Too bad that she's engaged to Harrison, the boy Eliza spots from the carriage when she first arrives.

When Eliza unearths a wooden box containing books on witchcraft, she and the others plan to have a little fun. What could be wrong with a little spell or two here and there? The girls form a "club" where twelve must be present in order for any spell to work. They practice spells that make them silent--no sound they make can be heard by others--including the headmistress! This allows them to sneak out and frolic the grounds at night and even visit the boys' school next door without being heard.

What will happen when mean girl Theresa finds out that Eliza has met Harrison at midnight? When a terrible accident threatens their "club" and their lives, the girls must decide whether to practice a darker magic or bury the secrets.

Girls who like mystery and light romance will be drawn to this read.

Ominous, the next in this series, is available February 22, 2011.

Recommended grades 7-up. No language or sex.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review.