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Life's a Witch #1
What the Spell?
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WITCH FOR...
BROOKLYN SPARKS IS INVISIBLE. Because she's not a popular kid or an übernerd, Brooklyn is stuck somewhere in the middle of the high school food chain. But all of that is about to change.
On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, Brooklyn comes of age as a witch. Her strict parents finally unbind her powers and, along with giving herself an instant makeover, Brooklyn discovers her true gift: She was born into a line of magical matchmakers.
After spending so long being overlooked, Brooklyn's getting exactly what she wants, including entrée into the elite crowd and her crush's undivided attention. But there's a price to pay. The use of her powers puts Brooklyn in the same dangerous position as her Salem ancestors - if anyone finds out who she really is and what she can do, her life is over.
Now that she has everything she's ever wanted, Brooklyn has everything to lose.
BROOKLYN SPARKS IS INVISIBLE. Because she's not a popular kid or an übernerd, Brooklyn is stuck somewhere in the middle of the high school food chain. But all of that is about to change.
On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, Brooklyn comes of age as a witch. Her strict parents finally unbind her powers and, along with giving herself an instant makeover, Brooklyn discovers her true gift: She was born into a line of magical matchmakers.
After spending so long being overlooked, Brooklyn's getting exactly what she wants, including entrée into the elite crowd and her crush's undivided attention. But there's a price to pay. The use of her powers puts Brooklyn in the same dangerous position as her Salem ancestors - if anyone finds out who she really is and what she can do, her life is over.
Now that she has everything she's ever wanted, Brooklyn has everything to lose.
328 pages, Hardcover
First published November 30, 2011
32 people are currently reading
2066 people want to read
About the author
Brittany Geragotelis
19 books164 followersBrittany Geragotelis is living the dream. After 10 years of rejection from the publishing industry, she began to post her original novel, Life's a Witch, on the online writing site, Wattpad, hoping that others would enjoy reading her book. A year after the first upload, the book had received 19 million reads, which caught the attention of Publisher's Weekly, The Huffington Post and The Wall Street Journal.
After building up some buzz in the industry, she hooked up with her agents who instantly received interest from publishers and movie/tv producers. Within weeks, Life's a Witch went into auction between four major publishing houses, and in the end Brittany landed a 3-book deal with publishing powerhouse, Simon & Schuster.
When she's not writing, Brittany is obsessing over celebrities, TV shows, movies, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, gluten-free food and, of course, books! Brittany lives in NYC with her boyfriend and her two cats, Murray and Cohen.
After building up some buzz in the industry, she hooked up with her agents who instantly received interest from publishers and movie/tv producers. Within weeks, Life's a Witch went into auction between four major publishing houses, and in the end Brittany landed a 3-book deal with publishing powerhouse, Simon & Schuster.
When she's not writing, Brittany is obsessing over celebrities, TV shows, movies, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, gluten-free food and, of course, books! Brittany lives in NYC with her boyfriend and her two cats, Murray and Cohen.
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April 27, 2013
To see full rant review click here.
This is going to be a rant.
It's not going to be impartial.
If you like this series you might as well get the hell out of here because this is not going to be pretty. Currently, I am studying for finals which means I have high stress levels, am writing this during my limited breaks, and have had three cups of tea . Though to be honest, I think this book accelerated my heart rate more than the tea did and that's not a good thing.
I'll be blunt about it, this book sucks ass.
The only quasi redeeming feature is it's cover for it's pinkness and that stupid wannabe Leven Rambin ruins that.
Okay, now that I have the disclaimer for going bat shit crazy out of the well. I'm going to say it how the fuck did eighteen million people view this shit fest on Wattpad because that's how it got published. And that's honestly why I picked it up because I was excited that someone got picked up from Wattpad but this...this piece of elephant shit.
Okay, I've cursed it but I haven't really gone into why this book bothers me or what it's even about. Well, have you seen that old 1980's movie, Teen Witch, that's this movie but add an extremely creepy counselor and an even more obnoxious heroine who has body dysmorphic disorder.
Oh, yeah our little darling of a heroine named Brooklyn (like the bridge, get it!) has body dysmorphic disorder. And it's not even dealt in a way that's appropriate. Instead of her parents talking to her rationally after she zaps herself a boob job and a Kim Kardashian rear, she just gets told to use her magic carefully because of the Salem Witch Trials which happened four hundred years ago and a lame story about some great aunt who was killed by a reporter-there were so many plot holes with that explanation I'm not even going to go into how stupid it was. It would be a waste of my time since I have to complain about thirty other things that were wrong with this book, and try to get myself relaxed enough to fall asleep so I can start studying at the crack of dawn tomorrow (law school, makes you such a happy bitch during finals). The thing is, she's radically changing her appearance and the majority of the readers for this book are impressionable teenage girls who are probably insecure about their appearance from the get go.
Look, I can understand why she'd want to give herself these things, but no consequences? No talk from her parents? And the only person that really gives a flip is creepy counselor and I think there's really creepy motives there that we're going to get to in a minute...it's just wrong. I'm all for not having a heroine that's prettier than she really thinks she is, but this is the wrong direction to go in. Is it wrong I want more Rose Hathaways and Suze Simons who are satisfied with the way they look imperfections and all. Having this twit zapping herself some new tits, a butt, and a couple of inches, in addition to changing her hair and eyes, oh and lips too that's just wrong on so many levels. Especially considering that she was the I'm pretty but don't realize it type to begin with.
Most sane people would've stopped after the insta makeover but I continued. Only to get some bizarre version of Mean Girls. Seriously, the popular people at this twit's school call themselves The Elite. Yeah...I know. And I thought Starseed was the only book to go to that level of stupidity. But nope, Gregaotelis seems to take the same idea of thinking that Mean Girls is an accurate portrayal of high school life.
No. Just no.
As much as I love the Tina Fey movie, it's satire. It's true that high school girls are probably some of the most evil people in the world, but they aren't that overt. And most popular kids I know wouldn't dare name their little group something, let alone The Elite.
And why the hell does Brookie even want to hang out with them? It's obvious to anyone with half a brain that they're using her. And it's not even like her Man-cessory hangs out with them. So, it's completely stupid. And irrelevant. All we get out of it is she hurts her bestie, the freaking school counselor-that's right our main character's best friend is a school counselor who is about ten years older than her. Isn't that creepy. The school counselor is my age and her best friend is a sixteen-year-old who's her student. They eat lunch and trade Little Debbies every day (maybe not the Little Debbie part), but they eat lunch together every day. Like besties.
I have no words.
You know it's one thing to have a favorite teacher or administrator. I can maybe even understand the lunch thing, if Brookie was working as an office aid or something. But it's like b.f.f. lunch. The counselor is jealous when Brookie starts making friends her own age.
Oh, and also apparently becoming a school counselor is a fate worse than death since apparently creepy counselor used to be a cool high school chick before listening to high school melodrama-hey, she majored in education it was her choice. And what's so sucky about being a school counselor? You're helping people, that is a good and noble career.
Okay, I think I need a wine break.
That's better. So yeah...the school counselor was just about as weird if not weirder than the love interest and his sister who just randomly show up. Oh, and the love interest has magic powers too. And these magic powers they're never really explained. The world building is zip.
I really want to know what makes this book so popular. Eighteen million hits is a lot. It's very impressive. When I saw this I was impressed. Excited to read this. But then all of this? I notice a lot of people thing this book is aimed towards a younger audience, but honestly I'm calling bull shit on this. Because younger readers shouldn't have to put up with this trash. They aren't stupid and there are so many good middle grade books out there that suggesting this is really a good middle grade book is ridiculous.
This book is just a waste. I hate saying it. But it made me angry. I don't like writing reviews like this. I don't like DNFing another book but that's what I had to do. I'm just so infuriated right now. I read two hundred pages of this book waiting for the main character to grow up a little and she hadn't not one bit. And even if she did I don't think I'd care. I was hoping for a light frothy witch book that was sort of like Sabrina the Teenage Witch but what I got was a pile of shit that I'm not going to get out of my mind soon. Seriously, you think Mean Girls is reality. Maybe Tina Fey should write a movie about that and people who think The Titanic wasn't real (a.k.a. sheer stupidity).
This is going to be a rant.
It's not going to be impartial.
If you like this series you might as well get the hell out of here because this is not going to be pretty. Currently, I am studying for finals which means I have high stress levels, am writing this during my limited breaks, and have had three cups of tea . Though to be honest, I think this book accelerated my heart rate more than the tea did and that's not a good thing.
I'll be blunt about it, this book sucks ass.
The only quasi redeeming feature is it's cover for it's pinkness and that stupid wannabe Leven Rambin ruins that.
Okay, now that I have the disclaimer for going bat shit crazy out of the well. I'm going to say it how the fuck did eighteen million people view this shit fest on Wattpad because that's how it got published. And that's honestly why I picked it up because I was excited that someone got picked up from Wattpad but this...this piece of elephant shit.
Okay, I've cursed it but I haven't really gone into why this book bothers me or what it's even about. Well, have you seen that old 1980's movie, Teen Witch, that's this movie but add an extremely creepy counselor and an even more obnoxious heroine who has body dysmorphic disorder.
Oh, yeah our little darling of a heroine named Brooklyn (like the bridge, get it!) has body dysmorphic disorder. And it's not even dealt in a way that's appropriate. Instead of her parents talking to her rationally after she zaps herself a boob job and a Kim Kardashian rear, she just gets told to use her magic carefully because of the Salem Witch Trials which happened four hundred years ago and a lame story about some great aunt who was killed by a reporter-there were so many plot holes with that explanation I'm not even going to go into how stupid it was. It would be a waste of my time since I have to complain about thirty other things that were wrong with this book, and try to get myself relaxed enough to fall asleep so I can start studying at the crack of dawn tomorrow (law school, makes you such a happy bitch during finals). The thing is, she's radically changing her appearance and the majority of the readers for this book are impressionable teenage girls who are probably insecure about their appearance from the get go.
Look, I can understand why she'd want to give herself these things, but no consequences? No talk from her parents? And the only person that really gives a flip is creepy counselor and I think there's really creepy motives there that we're going to get to in a minute...it's just wrong. I'm all for not having a heroine that's prettier than she really thinks she is, but this is the wrong direction to go in. Is it wrong I want more Rose Hathaways and Suze Simons who are satisfied with the way they look imperfections and all. Having this twit zapping herself some new tits, a butt, and a couple of inches, in addition to changing her hair and eyes, oh and lips too that's just wrong on so many levels. Especially considering that she was the I'm pretty but don't realize it type to begin with.
Most sane people would've stopped after the insta makeover but I continued. Only to get some bizarre version of Mean Girls. Seriously, the popular people at this twit's school call themselves The Elite. Yeah...I know. And I thought Starseed was the only book to go to that level of stupidity. But nope, Gregaotelis seems to take the same idea of thinking that Mean Girls is an accurate portrayal of high school life.
No. Just no.
As much as I love the Tina Fey movie, it's satire. It's true that high school girls are probably some of the most evil people in the world, but they aren't that overt. And most popular kids I know wouldn't dare name their little group something, let alone The Elite.
And why the hell does Brookie even want to hang out with them? It's obvious to anyone with half a brain that they're using her. And it's not even like her Man-cessory hangs out with them. So, it's completely stupid. And irrelevant. All we get out of it is she hurts her bestie, the freaking school counselor-that's right our main character's best friend is a school counselor who is about ten years older than her. Isn't that creepy. The school counselor is my age and her best friend is a sixteen-year-old who's her student. They eat lunch and trade Little Debbies every day (maybe not the Little Debbie part), but they eat lunch together every day. Like besties.
I have no words.
You know it's one thing to have a favorite teacher or administrator. I can maybe even understand the lunch thing, if Brookie was working as an office aid or something. But it's like b.f.f. lunch. The counselor is jealous when Brookie starts making friends her own age.
Oh, and also apparently becoming a school counselor is a fate worse than death since apparently creepy counselor used to be a cool high school chick before listening to high school melodrama-hey, she majored in education it was her choice. And what's so sucky about being a school counselor? You're helping people, that is a good and noble career.
Okay, I think I need a wine break.
That's better. So yeah...the school counselor was just about as weird if not weirder than the love interest and his sister who just randomly show up. Oh, and the love interest has magic powers too. And these magic powers they're never really explained. The world building is zip.
I really want to know what makes this book so popular. Eighteen million hits is a lot. It's very impressive. When I saw this I was impressed. Excited to read this. But then all of this? I notice a lot of people thing this book is aimed towards a younger audience, but honestly I'm calling bull shit on this. Because younger readers shouldn't have to put up with this trash. They aren't stupid and there are so many good middle grade books out there that suggesting this is really a good middle grade book is ridiculous.
This book is just a waste. I hate saying it. But it made me angry. I don't like writing reviews like this. I don't like DNFing another book but that's what I had to do. I'm just so infuriated right now. I read two hundred pages of this book waiting for the main character to grow up a little and she hadn't not one bit. And even if she did I don't think I'd care. I was hoping for a light frothy witch book that was sort of like Sabrina the Teenage Witch but what I got was a pile of shit that I'm not going to get out of my mind soon. Seriously, you think Mean Girls is reality. Maybe Tina Fey should write a movie about that and people who think The Titanic wasn't real (a.k.a. sheer stupidity).
November 19, 2014
Ugh, this book is atrocious. It’s just unbelievably appalling.
Brooklyn is one of the worst female characters ever. She’s self-absorbed, stupid, superficial, has a superiority complex, lies, manipulates people (literally), and is just horrible. First of all, I don’t know or get what her obsession is with becoming popular and joining the Elite is. It’s not as if joining them will solve your poor body image you have of yourself or your insecurities. It’ll just be a mask to cover your troubles before it gets ripped off.
Everyone in this book must be dense or dumb as heck because once Brooklyn gets her powers she changes EVERYTHING about her appearance. Giving herself blonder hair, changes her eye color, makes herself taller, and, of course, has to give her herself the prerequisite big boobs and ass. Not to mention the absolutely perfect and stunning skin complexion. LIKE NO ONE NOTICES THIS CHANGE OVERNIGHT?! REALLY?! The Elite just thinks she got real good plastic surgery (come on, gag me now!) and her parents tell her she should just be careful and not overdo her magic use. WHAT KINDA PARENTS ARE YOU?! Damn enablers.
The Elite are just terrible people. Bullies out to destroy the lives of others that don’t agree with them or present them with a problem. They want everything and will do anything to get what they want even if it means tearing down other people and ruining their lives to get it. Brooklyn, however, keeps going along with their schemes and there are moments where she feels conflicted and bad that hey what they’re doing is NOT GOOD, she continues on with them anyway. Ugh.
Her boyfriend, what was his name? IS A FREAKING SAINT! He liked her before she started in on her crazy hijinks and still managed to tolerate her even when she became so fake and superficial upon joining the Elite. He was so supportive and tried to be understanding even though he vastly disapproved of what she was doing and what the Elite did. Although, the amount of lying Brooklyn did to him made me want to RIP ALL THE PAGES OUT OF THIS BOOK.
Then later she cheats on him by making out with another guy because HEY, declaring it not official or exclusive means you’re free to dally around with other guys. NO WAY. THAT IS STUPID. If you are both in a serious relationship and not seeing other people YOU ARE THEREFORE EXCLUSIVE. The worst part is when Brooklyn and the Elite are caught for all the terrible shit they/she were doing and Brooklyn has the NERVE to gaslight her boyfriend about his anger, betrayal, and hurt feelings. WHAT THE FUCK. Look up gaslighting on Wikipedia if you’re not familiar with the concept. Only terrible people do this shit to other people.
UGH, THIS BOOK IS AWFUL. I hate Brooklyn, I hate this book, and I hate all the messages it sent to readers in the story. The only reason I really wanted to read this book is because it had such a funny, witty title. Not anymore.
STAY AWAY. FAR AWAY.
Brooklyn is one of the worst female characters ever. She’s self-absorbed, stupid, superficial, has a superiority complex, lies, manipulates people (literally), and is just horrible. First of all, I don’t know or get what her obsession is with becoming popular and joining the Elite is. It’s not as if joining them will solve your poor body image you have of yourself or your insecurities. It’ll just be a mask to cover your troubles before it gets ripped off.
Everyone in this book must be dense or dumb as heck because once Brooklyn gets her powers she changes EVERYTHING about her appearance. Giving herself blonder hair, changes her eye color, makes herself taller, and, of course, has to give her herself the prerequisite big boobs and ass. Not to mention the absolutely perfect and stunning skin complexion. LIKE NO ONE NOTICES THIS CHANGE OVERNIGHT?! REALLY?! The Elite just thinks she got real good plastic surgery (come on, gag me now!) and her parents tell her she should just be careful and not overdo her magic use. WHAT KINDA PARENTS ARE YOU?! Damn enablers.
The Elite are just terrible people. Bullies out to destroy the lives of others that don’t agree with them or present them with a problem. They want everything and will do anything to get what they want even if it means tearing down other people and ruining their lives to get it. Brooklyn, however, keeps going along with their schemes and there are moments where she feels conflicted and bad that hey what they’re doing is NOT GOOD, she continues on with them anyway. Ugh.
Her boyfriend, what was his name? IS A FREAKING SAINT! He liked her before she started in on her crazy hijinks and still managed to tolerate her even when she became so fake and superficial upon joining the Elite. He was so supportive and tried to be understanding even though he vastly disapproved of what she was doing and what the Elite did. Although, the amount of lying Brooklyn did to him made me want to RIP ALL THE PAGES OUT OF THIS BOOK.
Then later she cheats on him by making out with another guy because HEY, declaring it not official or exclusive means you’re free to dally around with other guys. NO WAY. THAT IS STUPID. If you are both in a serious relationship and not seeing other people YOU ARE THEREFORE EXCLUSIVE. The worst part is when Brooklyn and the Elite are caught for all the terrible shit they/she were doing and Brooklyn has the NERVE to gaslight her boyfriend about his anger, betrayal, and hurt feelings. WHAT THE FUCK. Look up gaslighting on Wikipedia if you’re not familiar with the concept. Only terrible people do this shit to other people.
UGH, THIS BOOK IS AWFUL. I hate Brooklyn, I hate this book, and I hate all the messages it sent to readers in the story. The only reason I really wanted to read this book is because it had such a funny, witty title. Not anymore.
STAY AWAY. FAR AWAY.
August 1, 2014
What the spell? More like what the hell?
I could honestly write a better book myself. That's not saying much since I have the mind of a child. I feel like Geragotelis wrote this when she was a freshman and she was mad at the cool girl for dating the boy she had a huge crush on. (Am I right or am I right?) Brooklyn's obsession with being popular made me want to stop and just throw it away. I have never ever wanted to be popular. (Okay maybe a little...) Let me just say, I would never go to those extremes to be popular.
I also found the main character flat and unchanging. I hate books with an unappealing main characters. I have no idea what Asher ever saw in her. It was like he saw her and went, "I'll date her." Like good Lord, Asher seems to have most of his crap together. Why would he want to date a mess of a person. Also I want to point out that Asher actually talked to Brooklyn AFTER SHE GOT HER FULL BODY MAKEOVER. Is the author trying to tell me I will never get a guy unless I change myself? Ahem... anyway I probably wouldn't date Brooklyn either without her flawless makeover. Her personality doesn't really make you interested in her.
Can we talk about the makeover thing again though? Her parents literally unlock her powers and the first thing she does is transforms herself. All the same night? Look I get that high school is rough and people don't always have high self esteems. We have all gone through it. If I had powers, I would zap away my fat. Not on the same night though. No freaking way. It would have been a slow transformation so I wouldn't draw attention to myself. Because I would have LISTENED TO MY PARENTS AFTER THEY SAID DON'T DRAW ATTENTION TO YOUR POWERS!
But this is a book, so logic doesn't matter. Brooklyn just poofs all her problems and no one questions it. They just enjoy the fact that she looks good. If you had done that at my high school, you would be considered fake and become a joke. Or we would suspect that you are a witch. Whatever works.
The book ended with a Pretty Little Liars moment where the girl gets threatened by an unknown number. Immediately she rules out the girl who's life she just destroyed. Now call me crazy, but that girl would be my number one suspect. Brooklyn goes I know it wasn't that girl because she would have just texted me from her usual number.
Uh no.
You destroyed her so she knows you won't take her crap so it may be possible that she got a new number to threaten you. Maybe it's just me being my evil self, but that's what I would have done if I was in that girl's position. Heck, I would have done that if I went to the same school as Brooklyn. The girl never even redeemed herself.
I'm guessing there is a second book and Brooklyn will be exposed and all that crap. No way am I going to find out. My eyeballs would bleed if I cracked open another one of this lady's "novels".
The best part was when Asher left Brooklyn and she was sad. I literally sat on my bed going, "Hell yeah, bitch! You got what was coming for ya!"
EDIT: I read online that she tried to get this book published for TEN years! There is a reason for that..
I could honestly write a better book myself. That's not saying much since I have the mind of a child. I feel like Geragotelis wrote this when she was a freshman and she was mad at the cool girl for dating the boy she had a huge crush on. (Am I right or am I right?) Brooklyn's obsession with being popular made me want to stop and just throw it away. I have never ever wanted to be popular. (Okay maybe a little...) Let me just say, I would never go to those extremes to be popular.
I also found the main character flat and unchanging. I hate books with an unappealing main characters. I have no idea what Asher ever saw in her. It was like he saw her and went, "I'll date her." Like good Lord, Asher seems to have most of his crap together. Why would he want to date a mess of a person. Also I want to point out that Asher actually talked to Brooklyn AFTER SHE GOT HER FULL BODY MAKEOVER. Is the author trying to tell me I will never get a guy unless I change myself? Ahem... anyway I probably wouldn't date Brooklyn either without her flawless makeover. Her personality doesn't really make you interested in her.
Can we talk about the makeover thing again though? Her parents literally unlock her powers and the first thing she does is transforms herself. All the same night? Look I get that high school is rough and people don't always have high self esteems. We have all gone through it. If I had powers, I would zap away my fat. Not on the same night though. No freaking way. It would have been a slow transformation so I wouldn't draw attention to myself. Because I would have LISTENED TO MY PARENTS AFTER THEY SAID DON'T DRAW ATTENTION TO YOUR POWERS!
But this is a book, so logic doesn't matter. Brooklyn just poofs all her problems and no one questions it. They just enjoy the fact that she looks good. If you had done that at my high school, you would be considered fake and become a joke. Or we would suspect that you are a witch. Whatever works.
The book ended with a Pretty Little Liars moment where the girl gets threatened by an unknown number. Immediately she rules out the girl who's life she just destroyed. Now call me crazy, but that girl would be my number one suspect. Brooklyn goes I know it wasn't that girl because she would have just texted me from her usual number.
Uh no.
You destroyed her so she knows you won't take her crap so it may be possible that she got a new number to threaten you. Maybe it's just me being my evil self, but that's what I would have done if I was in that girl's position. Heck, I would have done that if I went to the same school as Brooklyn. The girl never even redeemed herself.
I'm guessing there is a second book and Brooklyn will be exposed and all that crap. No way am I going to find out. My eyeballs would bleed if I cracked open another one of this lady's "novels".
The best part was when Asher left Brooklyn and she was sad. I literally sat on my bed going, "Hell yeah, bitch! You got what was coming for ya!"
EDIT: I read online that she tried to get this book published for TEN years! There is a reason for that..
January 7, 2013
WHAT THE SPELL is a spellbinding witchy read that explores what it means to be a teen with a little magic on their side. Many giggles were had during my time reading the book, though that reaction may not have been the authors intent in certain places. The situations that Brooklyn went through were at many times ridiculous, and a few times inspirational. I didn't fall completely in love with the story as I expected I would, but I still think that this will be a popular read with the younger teens trying to find their place in the intense world of high school.
Brooklyn was someone who I had a very difficult time connecting with. While at first I felt for her loner status and wanted better for her, the moment her powers are unbound, she becomes a completely different and superficial girl. Her actions made me cringe. She became very callous and willing to go to extreme length to be accepted in a group that had bad intentions. However, by the end of the novel she grows into a much stronger girl who learns from her terrible mistakes and begins to transform into someone the reader can identify with. I have high hopes for her in the next book.
While I didn't like Brooklyn for a majority of the novel, the plot kept me going. I wanted her to be able to overcome "The Elite" and learn more about her powers. There's also a developing back story surrounding her adorable love interest Asher, which will definitely play a bigger role in the next book. I also think there's a lesson for younger teens to learn about being true to themselves and not changing who they are for others who can't accept what's already there.
WHAT THE SPELL is cutesy YA debut that is more on the lighter side. While I feel like Brooklyn could have been fleshed out a bit more and a few events in the book bugged me, I still think certain readers will come to love WHAT THE SPELL.
Brooklyn was someone who I had a very difficult time connecting with. While at first I felt for her loner status and wanted better for her, the moment her powers are unbound, she becomes a completely different and superficial girl. Her actions made me cringe. She became very callous and willing to go to extreme length to be accepted in a group that had bad intentions. However, by the end of the novel she grows into a much stronger girl who learns from her terrible mistakes and begins to transform into someone the reader can identify with. I have high hopes for her in the next book.
While I didn't like Brooklyn for a majority of the novel, the plot kept me going. I wanted her to be able to overcome "The Elite" and learn more about her powers. There's also a developing back story surrounding her adorable love interest Asher, which will definitely play a bigger role in the next book. I also think there's a lesson for younger teens to learn about being true to themselves and not changing who they are for others who can't accept what's already there.
WHAT THE SPELL is cutesy YA debut that is more on the lighter side. While I feel like Brooklyn could have been fleshed out a bit more and a few events in the book bugged me, I still think certain readers will come to love WHAT THE SPELL.
March 30, 2013
Lost me as a reader a short time after she changes her body with her magic. Not just removing bad hair or zits, but making her butt and boobs bigger.
What do the parents say in reaction to this?? Your using magic too much. Honey, your gonna get burned at the stake. WTH! How about, honey, your beautiful just the way you are. Her teacher showed more concern about her body image hatred. Clearing up bad skin is one thing, but changing everything about yourself just to get some popular twits to notice you is far beyond stupid.
Maybe a moral will show up later... Not interesting enough to find out.
This confronts the question of, "if you had magic powers when you were a teenage what would you do?" I personally would become a super genius, graduate in a month and blow the joint. This chick just wants to be popular. Hmm...
What do the parents say in reaction to this?? Your using magic too much. Honey, your gonna get burned at the stake. WTH! How about, honey, your beautiful just the way you are. Her teacher showed more concern about her body image hatred. Clearing up bad skin is one thing, but changing everything about yourself just to get some popular twits to notice you is far beyond stupid.
Maybe a moral will show up later... Not interesting enough to find out.
This confronts the question of, "if you had magic powers when you were a teenage what would you do?" I personally would become a super genius, graduate in a month and blow the joint. This chick just wants to be popular. Hmm...
July 12, 2013
Oh my god. This is quite honestly one of the worst books I have ever read. Listen, I think it's great, the emergence of websites where aspiring writers can post their novels to gain an audience and get feedback. I really do. But just because you get millions of hits does not mean that you should get a publishing contract. Yes, sometimes there are fabulous novels out there on these websites, but more often than that, they're awful novels that get an audience only because hey, look, I can read this for free and it's not as bad as that unpublished work.
Okay, granted, I didn't read the original one (and this isn't the one that got all the hits apparently?), but I mean, if this one sucks - and an actual editor looked at it - I think it's safe to assume that the original had to be horrible. And no, it's not a matter of taste. I hate Sarah Dessen's books - with the exception of This Lullaby because Dexter - but Sarah Dessen can write a decent albeit formulaic novel.
What the Spell has absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever. It's not even an enjoyable lighthearted paranormal romance.
So, basically, Brooklyn comes from this magical family that doesn't practice magic. Now that she's sixteen, her powers have been unbound and she can finally practice. And what's the first thing that she does? Gives herself a magical makeover. And it's not like she gives herself highlights or slightly adjusts the colour of her eyes. Because minor changes that could be attributed to some excellent make-up work or something would have been okay. You want to save yourself some time in the morning and make yourself look just a little bit better than you could ever achieve. Understandable. No. She radically changes her appearance - including making herself taller - so that people don't even recognize her. And what do her parents have to say? "Oh, honey, be careful with your magic because the Salem Witch Trials and your aunt Evelyn." Yeah. When really, actual parents would be like, "Brooklyn, we are taking you to a therapist NOW."
Anyway, so then everyone starts paying attention to Brooklyn. FINALLY. Including her long-time crush, Asher Astley and seriously, what on earth were his parents thinking? Alliteration much? But even better? The Elite are taking notice. The Elite is her high school's popular clique - do popular kids really name their clique? - and Brooklyn has always wanted to fit in. All Brooklyn has to do is TP a principal's house and some other illegal-type stuff, and beach parties with the hottest celebs are hers. (Um yeah. Because there's the daughter of an A-list actor in the Elite. Because children of the stars attend public school. Which bothered me in Veronica Mars too, but that show actually dealt with class issues and also had good characters and awesome dialogue.) And Brooklyn is shallow enough to want this.
In the meantime, she's also playing magic matchmaker because apparently, it's not okay for anyone to be single in Brooklyn's world. And she just gives herself a big pat on the back for making the world a better place.
But of course, everything good can't last. Her crush isn't thrilled with her obsession with popularity, and the Elite might just be going too far. Can Brooklyn put an end to it without revealing her powers?
And I haven't even mentioned the disturbing element that is Brooklyn's friendship with the young guidance counsellor. Like, I'm sorry, but it's not okay that she eats lunch with the guidance counsellor daily, not because she's that troubled (although she kind of is; she just doesn't realize it) but because they're friends who talk the way friends do. And okay, maybe that's how some therapist/patient relationships are, but it bugged me here because no one ever said, "Hey, guys...is this entirely okay?" Because that guidance counsellor was getting pretty unprofessional.
Totally cliche and totally predictable with shallow, flat characters with absolutely no redeeming qualities. Run far away. Do not read. Even if it's free. Run away. It's not worth your time.
Okay, granted, I didn't read the original one (and this isn't the one that got all the hits apparently?), but I mean, if this one sucks - and an actual editor looked at it - I think it's safe to assume that the original had to be horrible. And no, it's not a matter of taste. I hate Sarah Dessen's books - with the exception of This Lullaby because Dexter - but Sarah Dessen can write a decent albeit formulaic novel.
What the Spell has absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever. It's not even an enjoyable lighthearted paranormal romance.
So, basically, Brooklyn comes from this magical family that doesn't practice magic. Now that she's sixteen, her powers have been unbound and she can finally practice. And what's the first thing that she does? Gives herself a magical makeover. And it's not like she gives herself highlights or slightly adjusts the colour of her eyes. Because minor changes that could be attributed to some excellent make-up work or something would have been okay. You want to save yourself some time in the morning and make yourself look just a little bit better than you could ever achieve. Understandable. No. She radically changes her appearance - including making herself taller - so that people don't even recognize her. And what do her parents have to say? "Oh, honey, be careful with your magic because the Salem Witch Trials and your aunt Evelyn." Yeah. When really, actual parents would be like, "Brooklyn, we are taking you to a therapist NOW."
Anyway, so then everyone starts paying attention to Brooklyn. FINALLY. Including her long-time crush, Asher Astley and seriously, what on earth were his parents thinking? Alliteration much? But even better? The Elite are taking notice. The Elite is her high school's popular clique - do popular kids really name their clique? - and Brooklyn has always wanted to fit in. All Brooklyn has to do is TP a principal's house and some other illegal-type stuff, and beach parties with the hottest celebs are hers. (Um yeah. Because there's the daughter of an A-list actor in the Elite. Because children of the stars attend public school. Which bothered me in Veronica Mars too, but that show actually dealt with class issues and also had good characters and awesome dialogue.) And Brooklyn is shallow enough to want this.
In the meantime, she's also playing magic matchmaker because apparently, it's not okay for anyone to be single in Brooklyn's world. And she just gives herself a big pat on the back for making the world a better place.
But of course, everything good can't last. Her crush isn't thrilled with her obsession with popularity, and the Elite might just be going too far. Can Brooklyn put an end to it without revealing her powers?
And I haven't even mentioned the disturbing element that is Brooklyn's friendship with the young guidance counsellor. Like, I'm sorry, but it's not okay that she eats lunch with the guidance counsellor daily, not because she's that troubled (although she kind of is; she just doesn't realize it) but because they're friends who talk the way friends do. And okay, maybe that's how some therapist/patient relationships are, but it bugged me here because no one ever said, "Hey, guys...is this entirely okay?" Because that guidance counsellor was getting pretty unprofessional.
Totally cliche and totally predictable with shallow, flat characters with absolutely no redeeming qualities. Run far away. Do not read. Even if it's free. Run away. It's not worth your time.
August 13, 2013
This book totally reminded me of As You Wish, which I read at the beginning of the summer. It was cute, light, had a twist of magic in there, and generally just pretty fun to read. Though I'm not super into the "I have to be popular" storyline (because honestly, who cares?), I do know it's a big part of younger YA audience and lit, so I'm okay with it being a thing here.
Brooklyn is just REALLY adamant about getting into this crowd, but they're not even nice. Still, after her makeover, they notice her and start giving her "jobs" to do (essentially hazing) to prove herself worthy enough to join this group. But the twist is the magic. There are kind of two storylines that happen in this book, and I was okay with both of them. One was completing these tasks and hiding her magic, the other was learning about her family history and magic and dealing with what would happen if someone found out they existed.
I obviously liked the latter of the two better, and the book left off with an intriguing enough ending that I'm trying to find the second book in all my boxes so I can read it because it's got to do with the more interesting plot.
As far as the characters, I didn't care for Brooklyn so much, but she finally started to get the hang of things at the end, so it wasn't ungodly irritating. I liked Asher (a friend she makes at school) just fine, but who I really liked was his sister Abby. She was much more dynamic and her personality was so much more interesting than the other people in the book. I really wanted to know more about her.
I was kind of angry with something that happened toward the end. A certain someone accused someone of a something, and I just have a hard time believing it. Like, after one viewing, being like, obviously THIS is the reason! I am 100% positive! No. That would not be it. Seriously? I was a little mad at that. But maybe there's a reason for that that will crop up in book #2.
This was a fun and friendly book, with a few things that were weird, but other than that I really enjoyed it. Read When: You want a little bit of magic and mystery and a lot of ridiculous high school drama.
Brooklyn is just REALLY adamant about getting into this crowd, but they're not even nice. Still, after her makeover, they notice her and start giving her "jobs" to do (essentially hazing) to prove herself worthy enough to join this group. But the twist is the magic. There are kind of two storylines that happen in this book, and I was okay with both of them. One was completing these tasks and hiding her magic, the other was learning about her family history and magic and dealing with what would happen if someone found out they existed.
I obviously liked the latter of the two better, and the book left off with an intriguing enough ending that I'm trying to find the second book in all my boxes so I can read it because it's got to do with the more interesting plot.
As far as the characters, I didn't care for Brooklyn so much, but she finally started to get the hang of things at the end, so it wasn't ungodly irritating. I liked Asher (a friend she makes at school) just fine, but who I really liked was his sister Abby. She was much more dynamic and her personality was so much more interesting than the other people in the book. I really wanted to know more about her.
I was kind of angry with something that happened toward the end. A certain someone accused someone of a something, and I just have a hard time believing it. Like, after one viewing, being like, obviously THIS is the reason! I am 100% positive! No. That would not be it. Seriously? I was a little mad at that. But maybe there's a reason for that that will crop up in book #2.
This was a fun and friendly book, with a few things that were weird, but other than that I really enjoyed it. Read When: You want a little bit of magic and mystery and a lot of ridiculous high school drama.
January 6, 2013
4.5 stars. "What the Spell" is the first book in a planned series about teenage witches and is rooted in the story of the Salem Witch Trials, which is definitely not new territory for a book but the author does a really great job of breathing brand new life into a subject that has been tackled before.
One of the standout parts of the book for me was the main character of Brooklyn. She is smart but she doesn't always make the best decisions. I loved, loved, loved her voice in the book. You want so badly for her to do the right thing and when she fails or stumbles, you are still pulling for her because you've already been shown that at her core, she really wants to try to do the right thing and that she's going through all of those things that so many teens go through (want of acceptance, first love, etc.). You know exactly what she's thinking throughout the book and I really think that that it helped to pull me into the book and see things through Brooklyn's eyes.
Being a little bit older than her character, I felt like there were a lot of decisions that Brooklyn made that weren't great especially when it comes to changing her appearance or some of the decisions she makes surrounding the popular group in her high school but having once been a teenager myself, I totally got why she makes the decisions she makes. At one point in my life, I would have made the same decisions. She's not perfect but it made her seem more real.
I loved the sort of tug of war in the book between families like Brooklyn's who are low magic households because of what happened during the Salem Witch Trials and families like Brooklyn's love interest, Asher's who believe that they should fully grab on to their gifts and it may have gotten them into trouble in the end. With the cliffhanger around Asher's family in the end of the book, I can't wait to see where the next book picks up!
Bottom line: A great contemporary YA read with a paranormal twist.
One of the standout parts of the book for me was the main character of Brooklyn. She is smart but she doesn't always make the best decisions. I loved, loved, loved her voice in the book. You want so badly for her to do the right thing and when she fails or stumbles, you are still pulling for her because you've already been shown that at her core, she really wants to try to do the right thing and that she's going through all of those things that so many teens go through (want of acceptance, first love, etc.). You know exactly what she's thinking throughout the book and I really think that that it helped to pull me into the book and see things through Brooklyn's eyes.
Being a little bit older than her character, I felt like there were a lot of decisions that Brooklyn made that weren't great especially when it comes to changing her appearance or some of the decisions she makes surrounding the popular group in her high school but having once been a teenager myself, I totally got why she makes the decisions she makes. At one point in my life, I would have made the same decisions. She's not perfect but it made her seem more real.
I loved the sort of tug of war in the book between families like Brooklyn's who are low magic households because of what happened during the Salem Witch Trials and families like Brooklyn's love interest, Asher's who believe that they should fully grab on to their gifts and it may have gotten them into trouble in the end. With the cliffhanger around Asher's family in the end of the book, I can't wait to see where the next book picks up!
Bottom line: A great contemporary YA read with a paranormal twist.
February 4, 2013
I didn't think I would like this book as I prefer more supernatural and less social situation, but I found the story really engaging. First, I think every parent who wants to "protect" their children needs to read this book. It is a warning of what will happen if you shelter your daughter and then suddenly set her loose in the world with absolutely no social or emotional survival skills. Brooklyn's parents bound her magic until her sixteenth birthday on the assumption that she would suddenly have the maturity to deal with it. They didn't use magic in front of her so she had no role models, and they didn't seem to notice that she had no friends, even though the only people at any of her birthday parties were her parents and her BFF was her guidance counselor. When she finally has magic, Brooklyn makes a never ending series of poor and inappropriate choices in the name of popularity which, she believes will solve all her problems and set herself up to save the world some day. Never having had friends, she seems to value influence and power over all else, and makes all sorts of excuses for her lying and destructive behavior. She constantly justifies hurting other people with immature reasoning.
HOWEVER....I don't know how Geragotelis did it, but I didn't hate Brooklyn. Normally this kind of single-minded selfishness would completely turn me off, but I understood enough of how she came to be that way to know that she is fumbling around like all of us had at one point in our live (if you never fumbled, you probably shouldn't read this book). She thinks her intentions are good even though they're not, but it's because she can't understand the situation because of her rigid and lifeless upbringing. She is emotionally a child with a set of adult-sized magical tools.
Poor kid. Poor, poor, annoying kid. Can't wait for the next book!
HOWEVER....I don't know how Geragotelis did it, but I didn't hate Brooklyn. Normally this kind of single-minded selfishness would completely turn me off, but I understood enough of how she came to be that way to know that she is fumbling around like all of us had at one point in our live (if you never fumbled, you probably shouldn't read this book). She thinks her intentions are good even though they're not, but it's because she can't understand the situation because of her rigid and lifeless upbringing. She is emotionally a child with a set of adult-sized magical tools.
Poor kid. Poor, poor, annoying kid. Can't wait for the next book!
March 15, 2013
What the Spell? is the first book in Brittany Geragotelis’ Life’s a Witch Series. For sixteen-year-old Brooklyn, she wants nothing more than to be the popular girl that gets all the attention, especially by a cute guy. When her traditionalist parents finally liberate her powers, she wastes no time in giving herself a makeover, complete with new friends and finally getting the attention of her crush, Asher. But just like her Salem ancestors, this insinuation puts her in a position that if she is revealed for what she really is; she may be denigrated and could lose Asher forever.
The direction this unique story takes is fully engaging and will have readers captivated from the beginning. Author Brittany’s presentation of Brooklyn was wonderful. She may not make the right decision at time and may get into bad situations but readers will remain loyal to her and root for her to succeed. Brooklyn’s sheltered life is described in great detail and readers will get a true feeling of her emotions towards certain things in her life. Brittany’s writing style allows for Brooklyn’s life lessons to be told in a beautiful presentation of a young person trying to figure out who they are as they come to age. She provides readers with a world of witchcraft and seamlessly integrates it into this unique coming-of-age story. What the Spell? is simply adorable and has the quality that will have readers coming back to it time after time. It is thrilling to know that his book is the first in a series and that there are more to come.
3.5 Stars
The direction this unique story takes is fully engaging and will have readers captivated from the beginning. Author Brittany’s presentation of Brooklyn was wonderful. She may not make the right decision at time and may get into bad situations but readers will remain loyal to her and root for her to succeed. Brooklyn’s sheltered life is described in great detail and readers will get a true feeling of her emotions towards certain things in her life. Brittany’s writing style allows for Brooklyn’s life lessons to be told in a beautiful presentation of a young person trying to figure out who they are as they come to age. She provides readers with a world of witchcraft and seamlessly integrates it into this unique coming-of-age story. What the Spell? is simply adorable and has the quality that will have readers coming back to it time after time. It is thrilling to know that his book is the first in a series and that there are more to come.
3.5 Stars
July 14, 2013
High school politics are hard to navigate, even if you are a witch.
I know that every high school has that clique of students who are the 3 "P"s - pretty, popular and powerful. People we hate but secretly wish we could be or, at least, be around. But this group is evil. I understand the reason behind The Elite, but what did they really want from it all? I wish there was more talk about their futures and why doing bad things will get them there.
I read somewhere that this is part of a 3-book deal, so I was disappointed that there was not more talk about what was going on with Asher's family. I am pretty sure it delves deep into the history of witches and a possible upcoming battle (not a spoiler, but an intuition based on my book reading history). More ground work and information would have been nice. For Brooklyn to be so desperate that Asher would not break-up with her, how could he leaving without notice leave Brooklyn at peace?
What I hope the most is that young readers see what is morally and ethically wrong in this story and learn from it. If your gut tells you something is bad, it is. Do not give up who you are for something fun. Look what happened to The Elite. Wait, you have to buy the book!
Until next time, live life one page at a time!
I know that every high school has that clique of students who are the 3 "P"s - pretty, popular and powerful. People we hate but secretly wish we could be or, at least, be around. But this group is evil. I understand the reason behind The Elite, but what did they really want from it all? I wish there was more talk about their futures and why doing bad things will get them there.
I read somewhere that this is part of a 3-book deal, so I was disappointed that there was not more talk about what was going on with Asher's family. I am pretty sure it delves deep into the history of witches and a possible upcoming battle (not a spoiler, but an intuition based on my book reading history). More ground work and information would have been nice. For Brooklyn to be so desperate that Asher would not break-up with her, how could he leaving without notice leave Brooklyn at peace?
What I hope the most is that young readers see what is morally and ethically wrong in this story and learn from it. If your gut tells you something is bad, it is. Do not give up who you are for something fun. Look what happened to The Elite. Wait, you have to buy the book!
Until next time, live life one page at a time!
May 16, 2013
I absolutely adored this book. It's a coming of age tale of a girl who has come into her magickal powers after her parents unbound them at the age of 16. She tries to gain popularity by giving herself a magickal makeover and joining The Elite. The Elite were the highest popular group in her high school. She has to decide what is more important to her- becoming an elite or losing herself and who she truly is. She finds out the guy that she is crushing on likes her back and he also has powers. The only difference between them is that he has been using his powers since he was a child. She learns that she has the power of binding two people together like Cupid does so she matches up people she knows. She begins using her powers for bad and realizes it when it's too late... I feel like someone in the Elite or around them is a descendant of the witch hunter...Who has the video of her using her powers and what are they going to do with it? I cannot wait to read the sequel to this book!!
January 22, 2019
I only made it to Page 111. The main character was stupid and immature BUT had smart thoughts and would do the exact opposite of what she said for EX. "I'm not going to change myself just to make the popular kids like me" and what did she do three pages later change almost everything about herself so that they would like her.
January 18, 2013
Review originally posted on my blog: A Book Obsession..
All her life Brooklyn has been waiting for the day she turns sixteen and her parents unbind her witch born powers. The first matter of business will be to change her appearance so she can finally stop being invisible to all of her classmates. The change is dramatic and people have taken notice. She's gained the attention of the Elite, the highest social clique in the school. But Brooklyn quickly learns that popularity comes at a price, and she'll have to decide just how high a cost she is willing to pay.
There are two kinds of Paranormal YA. One being where the focus is largely on the paranormal elements, and the high school drama and dynamics are more in the background, which is largely my preference. The second type being where the paranormal aspects take a backseat to the high school drama. Unfortunately, WHAT THE SPELL fell in the latter category. Even when I was a teenager myself, I still wasn't immersed in that sort of drama as I made every effort to avoid it. I never understood the quest for popularity and power in school. Fashion was not a priority for me. I wanted to surround myself with people that liked me for me, not something I was trying to be. So, when a book is centered around all of that not so fun stuff, it just doesn't make for the most enjoyable read. It's just a shame because I was really interested in the Witchy parts of the story, but in the end it really only played a small part, leaving me rather disappointed.
Even if I could have put aside my style preferences about the amount of paranormal focus in WHAT THE SPELL, this book still wouldn't have worked for me due to a large character disconnect. Again, this is probably coming back to my non-understanding of social ladder climbing, but I just couldn't seem to connect with Brooklyn. She was very selfish and acted rather spoiled at times, all in the name of not wanting to be invisible any more. I mean, she wasn't naieve, she knew what she was doing was wrong, but each time she justified it by it being necessary to be in the Elite. Also, she was given several chances to redeem herself and come clean, but never took them. Even worse she didn't grow a backbone until the very end, and in my opinion that was too little too late. By that point I was long past wanting to reach through the pages and smack some sense into her, so there wasn't much she could really do at that point to impress me. Hopefully the fall out will cause her to learn her lesson.
I have to admit that I am on the fence as to whether or not I will continue on with this series. On one hand, I had the major character disconnect, and my issues with there only small amounts of paranormal. But on the other hand, unless I really despise the first installment, I like to give each new series two books to win me over. There are just so many times where the first book can be a bit rocky due to world building, but then the next book takes off with a bang. Which, I think may be the case in this series due to the way WHAT THE SPELL ended, so perhaps a second change might be warranted. As far as this book goes, WHAT THE SPELL should largely appeal to fans of a strong high school setting, but for me, unfortunately it's a pass.
All her life Brooklyn has been waiting for the day she turns sixteen and her parents unbind her witch born powers. The first matter of business will be to change her appearance so she can finally stop being invisible to all of her classmates. The change is dramatic and people have taken notice. She's gained the attention of the Elite, the highest social clique in the school. But Brooklyn quickly learns that popularity comes at a price, and she'll have to decide just how high a cost she is willing to pay.
There are two kinds of Paranormal YA. One being where the focus is largely on the paranormal elements, and the high school drama and dynamics are more in the background, which is largely my preference. The second type being where the paranormal aspects take a backseat to the high school drama. Unfortunately, WHAT THE SPELL fell in the latter category. Even when I was a teenager myself, I still wasn't immersed in that sort of drama as I made every effort to avoid it. I never understood the quest for popularity and power in school. Fashion was not a priority for me. I wanted to surround myself with people that liked me for me, not something I was trying to be. So, when a book is centered around all of that not so fun stuff, it just doesn't make for the most enjoyable read. It's just a shame because I was really interested in the Witchy parts of the story, but in the end it really only played a small part, leaving me rather disappointed.
Even if I could have put aside my style preferences about the amount of paranormal focus in WHAT THE SPELL, this book still wouldn't have worked for me due to a large character disconnect. Again, this is probably coming back to my non-understanding of social ladder climbing, but I just couldn't seem to connect with Brooklyn. She was very selfish and acted rather spoiled at times, all in the name of not wanting to be invisible any more. I mean, she wasn't naieve, she knew what she was doing was wrong, but each time she justified it by it being necessary to be in the Elite. Also, she was given several chances to redeem herself and come clean, but never took them. Even worse she didn't grow a backbone until the very end, and in my opinion that was too little too late. By that point I was long past wanting to reach through the pages and smack some sense into her, so there wasn't much she could really do at that point to impress me. Hopefully the fall out will cause her to learn her lesson.
I have to admit that I am on the fence as to whether or not I will continue on with this series. On one hand, I had the major character disconnect, and my issues with there only small amounts of paranormal. But on the other hand, unless I really despise the first installment, I like to give each new series two books to win me over. There are just so many times where the first book can be a bit rocky due to world building, but then the next book takes off with a bang. Which, I think may be the case in this series due to the way WHAT THE SPELL ended, so perhaps a second change might be warranted. As far as this book goes, WHAT THE SPELL should largely appeal to fans of a strong high school setting, but for me, unfortunately it's a pass.
January 29, 2013
WHAT THE SPELL is a fun, charming, bittersweet and utterly delightful story of magic, mean girls and boys, actions and consequences, and the price one girl is willing to pay to fit in. A quick and engaging read, with just a touch of the paranormal to differentiate itself from its contemporary peers, this story will hold readers captive as they follow Brooklyn Sparks as she treads the line between right and wrong in her attempt to shed her cloak of invisibility and find out just who she really is.
All Brooklyn wanted was to be noticed. Having been virtually non-existent for years, she couldn’t wait for her parents to unbind her powers so that she could change her life. So that she could go from being friendless and invisible to pretty and popular. So that she could make a difference. So that she would matter.
But when her makeover got her noticed by “The Elite” - the most popular group of kids in school - she wanted more than anything to become one of them. To go to the best parties. To meet the most influential people. To be revered by her classmates. To be powerful.
And it was all within her reach. She just had to prove her loyalty. She just had to pass their tests. She just had to be willing to cross the line.
Author Brittany Geragotelis has created a main character who is both incredibly sympathetic and wildly frustrating, someone who must decide whether their need for acceptance is worth the price for popularity, and whether honesty, selflessness and doing what’s right are more important than fitting in.
WHAT THE SPELL is a story that will have readers rooting for the main character to make the right choices, cringing when she doesn’t and cheering when does. And with a cast of characters that keeps this story exciting - from the powerful Elite to the adorable and swoon-worthy Asher Astley - and an ending that will make them wonder exactly what happened and anxious to find out just what comes next, this prequel story in the Life’s a Witch series hits just the right balance between being one that is light, fun and flirty and one that has a bit more depth.
For readers looking for a story with a fresh twist on a mean girl theme, a touch of the paranormal with spellcasting and witchcraft, a character who must learn one or two of life’s lessons, and an ending that leaves off with a bit of a mystery, WHAT THE SPELL won't disappoint.
On a personal note...
I absolutely loved reading WHAT THE SPELL and getting to meet Brooklyn. I knew this story would be about a girl trying to get “in” with the popular crowd by using magic. And I knew that something was bound to go wrong.
I assumed there would be some kind of mishap with a spell or a secret would be revealed in a horribly embarrassing way. But this story delivered way more than I expected.
I did not expect the story to go into as much depth about actions and consequences as it did. I did not expect the main character to be given so many opportunities to do the right thing. I didn’t expect the main character’s super cute crush to be so good and honest and empathetic and understanding.
I didn’t expect there to be lessons to be learned from the lifestyle choices of Brooklyn and Asher’s families. And I did not expect that one thing that was left open-ended at the very end.
WHAT THE SPELL was a super quick one-sit-read. It was a story that kept me connected throughout. Even though Brooklyn drove me crazy half the time. And I’m talking the kind of crazy where I shout at the book, roll my eyes and sigh. Which proves that, yes, I was thoroughly engaged. So much so that “Brookie” made me want to throttle her. Repeatedly.
While I completely understood why she did many of the things she did, I could not fully grasp all of her choices. Especially those where Asher was involved. Because... let’s just say that I would not have chosen as she did in those particular instances.
But what drove me even more insane was that I was not - I’m still not - entirely sure she learned from all of her mistakes at the end.
Speaking of endings... after the way things ended with two ginormous questions left unanswered, I am just dying to find out exactly what happened and what will happen next. Absolutely dying.
I would love to talk more about that... but as it would totally spoil this book for those who haven’t read it, I’ll just talk about favorite characters.
While I loved getting to know Brooklyn, my most favorite character in this story was Asher. While Brooklyn was at times adorable, Asher was at all times kind of amazing. And while I’d like to go into each and every one of the ways he was amazing, that would definitely spoil more than a few things about this story.
I even loved getting to “meet” Gigi and Eliza. Though I wouldn’t list Gigi as one of my favorite characters, she definitely made this story that much more interesting. Her presence alone added drama. And she seemed to have a bit more depth to her than Brooklyn.
I enjoyed going on this journey with Brooklyn even though I wanted to shake some sense into her at almost every step of the way. I can't wait for the sequel and I am keeping my fingers crossed that there will be more of Asher and his family in that book. And I hope that the next book in the series will answer those questions at the end and dive a little bit deeper into the witchy side of things... especially about just what the deal is with Samuel Parris.
All Brooklyn wanted was to be noticed. Having been virtually non-existent for years, she couldn’t wait for her parents to unbind her powers so that she could change her life. So that she could go from being friendless and invisible to pretty and popular. So that she could make a difference. So that she would matter.
But when her makeover got her noticed by “The Elite” - the most popular group of kids in school - she wanted more than anything to become one of them. To go to the best parties. To meet the most influential people. To be revered by her classmates. To be powerful.
And it was all within her reach. She just had to prove her loyalty. She just had to pass their tests. She just had to be willing to cross the line.
Author Brittany Geragotelis has created a main character who is both incredibly sympathetic and wildly frustrating, someone who must decide whether their need for acceptance is worth the price for popularity, and whether honesty, selflessness and doing what’s right are more important than fitting in.
WHAT THE SPELL is a story that will have readers rooting for the main character to make the right choices, cringing when she doesn’t and cheering when does. And with a cast of characters that keeps this story exciting - from the powerful Elite to the adorable and swoon-worthy Asher Astley - and an ending that will make them wonder exactly what happened and anxious to find out just what comes next, this prequel story in the Life’s a Witch series hits just the right balance between being one that is light, fun and flirty and one that has a bit more depth.
For readers looking for a story with a fresh twist on a mean girl theme, a touch of the paranormal with spellcasting and witchcraft, a character who must learn one or two of life’s lessons, and an ending that leaves off with a bit of a mystery, WHAT THE SPELL won't disappoint.
On a personal note...
I absolutely loved reading WHAT THE SPELL and getting to meet Brooklyn. I knew this story would be about a girl trying to get “in” with the popular crowd by using magic. And I knew that something was bound to go wrong.
I assumed there would be some kind of mishap with a spell or a secret would be revealed in a horribly embarrassing way. But this story delivered way more than I expected.
I did not expect the story to go into as much depth about actions and consequences as it did. I did not expect the main character to be given so many opportunities to do the right thing. I didn’t expect the main character’s super cute crush to be so good and honest and empathetic and understanding.
I didn’t expect there to be lessons to be learned from the lifestyle choices of Brooklyn and Asher’s families. And I did not expect that one thing that was left open-ended at the very end.
WHAT THE SPELL was a super quick one-sit-read. It was a story that kept me connected throughout. Even though Brooklyn drove me crazy half the time. And I’m talking the kind of crazy where I shout at the book, roll my eyes and sigh. Which proves that, yes, I was thoroughly engaged. So much so that “Brookie” made me want to throttle her. Repeatedly.
While I completely understood why she did many of the things she did, I could not fully grasp all of her choices. Especially those where Asher was involved. Because... let’s just say that I would not have chosen as she did in those particular instances.
But what drove me even more insane was that I was not - I’m still not - entirely sure she learned from all of her mistakes at the end.
Speaking of endings... after the way things ended with two ginormous questions left unanswered, I am just dying to find out exactly what happened and what will happen next. Absolutely dying.
I would love to talk more about that... but as it would totally spoil this book for those who haven’t read it, I’ll just talk about favorite characters.
While I loved getting to know Brooklyn, my most favorite character in this story was Asher. While Brooklyn was at times adorable, Asher was at all times kind of amazing. And while I’d like to go into each and every one of the ways he was amazing, that would definitely spoil more than a few things about this story.
I even loved getting to “meet” Gigi and Eliza. Though I wouldn’t list Gigi as one of my favorite characters, she definitely made this story that much more interesting. Her presence alone added drama. And she seemed to have a bit more depth to her than Brooklyn.
I enjoyed going on this journey with Brooklyn even though I wanted to shake some sense into her at almost every step of the way. I can't wait for the sequel and I am keeping my fingers crossed that there will be more of Asher and his family in that book. And I hope that the next book in the series will answer those questions at the end and dive a little bit deeper into the witchy side of things... especially about just what the deal is with Samuel Parris.
March 29, 2013
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.
Quick & Dirty: This was a very predictable coming of age book. It had some cute funny moments, but slightly disappointing characters.
Opening Sentence: It totally sucked being invisible.
The Review:
Brooklyn is a witch, well at least she was born a witch, but her over protective parents have had her powers bound since she was a baby. They promised that on her 16 birthday they would release her powers, but she has to be very cautious about using them. Brooklyn has always felt invisible in life. She has never really had any friends and she is so average looking. She has longed to fit in all her life and she knows that now she will have her powers she can make that happen. There is one particular group that she wants to be a part of. They are called “The Elite” and there are five members of the group. They are popular, beautiful, and pretty much rule the school. Everyone wants to be friends with them and everyone wants to be them.
After Brooklyn gets her powers she decides to give herself a major makeover. She goes from no one to someone in a matter of days. She has always had a huge crush on Asher Astley and he has finally taken notice of her, The Elite are talking to her, and she is no longer invisible. This is what Brooklyn always wanted, but being popular and trying to fit in is not all it’s cracked up to be. Her new friends ask her to do some pretty questionable things, but if Brooklyn wants to be popular she has to pay the price.
Brooklyn is an interesting character and to be honest she drove me nuts for most of the book. She had a very weak personality and she was very easily swayed. She would do pretty much anything to be popular and even though she knew what she was doing was wrong she went ahead and did it anyway. She lied to the few people who really cared about her, and she makes horrible decisions throughout the book. I will have to admit that by the end she does redeem herself some and I hope that in the next book she will be a little more likeable.
Brooklyn has been pretty much in love with Asher forever. It turns out that he is also a witch so they have a lot in common. He is super sweet and really good for Brooklyn. He truly cares about her and really tries to help her make better decisions and become a better person. Unfortunately, Brooklyn keeps lying to Asher because she knows that he won’t approve of all the things she does. She is very insecure in their relationship and eventually everything comes back to bite her in the end. I really liked Asher and I hope that he and Brooklyn will be able to reconcile their relationship.
This was just an ok read for me. I had such a hard time connecting with Brooklyn, and the story was very predictable. I know that high school can be hard and being popular is important, but I just felt it was a little overdone. I enjoyed the flow of the book and it was well written. I will have to admit that there was a great premise set up for the next book and I honestly am looking forward to reading it. The ending really saved this book for me, it left me intrigued and wanting more so that’s the only reason I gave it a 3 star rating. Otherwise, it would have been a 2 star for me. I would recommend this book to maybe a little bit younger crowd that likes paranormal books.
Notable Scene:
“Do you two want to be left alone?”
I assumed the comment was meant for someone else and ignored it. When it was repeated, my curiosity got the better of me and I cracked one of my eyes open.
What I saw startled me. Just a few feet away, two gorgeous eyes stared back. They crinkled at the sides as if they were smiling at me. And as I looked at the rest of his dark caramel-colored face, I saw that his lips were smiling too.
Keeping my forehead on the locker, I turned my head slightly the other way to see whether he was talking to someone behind me, but to my surprise, there was no one there. I pushed myself slowly away from the locker and looked back at him, almost expecting him to have disappeared.
But he was still there, leaning lazily against the lockers, hands resting in the pockets of his jeans. His smile had changed to a slight smirk as he waited for me to respond.
“Um, yeah. No. I mean … what?” I said, totally caught off guard.
He didn’t move toward me or away from me, just stared at me curiously. “I had a locker like that once. We were hot and heavy for a while, but then she dumped me for the janitor’s closet. And, well, how could I compete with that?”
When I didn’t answer right away, he chuckled to himself and then ran his hand through his jet-black faux-hawk.
“Okay. So, nice talk,” he said and slowly began to move away. “Maybe next time we’ll get to the part where you say something back? We’ll make it a whole conversation thing.”
All I could do was nod as I watched Asher Astley, the boy I’d had a crush on since the beginning of school, walk away from me.
FTC Advisory: Simon & Schuster provided me with a copy of What the Spell. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: This was a very predictable coming of age book. It had some cute funny moments, but slightly disappointing characters.
Opening Sentence: It totally sucked being invisible.
The Review:
Brooklyn is a witch, well at least she was born a witch, but her over protective parents have had her powers bound since she was a baby. They promised that on her 16 birthday they would release her powers, but she has to be very cautious about using them. Brooklyn has always felt invisible in life. She has never really had any friends and she is so average looking. She has longed to fit in all her life and she knows that now she will have her powers she can make that happen. There is one particular group that she wants to be a part of. They are called “The Elite” and there are five members of the group. They are popular, beautiful, and pretty much rule the school. Everyone wants to be friends with them and everyone wants to be them.
After Brooklyn gets her powers she decides to give herself a major makeover. She goes from no one to someone in a matter of days. She has always had a huge crush on Asher Astley and he has finally taken notice of her, The Elite are talking to her, and she is no longer invisible. This is what Brooklyn always wanted, but being popular and trying to fit in is not all it’s cracked up to be. Her new friends ask her to do some pretty questionable things, but if Brooklyn wants to be popular she has to pay the price.
Brooklyn is an interesting character and to be honest she drove me nuts for most of the book. She had a very weak personality and she was very easily swayed. She would do pretty much anything to be popular and even though she knew what she was doing was wrong she went ahead and did it anyway. She lied to the few people who really cared about her, and she makes horrible decisions throughout the book. I will have to admit that by the end she does redeem herself some and I hope that in the next book she will be a little more likeable.
Brooklyn has been pretty much in love with Asher forever. It turns out that he is also a witch so they have a lot in common. He is super sweet and really good for Brooklyn. He truly cares about her and really tries to help her make better decisions and become a better person. Unfortunately, Brooklyn keeps lying to Asher because she knows that he won’t approve of all the things she does. She is very insecure in their relationship and eventually everything comes back to bite her in the end. I really liked Asher and I hope that he and Brooklyn will be able to reconcile their relationship.
This was just an ok read for me. I had such a hard time connecting with Brooklyn, and the story was very predictable. I know that high school can be hard and being popular is important, but I just felt it was a little overdone. I enjoyed the flow of the book and it was well written. I will have to admit that there was a great premise set up for the next book and I honestly am looking forward to reading it. The ending really saved this book for me, it left me intrigued and wanting more so that’s the only reason I gave it a 3 star rating. Otherwise, it would have been a 2 star for me. I would recommend this book to maybe a little bit younger crowd that likes paranormal books.
Notable Scene:
“Do you two want to be left alone?”
I assumed the comment was meant for someone else and ignored it. When it was repeated, my curiosity got the better of me and I cracked one of my eyes open.
What I saw startled me. Just a few feet away, two gorgeous eyes stared back. They crinkled at the sides as if they were smiling at me. And as I looked at the rest of his dark caramel-colored face, I saw that his lips were smiling too.
Keeping my forehead on the locker, I turned my head slightly the other way to see whether he was talking to someone behind me, but to my surprise, there was no one there. I pushed myself slowly away from the locker and looked back at him, almost expecting him to have disappeared.
But he was still there, leaning lazily against the lockers, hands resting in the pockets of his jeans. His smile had changed to a slight smirk as he waited for me to respond.
“Um, yeah. No. I mean … what?” I said, totally caught off guard.
He didn’t move toward me or away from me, just stared at me curiously. “I had a locker like that once. We were hot and heavy for a while, but then she dumped me for the janitor’s closet. And, well, how could I compete with that?”
When I didn’t answer right away, he chuckled to himself and then ran his hand through his jet-black faux-hawk.
“Okay. So, nice talk,” he said and slowly began to move away. “Maybe next time we’ll get to the part where you say something back? We’ll make it a whole conversation thing.”
All I could do was nod as I watched Asher Astley, the boy I’d had a crush on since the beginning of school, walk away from me.
FTC Advisory: Simon & Schuster provided me with a copy of What the Spell. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
July 11, 2013
The cover is fun. The title is fun, too, and it hints at Brooklyn's constant state of confusion and feelings of being lost. I really related to Brooklyn's feelings about being an invisible person. But that changed when she all of her energy was focused on achieving popularity by joining The Elite. This made me realize I was more like Asher. I found Brooklyn's obsession to be unsettling. She had plenty of evidence that proved The Elite were bad, but she still continued on her obsessive crusade. During Brooklyn's heartfelt speech to Asher I wanted to shake her, and ask "What took you so long?" Thankfully, Brooklyn does wake up. The end left me wanting to know what happens to the rest of the characters. I can't wait to read the sequels. Overall, the story was fun and satisfying. Brooklyn's introduction to magic and how she uses it reminded me of Matilda by Roald Dahl, and the behavior of The Elite reminded me of "The A Team" from Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard.
January 28, 2013
An adorable tale of teenage witchery. Brooklyn lived a sheltered life till her sixteenth birthday... She grew up knowing she was a witch, but having her powers bound. She never felt that she fit in anywhere in her short life. All she ever wanted was to be accepted, popular, to make a difference in the world. On her birthday her parents give her the one thing she thinks will make her life better, her powers. As the old saying goes, Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. Brooklyn learns the hard way what it is she wants and who she is, getting a little lost along the way. I look forward to reading book two and seeing what happens with The Astleys. Ms.Z and how Brooklyn is holding up...
January 11, 2013
I'm guessing this book is aimed at a much younger audience than me. This is a very obvious coming-of-age-and-realizing-who-you-are type of book, and I liked it well enough. Except from the cupid part. Why did author add the cupid part? She had all the magic in the world to work with, but noooo. She had to add the cupid part, which ruined it for me. But maybe I'm just getting too old for these kind of books (boredom, and younger sibling being an important factor here), but I didn't like it. I may introduce it to my 8 year old sister though, as this might be more up here alley.
April 21, 2025
Only finished it for my daughter. However, I WILL NOT LET HER READ IT!!!!!
Girls have enough to deal with about body image... To imply the need bigger butts or blobs to get a guy is BS!!!##
Girls have enough to deal with about body image... To imply the need bigger butts or blobs to get a guy is BS!!!##
January 28, 2013
*3.5 rounded up to 4 stars
I really like witch books, so I was excited to read this one. It sounded so fun and cute. And it was. The story was fun to read and I enjoyed seeing what would happen next. I liked how the characters interacted with each other, even if I didn't particularly care for a lot of them. This book gave me a kind of Mean Girls vibe, and I really enjoyed it.
Brooklyn is from a family of witches who don't really use their powers, so hers have been locked. It's not until her 16th birthday that her powers are unlocked. She has always been invisible, and so what is the first thing she does? Gives herself a makeover to be supermodel perfect so she can try to get a coveted spot with The Elite. She gets so obsessed with being popular that she does awful things and seems to lose who she really is. I get that she just wanted to be popular, but I felt like she really took it too far. She knew that the things she was doing was wrong, but she kept convincing herself that she was almost in with the popular crowd. I'm sorry, but if someone kept giving me "tests" to see if I would really fit in, I would tell them to eff off. Underneath it all though, Brooklyn is a great girl, it just took a little too much for her to finally realize how stupid she was being.
Asher was probably my favorite character. He was so understanding and great to Brooklyn. He didn't care if she was popular or not. He liked her for the real her, not the fake Brooklyn trying to fit in. In fact, he doesn't like The Elite and doesn't see why Brooklyn wants so badly to be part of their group. He will pretty much do anything for Brooklyn. He was so sweet and charming. I really wanted him to get through to Brooklyn. I was hoping that how much he cared about her would me more important than popularity.
Overall I thought that this was a fun book, but I was so mad that Brooklyn kept lying and hiding things from Asher when he had been nothing but understanding even when discovering she had lied before. All he wants from her is honesty and she could have prevented so much drama if she just opened up to him and didn't lie. I also was annoyed that she kept letting The Elite walk all over her. It's one thing to prove loyalty, but they keep having her do all this illegal stuff and she's totally okay with it. She is pretty shallow and stupid a lot of the time and I couldn't quite get past that. Otherwise I thought that it was a great book.
I really like witch books, so I was excited to read this one. It sounded so fun and cute. And it was. The story was fun to read and I enjoyed seeing what would happen next. I liked how the characters interacted with each other, even if I didn't particularly care for a lot of them. This book gave me a kind of Mean Girls vibe, and I really enjoyed it.
Brooklyn is from a family of witches who don't really use their powers, so hers have been locked. It's not until her 16th birthday that her powers are unlocked. She has always been invisible, and so what is the first thing she does? Gives herself a makeover to be supermodel perfect so she can try to get a coveted spot with The Elite. She gets so obsessed with being popular that she does awful things and seems to lose who she really is. I get that she just wanted to be popular, but I felt like she really took it too far. She knew that the things she was doing was wrong, but she kept convincing herself that she was almost in with the popular crowd. I'm sorry, but if someone kept giving me "tests" to see if I would really fit in, I would tell them to eff off. Underneath it all though, Brooklyn is a great girl, it just took a little too much for her to finally realize how stupid she was being.
Asher was probably my favorite character. He was so understanding and great to Brooklyn. He didn't care if she was popular or not. He liked her for the real her, not the fake Brooklyn trying to fit in. In fact, he doesn't like The Elite and doesn't see why Brooklyn wants so badly to be part of their group. He will pretty much do anything for Brooklyn. He was so sweet and charming. I really wanted him to get through to Brooklyn. I was hoping that how much he cared about her would me more important than popularity.
Overall I thought that this was a fun book, but I was so mad that Brooklyn kept lying and hiding things from Asher when he had been nothing but understanding even when discovering she had lied before. All he wants from her is honesty and she could have prevented so much drama if she just opened up to him and didn't lie. I also was annoyed that she kept letting The Elite walk all over her. It's one thing to prove loyalty, but they keep having her do all this illegal stuff and she's totally okay with it. She is pretty shallow and stupid a lot of the time and I couldn't quite get past that. Otherwise I thought that it was a great book.
December 30, 2013
Who wouldn't want to be one of the popular kids at their high school? Who wouldn't want everyone looking up at them and spend their weekends partying with celebrities? But how high of a price would you pay to become a part of the Elite? Would you change your friends, change your looks, and change your morals?
"What The Spell" follows a girl who did all of the above and some more, to finally become one of the Elite. There are a lot of changes going on for Brooklyn right at the beginning of the story, not only is she striving to become one of the populars, but she's finally getting her witch powers granted to her on her birthday!
After having spent lunch everyday with her only friend, the school councilor, and browsing the web about witches and spells, Brooklyn is tired of the boring life she's been living and wants something new. She wants to become one of the Elite. And she's ready to do anything she has to, to fit in and stick out; including changing her entire body with a few small spells.
The rest of the story follows Brooklyn and her attempt to satisfy the Elite by helping two other members cheat on a test, by tee-peeing the principles house, and even by helping them break into the councilor's (her once best friend) office to take a peek at their records. But soon things aren't as great as seem them with the Elite, the group is caught breaking into the offices at night, the Elite black mail Brooklyn with a picture of her kissing another boy (threatening to send it to Brooklyn's boyfriend), and a video where she's using her witch powers to unlock the school door.
The story ends with Brooklyn confessing and standing by all of her bad choices; which I really liked, she had no excuses and accepted what ever punishment she had coming for her. Brooklyn grew up a lot; she became herself, not a member of the Elite. I don't want to give too much else away, because you really have to read the book yourself!
Overall I enjoyed the characters, even though at times I wanted to grab Brooklyn by the shoulders and give her a good shake! "What The Spell" was a light and fun witchy read!
"What The Spell" follows a girl who did all of the above and some more, to finally become one of the Elite. There are a lot of changes going on for Brooklyn right at the beginning of the story, not only is she striving to become one of the populars, but she's finally getting her witch powers granted to her on her birthday!
After having spent lunch everyday with her only friend, the school councilor, and browsing the web about witches and spells, Brooklyn is tired of the boring life she's been living and wants something new. She wants to become one of the Elite. And she's ready to do anything she has to, to fit in and stick out; including changing her entire body with a few small spells.
The rest of the story follows Brooklyn and her attempt to satisfy the Elite by helping two other members cheat on a test, by tee-peeing the principles house, and even by helping them break into the councilor's (her once best friend) office to take a peek at their records. But soon things aren't as great as seem them with the Elite, the group is caught breaking into the offices at night, the Elite black mail Brooklyn with a picture of her kissing another boy (threatening to send it to Brooklyn's boyfriend), and a video where she's using her witch powers to unlock the school door.
The story ends with Brooklyn confessing and standing by all of her bad choices; which I really liked, she had no excuses and accepted what ever punishment she had coming for her. Brooklyn grew up a lot; she became herself, not a member of the Elite. I don't want to give too much else away, because you really have to read the book yourself!
Overall I enjoyed the characters, even though at times I wanted to grab Brooklyn by the shoulders and give her a good shake! "What The Spell" was a light and fun witchy read!
January 10, 2013
"What the Spell" by Brittany Geragotelis was a book I immediately fell in love with. I found the struggles the narrator, Brooklyn, went through were ones I could relate to as a high schooler even thought they had a supernatural twist to them.
I found Brooklyn as a character easy to relate to. She is very smart and I loved her voice throughout the story. I wanted her to do the right thing at every turn. I also found myself cheering for her and Asher and for her to be able to overcome the obstacles "The Elite" were putting in her way. From the core she seems to want what almost every teen girl wants at some point which is popularity yet wanting to do the right thing. I loved her as the main character and look forward to reading more.
The theme is one that is seen often yet I find is always given a different twist of the main character trying to figure out who they are as the come to age. Recently coming into her powers as a witch Brooklyn struggles to find her place in school and in life. It seems like this is commonly written on yet Brittany puts her own spin on it which kept me reading.
The end of the book left me hanging and I can't wait for the second book. I was intrigued throughout the book and found the plot captured and held my attention. Overall this book was a wonderful read and I am excited to read the second book.
I found Brooklyn as a character easy to relate to. She is very smart and I loved her voice throughout the story. I wanted her to do the right thing at every turn. I also found myself cheering for her and Asher and for her to be able to overcome the obstacles "The Elite" were putting in her way. From the core she seems to want what almost every teen girl wants at some point which is popularity yet wanting to do the right thing. I loved her as the main character and look forward to reading more.
The theme is one that is seen often yet I find is always given a different twist of the main character trying to figure out who they are as the come to age. Recently coming into her powers as a witch Brooklyn struggles to find her place in school and in life. It seems like this is commonly written on yet Brittany puts her own spin on it which kept me reading.
The end of the book left me hanging and I can't wait for the second book. I was intrigued throughout the book and found the plot captured and held my attention. Overall this book was a wonderful read and I am excited to read the second book.
March 9, 2013
More of my reviews at Secrets of Lost Words.
Rating: B
Brooklyn is a witch whose magic has been bound since birth. Then on her sixteenth birthday, her parent let her have her magic again. Now just think about it. If you had wanted something your whole life, and you can finally have it, let's be honest here: You'd probably abuse the privilege. (Don't deny it; if you still won't abuse it, you have no life)
Anyways, Brooklyn's dream is to fit in and be popular. With magic, that can be easily achieved. With a few changes to her appearance, boom! Popular kids want her.
I think this story really important to those of us who are still growing up because it teaches us to discover ourselves and know who we really are. Brooklyn thought she wanted to be popular but in the end, she knew who she really is. It was not who she wanted to be, but hey, she still loves herself.
This story of self-discovery along with reckless and fun magic would definitely cheer you right up on a bad day :)
Rating: B
Brooklyn is a witch whose magic has been bound since birth. Then on her sixteenth birthday, her parent let her have her magic again. Now just think about it. If you had wanted something your whole life, and you can finally have it, let's be honest here: You'd probably abuse the privilege. (Don't deny it; if you still won't abuse it, you have no life)
Anyways, Brooklyn's dream is to fit in and be popular. With magic, that can be easily achieved. With a few changes to her appearance, boom! Popular kids want her.
I think this story really important to those of us who are still growing up because it teaches us to discover ourselves and know who we really are. Brooklyn thought she wanted to be popular but in the end, she knew who she really is. It was not who she wanted to be, but hey, she still loves herself.
This story of self-discovery along with reckless and fun magic would definitely cheer you right up on a bad day :)
May 31, 2013
This is a cute, very fast read, but also very predictable. Brooklyn's parents are super controlling and have bound her powers until she reaches sixteen, but they never gave her the ability to learn right from wrong and you can just about guess how things are going to go after that. She falls in with the mean girl cligue,(I mean come on!! "The Elite"?) but also falls in love with a cute magical boy named Asher. Well the predictable route takes us through the mean girls making Brooklyn prove her self worthy of being in the group, while more and more people are just harassed by these bullies. I like that Brooklyn is trying to make things better, to use the popularity for more than just her name in the news. What I didn't like was just the predictable nature of the book. It is fast, and the ending is a perfect cliff-hanger, so maybe book two will be better.
August 6, 2013
Don't judge a book by its cover. I tend to grab books with covers that catch my eye, which this certainly did. Unfortunately the old saying rang true, "What the spell?" was not only boring it was very superficial.
The main character cries and moans about her looks and not being popular. Her solution? Change it by magic! Who cares what's on the inside!
It comes as no surprise when popularity comes with a price and she no longer likes the person who she is changing into. The book try's to right it's wrongs, but in the end just fails at it.
I highly doubt the magical teen learned anything at all as she still holds popularity as something that needs to be achieved and it makes me fear what young impressionable girls are taking away from this novel.
The main character cries and moans about her looks and not being popular. Her solution? Change it by magic! Who cares what's on the inside!
It comes as no surprise when popularity comes with a price and she no longer likes the person who she is changing into. The book try's to right it's wrongs, but in the end just fails at it.
I highly doubt the magical teen learned anything at all as she still holds popularity as something that needs to be achieved and it makes me fear what young impressionable girls are taking away from this novel.
February 24, 2013
Mean Girls meets that 80's movie Teen Witch. That damn cliffhanger. Damn you.
May 12, 2019
Light and fluffy and forgettable. Great for numbing you brain after a book that got you all worked up.
I liked the book just fine but parts were a bit odd. Like the very close and odd friendship that she has with her guidance counselor who in an odd way was living at times vicariously through Brooklyn's life. Humm not too sure about that. Brooklyn is self centered and all about me but that happens after she becomes noticed and not invisible at school so yeah I can deal with that. The ending abrupt so there's a second book somewhere.
I liked the book just fine but parts were a bit odd. Like the very close and odd friendship that she has with her guidance counselor who in an odd way was living at times vicariously through Brooklyn's life. Humm not too sure about that. Brooklyn is self centered and all about me but that happens after she becomes noticed and not invisible at school so yeah I can deal with that. The ending abrupt so there's a second book somewhere.
September 15, 2023
Loved reading this book, the world was so interesting, and oh, it didn't go in the direction that I thought, I can't wait to read more!
January 20, 2018
No Asher resolution? Really?
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