Worst Love Spell Ever!

Middle School and Other Disasters #2

by Wanda Coven, Anna Abramskaya (Illustrator)

In this hilarious second book in the Middle School and Other Disasters series, witch-in-training Heidi Heckelbeck wants her crush to notice her. Featuring black-and-white illustrations and doodles throughout!

Heidi is settling in at Broomsfield Academy. She and Melanie are trying to get along and Heidi is getting used to her classes, all her new friends, and her very first crush, Hunter! The problem Hunter is really popular. How will Heidi get him to notice her? Her friends tell her to just be herself, but that sounds so boring! After all, Heidi is a witch-in-training. What good is having magic if you can’t use it? She knows she can find the perfect love spell to make Hunter fall in love with her. What could possibly go wrong?

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens, Fantasy

351 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 29, 2023

Reviews

[Kelly Reitmeier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worst Love Spell Ever is the second book in the Middle School and Other Disasters series.

It is told from the point of view of young witch in training Heidi Heckelbeck as she navigates life at Broomsfield Academy. As if being a young preteen witch isn’t enough, she is also battling an intense crush on the charming wizard Hunter along with almost every other girl in her grade. Determined to win his heart, Heidi goes to great lengths with her magic, learning that love cannot be forced and being yourself is the best thing you can be.

Being an ARC there was only one fully illustrated chapter which was well done. The rest of the book was filled with sketches however, they also worked within the story. The fully illustrated version will be lovely, I’m sure.

Reading these books in order would be beneficial as I have not read the first book and was a bit lost in the beginning as to who Heidi was.

The story was cute, funny and taught some valuable lessons. I think this is a great read for middle graders who enjoy a magical element to their reads while exploring young love and friendship.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada for the advance copy in exhange for review.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how this book has many people crushing on the same boy, and the people who are trying too hard are the people who the boy doesn't like the way they like him. I really liked the end of the book how Heidi got to dance with a boy after trying so hard with Hunter.

[Ελένη Καραχανίδη · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did this book was a time machine to my high school age? Yeap
Did I love it? Sure
Would I rather had some spells when I was a student? Definitely
Ready for part 3?of course!

[Ben Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a middle-grade reader enthusiast, I really enjoyed this book. I valued the addition of so many illustrations, which were spread throughout the book and really helped to capture the story being told.

The Worst Love Spell Ever! Middle School and Other Disasters was an entertaining and hilarious look at middle school drama that anyone aged 8-12 will appreciate, and it's also a great way to get your kids into reading.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley with no obligation to review.

[Carmela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for an advance copy of this novel.
What a cute story about young girls crushes, witches, spells. It brought back memories of young love and put a smile on my face.
The first chapter's illustrations were very nice and on point.
Recommend

[Thompson McLeod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Two in the Middle School and Other Disasters series features our friend Heidi Hecklebeck as she settles into her new school, Broomsfield Academy, a school for witches-in-training. Heidi crushes on a cute boy named Hunter, but there's just one problem. Hunter is super popular and girls surround him at all times, including frenemy and now roommate Melanie!

How will Heidi ever get Hunter to notice her with all these other girls around? It's time to get creative and, yes, magical. Heidi goes to work to find the perfect spell to make Hunter not only notice her, but fall in love with her. First, it's her magical hair potion which gives her glorious, beautiful shampoo ad-worthy hair, but it backfires when her hair won't stop growing. It's out of control!

Heidi tries various spells to get Hunter's attention and undying devotion until it becomes obvious she's thinking only of herself. She never stops to think how she's affecting Hunter or her best friends. When they point it out to her, Heidi finally understands that she's been a selfish witch and vows to set things right.

Illustrations by Anna Abramskaya bring Heidi and her friends to life. Middle school worthy prose and all the "feels" are captured by the author with a magical touch. Wanda Coven is clearly a witch who channels every middle school girl and her first crush. Heidi is cringe-worthy in many cases, but it's adorable and funny. Middle school has never been funnier nor sadder.

Readers will be waiting for book three. It's not necessary to read book one to understand this book, but readers will likely read the entire series. Once they've stepped into the hypnotic world of Heidi Hecklebeck, they'll never want to leave.

Easy to read with illustrations and tween friendly format with a font used to imitate a child's handwriting (similar to Wimpy Kid books) Worst Love Spell Ever! casts a powerful spell.

Highly recommended grades 4 and up.

[Paige V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet Heidi Heckelbeck - a fun-loving teenage girl with a crush on a charming boy named Hunter Mccahn. She will go the extra mile to get his attention and win his heart. However, competing with her roommate and frenemy, Melanie takes work. Heidi sees it as a friendly competition for love, and she's determined to win Hunter's heart with her charm and wit.

I read the second book in the Heidi Heckelbeck series without reading the first one. Despite that, I could understand everything that happened in the story.
Heidi's love quest leads her on a wild adventure full of twists and turns. Although the book was sometimes a bit cringy, the adorable illustrations and lovable characters kept me hooked.
Heidi is a determined and creative character, while Hunter is a nice guy. However, Melanie was a bit mean.

If you're a fan of the Middle School and Other Disasters series, you'll want to add this book to your collection!

Happy Reading, Paige ❤️ 📚

Thank you, @SimonKids #simonkidscrew, for sharing this cute and hilarious book with me!

[Tara Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since this book is geared towards Middle School readers, I had my 11 year old daughter read and review it for me. Here is her assessment:

I really like the book, it's great! I like that Sunny is jealous of Heidi. If I could I would rate this 11/10. I think EVERY body should read this. It's funny and exciting I like how Heidi calls Hunter McCann Hunter McCutie. I would recommend this book for Tweens who like drama. This book is full of love, witch/wizards, competition, crushes, magic, normal human beings, and school! BEST BOOK EVER!!!!!!!!!!

I hope this review by my daughter entices young readers to give it a try.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heidi Heckelbeck has finally turned her mortal enemy into...well, a frenemy at least. Then disaster strikes: she and Melanie both like the same boy. What's a witch to do? If you're Heidi, you'll misuse your magic to get what you want.

Yikes, Heidi never learns. But at least she's entertaining as she gets into trouble. I'm still loving this series, and can't wait to read more, if only to discover what new mischief Heidi will get up to next.

Great way to get your middle school readers who might be struggling a bit with reading to become interested in books. This is really perfect for Hi-Low readers.

[Caroline G · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS IS SO INTERESTINGG
My friend introduced me to these series and I love them .
Heidi is so relatable, and the books make me feel like I’m really there.
This book is full of “AHHH NOO and OMGGGG”
It was extremely interesting and I recommend to younger readers.
I absolutely loved this book and I can’t wait till the 5th book comes out

[raha! · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is soo fun to read as a teenager I loved it it’s exciting and funny loved how Heidi is sharing her inside thoughts to us lol I loved it it talked about so many different things like crushing,friends,enemies,and even spells this is the first book I completed without hesitation truly amazing
Xx
-raha

[Borislava Kamburova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Хайди е толкова лудо влюбена в Хънтър, че направи две ужасяващо несполучливи магии. Също така тя измисли своя собствена магия, с която се издигна в очите на г-жа Кетълдръм и тя ѝ предлага самостоятелни уроци по магия за напреднали.

[Candace C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed throughout this whole book!!

[SnowSnowKitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not my favorite book ever. It was funny, but was for a younger age group then mine. It might suit a 2-3 grade audience better
-SnowSnowKitty

[Maci · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG I loved this book!! Such a fun cute read 📖 Perfect for getting out of a reading slump. Would recommend! I think I like this book better than the 1st in the series! ❤💜💙💙💙💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💙

[rory gilmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

SO GOOD BUT WAY TO LONG AMAZING BOOK THO

[Winter Parise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could rate 10 stars because it was so good!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Katrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Много интересна книга.Бих казала че в един момент си казах защо стана така. Много я препоръчвам за деца от 8 до 10 годишна възраст.

[Gabriela Simeonova · Rating 5 out of 5]

На мен ми беше интересно да узная как Хайди успя да накара Хъндър да я хареса за малко, но се усети, че не е правилно.

[Hallie Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a little bit slow in the beginning but then towards the middle it got better!!
I can’t wait to read the third one!

[Emmalynn Hott · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is awesome and funny I love it better than any book! I think it is a some for anyone because its very unique and fun to read and encourages me to read more this book could even be for 30 year old and still love it and I’m really excited if she will have more books!

[Karin (msmadeinchina) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ rounded up

Heidi Heckelbeck is back and she has a crush…on the same boy as her former enemy-turned-roommate Melanie Maplethorpe! A first crush means Heidi dives in headfirst and has a bit of tunnel vision as she tries to think of ways to get Hunter to notice her. But when her plans turn to magic, will Heidi be able to reign herself in before she does something too drastic?

Once again, a quick and easy read from Wanda Coven! If I didn’t know any better, I would suspect that Coven is actually a middle schooler herself as she has found the perfect voice for Heidi that very much evokes all the cringe that I remember from that time.

Though this story is very light-hearted and fun throughout, Coven is still able to throw in some lessons along the way. Heidi’s friends stand as reminders that she shouldn’t lose who she is as a person just to catch the attention of someone else - something I think adults could still stand to hear from time to time. In addition, she is also able to remind readers that, even when you have a lot going on in your life, the people around you could have just as much, if not more, going on as well.

Once again, the illustrations from Anna Abramskaya bring the story to life, allowing the reader to experience the images on the page and not just in their imagination. The formatting will appeal to young readers and keep the story dynamic.

This book will definitely be enjoyed by young readers who read it and they will (maybe only subconsciously) learn some lessons. But it definitely was hard for me, an adult in her thirties, to get through at times because Heidi had moments where she was so cringe.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book for free and have voluntarily written this review.

[Guylou (Two Dogs and a Book) · Rating 4 out of 5]

WORST LOVE SPELL EVER! by Wanda Coven, beautifully illustrated by Anna Abramskaya, continues the Middle School and Other Disasters series with a delightful dose of middle-grade magic. Heidi Heckelbeck navigates the ups and downs of Broomsfield Academy while harboring a massive crush on the popular Hunter. Fueled by her witch-in-training status, Heidi embarks on a quest to win his heart, leading to humorous mishaps and lessons about being true to oneself. This girly, heartwarming tale captures the essence of first crushes and their comedic consequences, blending enchanting spells with relatable middle-school experiences. Heidi's journey is both entertaining and endearing, making this middle-grade book an engaging read for young readers exploring the trials of love and friendship.

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[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coven offers a realistic look at how crushes can affect friendships and individuals as Heidi continues her middle school years. Melanie and she have a crush on the same young man (as does most of campus). Readers see spells go awry and friendships suffer as Heidi obsesses over Hunter and doesn't listen to what is happening in her friends lives. By the end, all is well and everyone has learned something about themselves. The author uses font size to emphasize the drama Heidi feels; this works to further emphasize how caught up Heidi is in her emotions and insecurities.

[Jaimes_Mystical_Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super cute middle grade read! Worst Love Spell Ever is book 2 in the Middle School And Other Disasters series and I found it super easy to jump right in. In this book we follow Heidi, a young witch in training as she settles into her school and has her first ever crush. This book has great illustrations throughout and I think many middle grade girls will find Heidi to be a relatable main character. Overall this was a really good middle grade read.

Thank you Simon Kids for sending me a copy of this book.

[Jaimes_Mystical_Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super cute middle grade read! Worst Love Spell Ever is book 2 in the Middle School And Other Disasters series and I found it super easy to jump right in. In this book we follow Heidi, a young witch in training as she settles into her school and has her first ever crush. This book has great illustrations throughout and I think many middle grade girls will find Heidi to be a relatable main character. Overall this was a really good middle grade read.

[olive parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute! i loved books about witches/faeries/magic etc etc and would have enjoyed this early-middle reader series (with illustrations and graphic text) about heidi heckelbeck heading to magic school. (i've sold a lot of heidi + henry and had no idea if there was any presence of magic in the early reader accompaniments?) reminder for self to order this and #1 into the stores

[Maiya · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
Heidi is back- and this time she has a huge, major crush on a boy in her class named Hunter. She is going to try everything she possibly can to make sure he notices her and becomes hers alone!
This is a fun, girly, middle grade book about first time crushes and what blind love can do to a person.

[Maya Yankulova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Книгата беше много хубава! Накара ме да повярвам, че съм хубава, точно такава, каквато съм!

[Nix Anders · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it if you like magic and love and emotions you will love it it is like Time Machine 🤪