Poltergeeks by Sean Cummings

Poltergeeks #1

by Sean Cummings

15-year-old Julie Richardson is about to learn that being the daughter of a witch isn't all it's cracked up to be. When she and her best friend, Marcus, witness an elderly lady jettisoned out the front door of her home, it's pretty obvious to Julie there's a supernatural connection. In fact, there's a whisper of menace behind increasing levels of poltergeist activity all over town. After a large-scale paranormal assault on Julie's high school, her mother falls victim to the spell Endless Night. Now it's a race against time to find out who is responsible or Julie won't just lose her mother's soul, she'll lose her mother's life.

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Witches, Magic, Ghosts

Paperback

First published August 21, 2008

About the author

Sean Cummings is a fantasy author with published works ranging from traditional urban fantasy to the zombie apocalypse. He lives in Saskatchewan Canada with his wife, a retired racing greyhound and a huge spotted dog.

Reviews

[Anzû · Rating 1 out of 5]

I made the mistake of pausing Poltergeeks and starting another book. Now I can’t make myself get back to read it. I’m not in the mood. I’m not motivated enough. It’s just that cringe. Whatever.

Poltergeeks is not my kind of book. The story is cheesy and clichéd. The heroine, Julie, is a brat that sounds like a thirty-year-old woman. She is special, and, most importantly, she is a moron. Julie has a BFF, Marcus, who secretly has a crush on her. Her girlfriend hits on her BFF because she’s that evil. Her girlfriend might just be the villain in the book. I have no wish to find out if this is true or not.

The bottom line, Poltergeeks is horrible and the title is overly misleading. If you’re looking for a fun and witty read, then avoid this one.

ARC courtesy of Angry Robot via NetGalley

[Nicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poltergeeks is really fun. It's definitely very adolescent in tone, but it doesn't take itself too seriously. In fact, sometimes it's almost too flippant, which would be my main criticism -- but it made up for that for me by having a solid, meaningful relationship between the mother and daughter at the centre of the story. Not a perfect one, I hasten to add, but a strong one, and one where neither of them is portrayed as evil in any way for butting heads. Julie doesn't go off on her being all Wondergirl; she has her mother, and she has... well, the rest is spoilers.

The story has a romantic relationship too, but that isn't overpowering and fits neatly in with the plot. I like that there's relatively little drama between the male and female leads, and that they're so solidly best friends.

Overall, solid and enjoyable.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poltergeeks opens up with all hell breaking loose : a woman is thrown out of her house while her furniture and objects are found floating around. From Julie and Marcus' expertise, this can only be the result of a very mischievous poltergeist who was yanked from the other side by someone very powerful. Supernatural activity is going off the charts everywhere, even in school. No one is safe, not even Julie's mother who falls under the spell of Endless Night, a powerful spell that leaves her in a coma. Messages are being sent to Julie via YouTube videos, an immortal named Holly will give her answers but she'll demand something in return, and the spirit of a loved one will offer help and will reveal Julie's destiny. It's now up to Julie, Marcus and Betty, Julie's guardian, to find out who's behind all of this mayhem and put an end to it while fighting to save her mom's life.


Julie may be a witch but she really is your normal teenager. Proof? Well how about her mother grounds her even if, in Julie's eyes, she's just trying to help. She often takes matters in her own hands and doesn't think about the consequences. For example, she doesn't listen to her mom when the school is in total chaos and tries to take care of it herself. Result : her mom is now laying in a hospital bed. Her best friend, Marcus, is the one making sure she follows the rules.


Marcus and Julie have been friends for so long that she doesn't know how to react when he admits his feelings towards her. Julie needs to get her feelings straight before goth girl Marla steals him from her. Marcus is the science geek. He sometimes wants to gather scientific information on the supernatural and he's also dumbfounded in front of anything abnormal. He's one of the few who knows about Julie and her mother's witchcraft and it doesn't seem to bother him. He's always there to lend a helping hand. He also has a very vulnerable side. At school he often gets teased and thrown in the garbage. He really needs to stand up for himself and not let Julie always do it for him.


When her mother is in the hospital Betty comes in the picture as Julie's guardian and offers a hand but only if Julie asks the right questions. She isn't human; she takes the body of a dying person or animal as her host until she grows tired of it. My favorite is when she occupies the body of a Great Dane. Even in the body of an animal she can be very useful!


Poltergeeks is Sean Cummings' first YA and also the first book in a new series that's off to an incredible start. Even if the story deals with Julie's mom fighting for her life, it's really a light and fun read. No tissues will be needed! I absolutely loved the chemistry between Julie and Marcus. They make an excellent team! The romance is a nice touch added to the plot but it's not the main focus. The magic is fantastic. He did an amazing job describing the supernatural. Everything is carefully thought-out and well-explained. I loved the mix of poltergeists and magic. I was really engrossed in the book from the very beginning. The action starts on page one and ends on the last page with hints of more action coming in the next book. I honestly can't wait to find out more. I think there might be a few family secrets that Julie has yet to unveil. I'm eagerly anticipating the sequel!


Poltergeeks is a great entertaining read that will please the fans of YA paranormal and urban fantasy.


*e-book courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review*

[Ryan Lawler · Rating 4 out of 5]

The YA binge continues with Poltergeeks by Sean Cummings, my third book from the guys at Strange Chemistry. This is another very solid entry that does a lot of things right and sets up things very effectively for future novels in the series.

Poltergeeks tells the story of Julie Richardson, a strong willed teenage witch who has a habit of picking fights well beyond her capabilities. When a rogue poltergeist put's Julie's mother in a coma and continues targeting Julie and her best friend Marcus, it's up to Julie to track the source of the poltergeist to stop the attacks and save her mom.

As with most YA books I've been reading recently, the story here is pretty straight forward - young girl with special powers runs into trouble, the one person who can get her out of trouble is removed from the equation, and she has to grow up fast if she is going to save the people she loves. Oh and also throw in an awkward teenage love triangle, some secret family drama and a predictable ending. That said, Poltergeeks rarely strays into stereotypical territory, and Cummings keeps from indulging in some of the popular YA tropes like the inept authority figure. Things are always kept fun, light hearted, and there are plenty of geek culture easter eggs to watch out for on the way through.

The characters have been well crafted here, and they aren't over the top geeks like I have seen recently in a lot of YA stories. Being a geek is just one element of their overall character, and they all have plenty of little nuances and ticks that get revealed over the course of the story. I really liked Julie, she plays the role of a strong female protagonist with a lot poise, modesty, and some random ingenuity. She is impulsive, she gets the crap beaten out of her by ghosts, she beats the crap out of other ghosts, and she is smiling the whole time while her brain is working overtime trying to figure out and exploit a weakness. Cummings doesn't make a big deal out of her being a strong teenage girl, he just lets her be who she is and lets the plot mould around her. Marcus provides a great foil for Julie, he is calm, measured, not quite strong enough to fight his own battles but more than assured in his knowledge of how the world should work. These two feed off each other and make for a very proficient team.

Poltergeeks is a fun coming of age story, one that feels like a cross between Sabrina The Teenage Witch, Charmed, and Ghostbusters. It is one of the more fun stories I have read this year, something that I have needed given all the serious fantasy stories I seem to have been reading of late. This is a book that should have no trouble making you smile at least once.

[Tyrannosaurus regina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I was the sensible sort of person who could easily give up on a book, because I knew from very early on that this one wasn't really working for me, but once I start something I have this compulsion to finish it. And I wanted to like this one, because it sounded interesting and I love finding things unapologetically set in Canada. (But then, when don't I want to like a book that I pick up to read?)

Fundamentally, the problem for me was with voice, which struck me as uneven throughout. It often read like some of the asides and turns of phrase in the narrative were thrown in as an afterthought. (Julie's actions, however, were very apt for a teenager--frustrating and annoying, but authentic.) There were other problems with the writing too, though--there are a lot of cliché descriptions on top of a lot of infodump up front in the book, among other (predominantly style) issues.

While I appreciated the realistic mother-daughter relationship (and wish we'd seen more of it), it could've done without the bit that assumed all female friendships inevitably ended in catfights. Classy.

Maybe I'm being too hard on it, because there were bits and pieces that I liked (such as the tension between Julie and Marla in Julie's mom's hospital room) and I think there's a good premise here, but it just didn't come together in the execution.

[Rebecca McKinnon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first experience reading a book by Mr. Cummings, and I'm beyond thrilled by it.

A fantastic opening, I have to say. It drew me right in. (After all, a poltergeist kicking a person out of their home doesn't happen every day!) I absolutely had to find out what happened next. What happened was that I held onto the book a little tighter and refused to put it down. This book has a place on my small list of single-sitting reads.

I'm in love with the characters. Julie is phenomenal, and you seriously care what happens to her. And Marcus? Well, let me just say that it's clear from the start that he's interested in Julie, and that he'll be there for her even if she has no clue (or doesn't feel the same). Julie's mother, while a key element of the book, is a background character for much of the story, but that didn't stop Cummings from making her a great character.

The conflict could have been made melodramatic, but it was handled so well that I never got that "overdone" feeling.

An absolute MUST read! Mr. Cummings, once on your reader radar, should never be removed. I can't wait for the next installment.

[Hayley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was described to me as "The Witch-Buffy of ghosts," which both intrigued and established a high bar for me.

Nothing will ever be as good as the Buffster, and the only comparison really comes in a good but snarky heroine, something that is wholly absent from YA. Heroines are either good and weak or strong and immoral. I'm a strong, moral girl so I like to see her in YA. That's what Julie is, the strong good girl.

The pacing was great, everything happens fast and just over the course of a few
I hate it when authors try fantasy, but lack the general creativity to do so. The stranger that you can make things, within society, the more tangible it feels. Cummings definitely doesn't succumb to that trend, with pointed, decisive prose, and unbelievably believable details.

My only complaint is that I wish it was longer. :) Can't wait until the sequel!

[Mieneke · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the first synopsis I read when Strange Chemistry announced they had signed Sean Cummings, this book sounded like it would be a super fun read. And though it wasn't a perfect book, it made good in its promise with a very fun tale of hauntings, magic and romance. Reminiscent in tone of Buffy, it's a book that has fun with the tropes of the genre and doesn't take itself too seriously, despite tackling some difficult emotional topics, such as the impending loss of a parent and the first steps on the romantic front.

A lot of this book depends on the chemistry and dynamics between Julie and her best friend, Marcus. Fortunately, this worked really well and felt convincing, especially later on in the book when there is a clear 'will she, won't she' going on. Their friendship is one of the mainstays of Julie's life and when all hell breaks loose, Marcus is the one thing that keeps Julie focused and sane. I loved the interaction between them; they often had me chuckling out loud with their snarky banter, but at the same time Marcus' unwavering support and that letter also made me a bit mushy on the inside.

Of course, there is far more to Julie than just her relationship with Marcus. She's a strong female lead: funny, capable, head strong and independent. Julie is burning to prove to her mum how competent she, that she doesn't need to be treated like a child anymore. It's the classic adolescent's revolt. Unfortunately, when her mum gets hurt and might not make it, Julie thinks it is all her fault and she reacts accordingly. Julie has some growing up yet to do and while Cummings took her a ways to maturity, I think she's far from mature yet, which leaves some interesting things to discover in the next book. Similarly, Marcus has to do some growing of his own, though in his case, it's more that he needs to learn how to stand up for himself. While he doesn't really come across as unsure of himself, he actually seems pretty comfortable with who he is, he does let the bullies walk all over him – read stuff him in a trash can – at school, seemingly unable to get them to stop, whereas by the end of the book he faces them down and gets the upper hand. While I really liked Marcus, I thought he was awesome and a lot like someone I would have hung out with at school, I do think he doesn't come across as a bullied kid. The only department in which he seems rather insecure is in the romance section and well, I think 98% of young teens are, so that really isn't surprising. Then again, apart from the few scenes with the bullies, we only see Marcus around either people he's comfortable with or in an action-filled situation, so there isn't really a lot of time or need to show him behaving like a bullied kid.

I loved the supernatural community Cummings created. We only catch the barest glimpse of the whole, since Julie and her mum aren't part of a coven, but it's clear that Cummings knows how this community is shaped and who you could meet if you'd ever find yourself amongst them. I thought Holly Penske, the crooked information broker was genius and Betty the Great Dane was AWESOME! I totally loved Betty and from the first time she walked on page until quite late in the game I wasn't sure whether she was a good guy or a bad guy, which gave her an extra edge.

If there was one complaint I had with Poltergeeks, other than the previously mentioned thing about Marcus, it was that some things were a little predictable. I'd figured out the identity of the person possessed by Thomas Hopkins a long while before the end, though I hadn't expected the twist that followed after Julie figured it out. What I can't figure out is whether Cummings telegraphed the culprit's identity that clearly or whether I just watch and read too many crime shows and books and he's relied too much on the common tropes of the genre, which made it easy for me to solve the riddle. I suspect it's the latter as the former would be sloppy writing, unless he did it on purpose as a misdirect for the twist that comes after. In which case, well-played sir, well-played.

Regardless, Poltergeeks is a fun read. It might not be a classic of the genre, but it is the kind of book that will show a teen that reading can be fun and those kinds of books are just as, if not more, important than the classics. Poltergeeks could be a gateway drug for a reluctant reader who enjoys the snarkier adolescent-oriented TV shows. In any case, this non-reluctant not-so-adolescent reader had a great time with Julie and Marcus' adventure and I'm looking forward to the second book in the series.

This book was provided for review by the publisher.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm having a bit of a writing block today, so here, in list form, are some of my thoughts. (I like lists.)

Here are some things I liked:
* A teenage main character who acts and sounds her age. Julie is 15 and she's written like it! Her dialogue doesn't sound like the words of an adult coming out of a kid's mouth. She's headstrong and emotional and makes rash decisions and thinks she knows best. Sound like anyone you know? Yeah, sounds like me when I was 15.
* A teenage main character who has a good relationship with her mom! Sure, there are bobbles here and there and Julie can be kind of bratty sometimes, but it was so nice to see a mother and daughter working together. I liked that the thing that really helped Julie find her power was the fact that her mom was in danger. A great change of pace from many other YA books.
* The book is a quick read and is very fast paced. The action doesn't really lag, and the plot is pretty simple. There are enough loose ends to justify a sequel, but not so many that you think you missed something by the time you finish.

Here are some things that I didn't like:

* Many of Julie's problems seemingly could have been avoided if the main character had just asked for help in the first place. I know that this is reality for teenagers -- they want to do things themselves, they want to prove themselves -- and so this is where YA books so often show their 'you're not my core demographic' colors for adult readers like myself. Julie was mature or self-aware enough to know at several points that she wasn't an advanced enough witch to solve the problems on her own, but she still waited until the problems were huge to bring in her mom for help.
* Julie's BFF Marcus has been secretly crushing on her for years and years. The book blurb doesn't mention romance, but it's in here, and while it's sweetly done, I still sighed whenever that plot point came up. I would love to see more books where the male and female leads are just friends and not nursing secret feelings.
* The villains in this book had me rolling my eyes for reasons that I can't really talk about without giving away spoilers, but suffice it to say, I am trying very hard not to climb back up on my Certified Feminist-y Book Blogger Soapbox to complain about it.

Overall, I thought the book was okay. It wasn't anything too ground-breaking, but it was a nice change of pace from many other YA paranormal/urban fantasy books out there. Julie doesn't fall for someone morally ambiguous or unreachable or who could possibly kill her. She doesn't suffer through unbearable traumas. She's just a normal girl, who happens to be an extraordinary witch. There is some violence and mild profanity in the book, but nothing that most teenagers aren't already exposed to.

[Christopher Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

POLTERGEEKS: May the Force bewitch you!

The stunning cover art of POLTERGEEKS is a promise delivered. From the intense opening scene until the spectacular climax, author Sean Cummings conjures a Teen Paranormal novel that crosses the boundaries of the heretofore stereotypical teenage girl-biased genre and ushers in a whole new perspective, one to which many of us can easily relate.

POLTERGEEKS is about teenage witch Julie Richardson and her struggle to prove herself to her mother, a powerful witch that lives apart from the local coven. When sudden poltergeist activity reaches new and terrifying levels of violence, Julie’s mother is compromised and a tragic twist of irony places Julie in such a position where she must prove herself if she is to save her mother’s life. Her journey becomes one of self-discovery and growth as Julie must navigate through two worlds, one of high school drama and typical teen challenges, the other a breakneck pace through the spirit world of evil shades and spell-blasting immortals.

Sean Cummings captures the voice of his teenage protagonist from a surprisingly risky style, but one that pays dividends throughout. Unlike the typical, first-person POV and present tense combination found in so many titles under the Teen Paranormal heading of late, POTERGEEKS is written in a third-person past tense, making it a bit more appealing to the young male audience, as well as female. Also, the use of language is spot on with a great Star Wars motif woven throughout and a very believable teen dialect found in both conversation as well as narrative. Of course, it wouldn’t be a good teen novel without a solid romance arc and Sean Cummings crafts a beautiful one that—while not exactly unexpected—teases and then delivers to satisfaction.

Overall, the only drawbacks I found in POLTERGEEKS were a few very minor grammatical/ typeset errors in the e-book version, though I suspect that is idiosyncratic to digits and not found in the actual print edition.

Highly recommended, POLTERGEEKS is an action adventure amalgam at every chapter. Righteous imagery, military precise detail, and all the wonder of the unknown wrapped into one delightful tale where the teenage witch is more than just a spell-casting chick in red hair and sparkles—she’s a kick ass heroine with the moves of a ninja and the power of a Jedi, all fueled by a heart that beats fierce for the ones she loves.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

That the main driving force behind most of Julie's choices is her relationship with her mother is a breath of fresh air in YA. There is a bit of romance, but her world doesn't revolve around it, and in fact she pushes things aside to deal with when she has more pressing matters sorted out. She's a rare teen girl protagonist, someone pro-active who makes her own decisions and faces the consequences, who spends more time kicking evil's butt than mooning after boys but isn't too damaged by a traumatic past to make human connections. She's loyal to her friends and fights with her mom and is basically a much more teenage girl than most of the young ladies you'll meet in the other books on the shelves.

For the most part, whether you'll enjoy Poltergeeks depends on how much you enjoy this sort of story. While the heroine stands out, and the worldbuilding has potential (I look forward to seeing it explored more in future volumes), the plot itself covers most of the standards and there aren't really any surprises here. The plot twists will likely feel like familiar ground to anyone who's been reading any contemporary fantasy in the past several years, and while mother as motivation instead of love interest is a change, and some of the secondary characters are a lot of fun, if you're not already keen on the lighter side of YA urban fantasy, you're not going to find anything here to change your mind. This isn't the book that'll stay with you twenty years from now, but it just might be the right one to hand to the young teen girl in your life. Certainly she'll find more here to relate to than nearly anything else out there will give her.

[sj · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book, but instead I only liked it.

I was disappointed with the uneven tone and the too-numerous-to-count typos.

Parts read like really young MG, but the swearing seemed thrown in to try to elevate the age demographic a little (and in the acknowledgements, the author admits his editor convinced him to add the language, so that makes sense). Other parts were very dark and not suitable for the age range the initial tone would have had you believe.

I feel like contains the seeds of greatness, but it wasn't nurtured enough and instead was just allowed to be mediocre instead.

But really, the typos were super distracting.

[The FountainPenDiva, Old school geek chick and lover of teddy bears]

Girl actually looking like she's saving the world instead of posing like she's on the cover of Teen Vogue? Check!

No pesky TWU WUV or WUV TRIANGLE? Check!

Actual Mother/Daughter relationship that isn't dysfunctional? Check!

Must spend money that should be used for groceries? Check!

[Lolly's Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

*e-ARC graciously provided by the folks at NetGalley*

There are many things to love about this book and only a couple which will cause the eyes to roll dramatically and several “Oh, please”'s to be shouted. The writing is decent, moving along at a steady clip and keeping the reader involved. The action, while not exactly heart-pounding, is still fairly vivid, the dialogue is zingy, and some of the situations are downright laugh-until-your-sides-hurt funny (starting with the first scenes in which a cat flies through a chimney; trust me, it's a lot less horrific and a lot more hilarious than what it seems). Overall, Poltergeeks is a fun, quick, engaging read, with a great deal of humor and very little angst, which is welcome in an angst-ridden genre.

The protagonist, Julie, is a completely believable teen. She has moments of attempted maturity, of resignation to her duty, not to mention a willingness to sacrifice herself to save those she loves. Then she slips into behaving like your typical teenage girl: She pouts, she gets distracted and does stupid things, often at the most inconvenient time possible, she doesn't know how she feels about her friend, Marcus, who's just blindsided her with his declaration that he thinks she's beautiful, but flies off the handle when her other best friend, Marla, expresses interest in Marcus, and she worries about being normal and accepted at school (though she eventually comes to a “screw that” realization about being normal and accepts her particular peculiarity). She's a well-rounded creation, with a lot more personality and spunk than many of today's YA heroines. The book is narrated in a 1st person P.O.V., so we get to experience the story through Julie's eyes; she's snarky as hell, so it's quite entertaining to hear her inner (and outer) monologues. (My favorite expression of hers is “Conspiracies suck monkey butt.” Call me juvenile, but that just tickled my funny bone.) The other characters, though not as well-developed, are still human enough to support their presence. Marcus is a presented as a weedy, rather unassuming science geek, who happens to be the school's biggest target for bullies; he's not macho, he's not dark and brooding, and (Yes! Yes!) he's not stalker-creepy. In fact, he's rather unapologetic about his brains and ability to use them, which, dear god, is absolutely wonderful in a male lead. Marla is the local Goth girl, complete with black eye makeup, white skin, piercings and variously textured (leather, latex, fishnet) black clothing. We're given a hint as to a deeper back story; she was once just as picked on as Marcus, but mysteriously managed to make herself an unappealing target sometime in the past. However, that's about as far as we get when it comes to knowing Marla, possibly to give further drama to later story developments.

Speaking of these three characters, you would imagine they would engender some sort of love triangle. Nope. Yippee! No angst-ridden love triangle in a YA novel! Just a sweet and simple romance which builds up between Julie and Marcus, more on Julie's side as she comes to terms with her emotions-—Marcus already knows how he feels about Julie. The only sickly part is her insistence on referencing his actions as “pure” and “virtuous,” which gets old fast. (Oh, and I've got to mention a guardian character introduced in the story when Julie's mother goes into hospital. This guardian is an immortal spirit who has to take over a body in order to manifest on this plane. Eventually, the spirit takes over the body of a Great Dane. Yup, there's a talking dog. Gotta love that.)

However, the character of the mother is where the author makes his first mistake and is the source of many of the eye rolling and “Oh please” moments mentioned above.

(Julie receives a phone call from her mother, who's just woken up from a magically-induced coma in which she was near death.)

Julie - "Mom, it's you! I'm so glad you're alive! While you were in the hospital, I managed to discover my destiny, trap and destroy the evil spirit which has been making our lives miserable, and save you from kidney failure by waking you from your coma!"
Mother - "You're grounded, young lady! You didn't listen to me in the first place, even though this was all a set-up by an outside influence and the actions that have taken place were inevitable, but you're still in big trouble for reacting to them and doing your best to take care of yourself, your friends, and me. Which means you're grounded for the foreseeable future, until you learn to behave yourself and remember to ask me before you do anything, even if it's only to go to the bathroom."

Sorry, nope, uh uh. We don't see a lot of her mother in the novel except at the beginning and the end, but when we do see her, she's inevitably chastising Julie for something or being judgmental or being one of those mothers who is feared will “lose it” when she hears about some inoffensive action. Basically behaving in a way which only makes a child take bigger risks and act out more, not to mention resentful. Julie speaks of how she's able to talk to her mother, how she's able to confide in her mother, but I never see any evidence of that in the interplay between the two. It's her mother yelling/lecturing and Julie complying (after putting up an inevitably futile argument). So much for equal discourse. The author gives thanks to his editor for convincing him that “teenage daughters fight with their mothers. A lot.” Well, I'm very sorry to tell you Sean Cummings, but your editor gave you some bad advice. Yes, some teenage daughters fight with their mothers. However, there are a majority of teenage girls that not only not fight with their mothers, they get along very well with them. They respect each other, they're close and loving. The daughters confide in their mothers and respect their advice and wisdom; the mothers listen to their daughters and respect their individuality and choices. I know this because I had such a relationship with my mother. I never was grounded; I never lost my phone or other privileges. My mother and I talked about everything and as a result, I never worried about being “misunderstood.” And I'm not the only girl to have had such a relationship. A good mother-daughter relationship is not unusual; what would've been unusual is if Cummings had actually been brave enough to portray a good mother-daughter relationship instead of the traditional adversarial one. It's obvious the way Cummings writes in his afterword about his editor and the advice she gave to him that he probably had initially written a more harmonious relationship between Julie and her mother and that he changed the characters around simply to follow his editor's instruction. All you have to do is look at the easy way Julie interacts with any of the other characters in the novel and contrast that to how jarring it is when Julie and her mother interact. It doesn't mesh with the rest of the relationships Cummings has created.

Other than the misstep with the mother, there was very little else about the book over which I can complain. Regarding the ultimate confrontation at the end, a malevolent 400-year-old spirit who is trying destroy Julie waits for the final confrontation so that Julie not only has time to prepare but to also pick an appropriate venue. What? That did not make sense at all and rather robbed the story of immediacy as well as some of the action. I could've more easily seen the characters hunkered down somewhere, trying to create a mish-mash of weapons as the enemy came closer and closer, until finally there's an attack and final battle. Speaking of the story, the plot points driving the action, making the characters go from point A to point B to point Z, feels slightly contrived and hollow. When even your own character points out the problem, as Julie did at the end of the book, you've got a big problem.

However, the biggest issue, one which made the book almost unreadable, was the formatting. Whoever was responsible for formatting the novel for the e-book version should be fired, in a public and humiliating way. Sentences and paragraphs were jumbled and pushed together, making it difficult for the story to flow in a natural, not to mention readable, fashion. It was absolutely and teeth-grindingly frustrating.

Overall, if you're looking for an fun, fast, funny, and original read, try Poltergeeks. Just, maybe go for the print edition instead.

See more of my reviews at: http://lollyslibrary.blogspot.com/

[Kara Babcock · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was younger, I was ridiculously fond of watching Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. (I still am. I just don’t have the time to watch it as much any more, nor am I spry enough to stay up until 1 am when it’s usually on these days.) The show is typical of the 1990s sitcom-with-a-twist: typically, each episode consists of Sabrina trying to solve a typical adolescent dilemma with magic, only to make the situation even worse when her spell goes awry. From time to time, the bureaucrats of the magical world would interfere (and because this could involve Penn Jilette, it was often hilarious), but mostly it was about how life in high school is hard, and magic doesn’t make it any easier (and actually seems to make it somewhat harder). And then Sabrina went off to college, dumped jock Harvey for sensitive photographer Josh, and the show began its inevitable decline. For a time, though, it was a lot of fun.

Despite a few, notable darker storylines, though, that’s all it was. The problem and spell would be fixed by the end of the episode, and everyone would laugh and smile—it was, after all, the 1990s. There was no reason for the show to explore the darker implications of the existence of hereditary witchcraft and the enemies this might attract, not when its goal was a half-hour of light entertainment each week.

Poltergeeks, then, for all its adolescent protagonists, probably bears more resemblance to the grittier witches and wizards of the past two decades. Julie is fully aware of her abilities as a witch, but her mother hasn’t been completely forthcoming about Julie’s magical heritage. When an enemy with a vendetta against Julie and her mother puts the latter in a coma, Julie finds herself squaring off against an entity that seems to have more power than she could ever hope to match. Though she has allies, she is largely forced to rely on her own skills and determination not to be beaten. If she fails, the stakes are very real: her mom will die, she will most probably die, and no one will be left to stop whatever dark plans this spirit has for the rest of Calgary.

Oh yeah, it’s young adult urban fantasy set in Calgary. Not quite my neck of the woods, but yay, Canada!

As far as supernatural elements go, Sean Cummings plays it fairly conservative, which definitely works here. We get the basic overview of witch politics: a Grand Council oversees local covens, and then some witches, like Julie’s mom, freelance as long as they stay inside the rules. There are also ghosts, poltergeists, and spirits, as well as immortals like the information broker Holly Penske. But so far there are no signs of vampires, werewolves, goblins, etc. If these creatures exist, Cummings is keeping the lid on them until later books—and that’s fine. I hate it when a book spends so much time attempting to catalogue its particular bestiary that it loses track of the plot.

That’s far from the case with Poltergeeks. This is a short book, but it still feels like a complete and satisfying story. The threat appears very quickly, Julie and Marcus spend most of the book investigating and dealing with it, and then the confrontation and denouement make for an exciting final twenty pages or so. Cummings keeps the story moving at a comfortable pace, alternating between scenes of significant events, whether they involve action or exposition, with pauses for reflection.

In the case of the latter, most of that comes from Julie, our first-person narrator. Now, I like Julie: she’s honest with herself, a little lacking in self-esteem—which seems realistic enough—and loyal to her friends and family. In this respect, Cummings has nailed her characterization. Her voice, however, is too self-aware. That is, rather than immersing me in a story narrated by Julie, I find myself very much aware of the techniques he is using to make the story seem like it is narrated by Julie. Maybe I’m just being overly critical on this point—certainly, I have no idea how realistic a younger reader would find it, and that’s what really matters, no?

This is, of course, the trouble I have with reviewing fiction aimed at younger adults. Sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish between obvious plotting and clues laid for less experienced readers; for example, I deduced the identity of the vessel of Matthew Hopkins pretty quickly, but I wonder if someone less familiar with these types of stories would be more surprised. Similarly, for me the entire subplot involving Julie and Marcus’ nascent romance is lacklustre and difficult to find exciting. (Cummings deserves kudos, however, for the skilful way that he actually manages to tie all of this together into the main plot and still have it make sense.)

I might have some reservations, then. But there’s a lot to admire about the book as well. Unlike a lot of fiction aimed at young adults, there is a notable lack of characters carrying the Idiot Ball here. Julie’s mother and father elected to keep Julie in the dark about certain aspects of her heritage, but Cummings explains it in a way that is sensible and honest on the part of her parents—and, to be fair, this particular crisis is not one that they could have foreseen. Everything that happens in the story happens for a reason, and in the end it all coalesces into a satisfying picture that the attentive reader—regardless of age—can admire and enjoy, especially if they have been guessing and sleuthing alongside Julie for the entire thing. So I certainly hope that I’m striking a good balance of criticism here.

Because the bottom line is this: I really like Poltergeeks and would recommend it for young adult readers itching to bite their teeth on some urban fantasy. This is the kind of young adult fiction I’d love to pitch to my school library. It reminds me a lot in its structure and tone of The Dresden Files, albeit for a younger audience. Julie is a proto-Dresden—even better, she isn’t a chivalrous-yet-chauvinistic smartass, so in some ways she is far superior to Dresden. Cummings is channelling that same mixture of cynical noir mystery with humorous, heroic characters that I find so appealing about the Dresden books. Just as it seems that everyone and their mother is keeping secrets from Harry about his heritage and his role in a deeper supernatural conspiracy, Julie’s involvement in supernatural politics through her inherited position as a Shadowcull is a compelling hook for what will hopefully be a robust, nuanced series.

I want to emphasize that second adjective. For all its lightheartedness, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch also had its moments of keen nuance: it would use its humour to belie the stereotype of Libby the cheerleader, or subtly demonstrate to the audience the moral dubiousness of some of Sabrina’s choices. It did this all with a female protagonist who, in a house with two aunts and a talking cat, still managed to find her way. That’s more than I can say for some of the grittier series now populating the schedule, which seem to use the promise of dark imagery and endless romantic triangles to disguise the vacuousness of its characters.

I’d like to see more books like Poltergeeks. Books where the heroine isn’t moping because she’s the object of affection for only two supernatural beings but instead is a dynamic person who has her own goals and agenda. Books where the stakes are real, the grit is tangible, but at the same time, the drama and romance are natural extensions of the story, rather than afterthoughts necessary to tick all the boxes on the "supernatural YA" checklist that’s tacked on the door of Plato’s cupboard somewhere. These are the books I want to read. These are the books I want the upcoming generation of adults to read. These are the books you should want to read. Maybe not this book, if it isn’t particularly your cup of tea, but books like it.

Still, give it a try. It has its main characters researching for supernatural activity by searching on YouTube. If that isn’t timely and realistic, I don’t know what is.

[TheBookAddictedGirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

4½ Out of 5
“I'm a girl. I'm a witch. Someone is going to pay...”
Life's never been normal for Julie - after all she is the daughter of a witch - but even she isn't used to old ladies being shot out of their houses by an invisible and powerful force, right before her eyes.
Obviously, there's something of the supernatural nature going on here.
But what Julie was expecting was a (not so) harmless poltergeist. Not some big, dark force that tries to kill her best friend (multiple times), attacks her school and sends her mom into some kind of a magic-induced coma.
With guilt overwhelming her and desperation to save her mother driving her on, Julie knows she must find out who's behind the magical attacks.
Because time is running out.
And Julie will not lose her mom...
When a book is called "Ghostbusters meets Sabrina The Teenage Witch with a dash of X-Files" by an author I know and love (Sara Grant, Dark Parties), I simply have to get my supernatural-loving-hands on it. And Poltergeeks so did not let me down! With an awesome set of characters, witty writing, suspense and funny stuff, Poltergeeks had me hooked from the very first word to the very last. It was just so much fun and the perfect supernatural read! I can't wait for Book Two!
I loved Julie - she was brilliant, sassy, snarky and stubborn. I loved her sense of humour - she killed me! - but even more, I loved that even though she's a kick- ass witch, she's also really down to earth and relatable too. And Marcus was just the best friend ever! He was so nerdy and cute and sweet, so loyal and just adorable! He really was the bestest bud a girl could ever have! And the friendship between them was so sweet and strong and real. I loved watching them together - Marcus was such a sweetheart and so supportive - and watching how close they were - and how they get closer: it was the sweetest!
I adored the main characters, but there was an awesome supporting cast too. Such as the cryptic Betty (with the dreadful fashion sense) and the creepy Holly Penske (also cryptic). But who I really loved was one grave-yard-bound ghost. And, of course, Julie's mom - she was awesome and just the best mom ever. Even if she wasn't in the book all that much. And I loved the relationship between Julie and her Mom - so often in teen books, the parents are just the annoying force to rebel against, and such. Julie did a bit of rebelling, but her and her mom were really close and always took care of one another.
I’ve got to admit, parts of the book reminded me a little of The Mortal Instruments - the geeky best mate who's secretly crushing on the lead gal, the mother in a supernatural coma, the red hair. And as soon as said lead gal found out X, she seemed to know a heck of a lot. Instantly. But really, I just didn't care. Because I loved Cummings's sense of humour - his witty writing just had me cracking up! It was so teen and so snarky! And I totally fell in love with Julia's voice. I'm so impressed that a guy can write such a unique and authentic teen girl - I loved it! As for the plot? Awesome! Full of action, mystery and humour, it had me gripped from start to finish. I loved unravelling all the various secrets and watching Julie track down the bad guy, kicking butt with witchy powers as she did. I did guess the final twist, but I really was enjoying it all too much to care! The plot was just so awesome and action-movie-like. Speaking of, it needs to be made into a movie - it would kick butt!
Plus, I loved all the supernatural stuff in this book. All the ghosts and witches and potions and spells. And I loved all the politics of the witchy world - these were so cool to read about!
A book as kickass as Buffy and as magical as Charmed, Poltergeeks totally blew me away. A book that had me laughing one minute and practically gnawing on my nails at the suspense the very next second, I am officially classing it as a Must Read for all paranormal fans! It was so awesomely epic and as I mentioned earlier would just make the most amazing movie ever! I simply can't wait for the next in the series - it's going to be so awesome!
Ok, off topic now, I do love covers - the prettier the better - but I really don't get where some of them come from. Like the gorgeous Victorian dresses on the covers of books set in the 21st century. But Poltergeeks? Not only is the cover gorgeous, dramatic and so unique, it's also showing an actual scene from the book! No dramatic, ancient, Gothic dress or weird pose, just an awesome cover that so fits the book.

[TheBookAddictedGirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

4½ Out of 5
“I'm a girl. I'm a witch. Someone is going to pay...”
Life's never been normal for Julie - after all she is the daughter of a witch - but even she isn't used to old ladies being shot out of their houses by an invisible and powerful force, right before her eyes.
Obviously, there's something of the supernatural nature going on here.
But what Julie was expecting was a (not so) harmless poltergeist. Not some big, dark force that tries to kill her best friend (multiple times), attacks her school and sends her mom into some kind of a magic-induced coma.
With guilt overwhelming her and desperation to save her mother driving her on, Julie knows she must find out who's behind the magical attacks.
Because time is running out.
And Julie will not lose her mom...
When a book is called "Ghostbusters meets Sabrina The Teenage Witch with a dash of X-Files" by an author I know and love (Sara Grant, Dark Parties), I simply have to get my supernatural-loving-hands on it. And Poltergeeks so did not let me down! With an awesome set of characters, witty writing, suspense and funny stuff, Poltergeeks had me hooked from the very first word to the very last. It was just so much fun and the perfect supernatural read! I can't wait for Book Two!
I loved Julie - she was brilliant, sassy, snarky and stubborn. I loved her sense of humour - she killed me! - but even more, I loved that even though she's a kick- ass witch, she's also really down to earth and relatable too. And Marcus was just the best friend ever! He was so nerdy and cute and sweet, so loyal and just adorable! He really was the bestest bud a girl could ever have! And the friendship between them was so sweet and strong and real. I loved watching them together - Marcus was such a sweetheart and so supportive - and watching how close they were - and how they get closer: it was the sweetest!
I adored the main characters, but there was an awesome supporting cast too. Such as the cryptic Betty (with the dreadful fashion sense) and the creepy Holly Penske (also cryptic). But who I really loved was one grave-yard-bound ghost. And, of course, Julie's mom - she was awesome and just the best mom ever. Even if she wasn't in the book all that much. And I loved the relationship between Julie and her Mom - so often in teen books, the parents are just the annoying force to rebel against, and such. Julie did a bit of rebelling, but her and her mom were really close and always took care of one another.
I’ve got to admit, parts of the book reminded me a little of The Mortal Instruments - the geeky best mate who's secretly crushing on the lead gal, the mother in a supernatural coma, the red hair. And as soon as said lead gal found out X, she seemed to know a heck of a lot. Instantly. But really, I just didn't care. Because I loved Cummings's sense of humour - his witty writing just had me cracking up! It was so teen and so snarky! And I totally fell in love with Julia's voice. I'm so impressed that a guy can write such a unique and authentic teen girl - I loved it! As for the plot? Awesome! Full of action, mystery and humour, it had me gripped from start to finish. I loved unravelling all the various secrets and watching Julie track down the bad guy, kicking butt with witchy powers as she did. I did guess the final twist, but I really was enjoying it all too much to care! The plot was just so awesome and action-movie-like. Speaking of, it needs to be made into a movie - it would kick butt!
Plus, I loved all the supernatural stuff in this book. All the ghosts and witches and potions and spells. And I loved all the politics of the witchy world - these were so cool to read about!
A book as kickass as Buffy and as magical as Charmed, Poltergeeks totally blew me away. A book that had me laughing one minute and practically gnawing on my nails at the suspense the very next second, I am officially classing it as a Must Read for all paranormal fans! It was so awesomely epic and as I mentioned earlier would just make the most amazing movie ever! I simply can't wait for the next in the series - it's going to be so awesome!
Ok, off topic now, I do love covers - the prettier the better - but I really don't get where some of them come from. Like the gorgeous Victorian dresses on the covers of books set in the 21st century. But Poltergeeks? Not only is the cover gorgeous, dramatic and so unique, it's also showing an actual scene from the book! No dramatic, ancient, Gothic dress or weird pose, just an awesome cover that so fits the book.

[Abhinav · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can find the full review over at my blog:

https://shadowhawksshade.wordpress.co...

Shadowhawk reviews another Strange Chemistry title, the first YA novel by author Sean Cummings.

“This book can be summed up in three words: Fun, great, fan-frikkin-tastic. When’s the sequel out again?” ~The Founding Fields

My initial experience with Strange Chemistry was a really promising one, even though I wasn’t that taken with the book (The Assassin’s Curse by Cassandra Clarke). Still, I’m on a sort of YA-kick as I’m motivated to broaden my reading horizons and my next pick after the above was Poltergeeks, the story of a teenage witch as she tangles with magical powers she has no idea how to deal with. When I first read the back-blurb for the book earlier this year, I admit I wasn’t that taken with it. I’ve seen a lot of “witch” shows in my time, like Bewitched, I love Jeannie, and a bit of Sabrina the Teenage Witch (also a fan of the Archie comics until about a decade back). And while I’ve enjoyed them, I’ve never been taken with reading about that stuff all that much. Still, after interacting with Sean a bit on Twitter, I found myself much more interested in the book and so I went ahead with it and picked it up for review.

Sean’s “voice” captured me straight off from the first chapter as our teenage protagonist Julie encounters a reluctant poltergeist and finds herself severely unprepared. For me, that was one of the best opening points of any novel this year. Julie’s stubbornness and obstinacy are good character flaws where Poltergeeks is concerned. Yes, they are kind of a trope for such a young character (Malian from Helen Lowe’s Heir of Night and Rachel from K. A. Applegate’s Animorphs novels and Lyra from Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy come to mind), but the fact that they are a trope doesn’t matter one bit because they are inherently relevant to the story which in itself is very character-driven rather than plot-driven. The characters, every single one of them, matter.

Once I got past Julie’s unfortunate tussle with the poltergeist, I was still hooked in to the whole experience. This is one of those books where the stakes for the good guys keep on increasing in severity and you still have a lot of fun, even though there are some dark moments ahead. At first the novel seemed to evoke the Sabrina style of story-telling quite a bit, at least from what I remember, all the teenage hi-jinks and what not, but the writing quickly moves beyond that and morphs into Buffy/Angel, except for a purely teenager cast and there are some elements of the early seasons of Charmed thrown in as well. At least, those are the associations that my brain made while I was reading the book and after a bit of thinking. You know, I’d actually say that if this novel had been about the Halliwell sisters, it would have made for a fantastic multi-episode arc for Charmed. It has that self-same spunky, everything-is-on-the-line, OMG-real-life feel to it that I remember from the show.

Like I said, the characters are what drive the story. I had no problem at all in connecting with Julie or the people around her, such as her mother, or her magical guardian, or her best friend. They were all rich characters, perfectly defined within their roles where the plot is concerned, and where the setting itself is concerned. The novel is told in the first person so we are always in Julie’s head and look at all the events happening around her through her eyes, but attention is given to those around her as well, and we see them through her eyes in a way that makes you connect with them as much as with her. They inform Julie’s character and in turn she informs them.

One of the things that I really liked about the book was the texting. Being a novel about teenagers in today’s world, that added a bit of realism to things for me personally as I haven’t read any modern YA fiction set in current times. When I was in high school, everyone had a cellphone with them, whether it was to chat and text all day or just for emergencies or whatever. Seeing all the text-speak and the scenes themselves offered new insights to the teenage characters. A good touch I think.

[Cat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been trying for several days to write a review for this book. I added it to my list of Halloween reads because, well, it has witches and ghosts. It also came out earlier this month. The last book that I read from Strange Chemistry, Blackwood was lots of fun and full of quirk, which seems to be a staple for the publisher. I jumped in expecting a fun, spooky read (if maybe a little cheesy). Unfortunately Poltergeeks failed to deliver, even on the cheese. Of course I didn't hate everything about it or I wouldn't be giving it the two stars that I have, so let's start this off on a positive note shall we?

LIKES:
Marcus is not your normal heartthrob: Our main character and resident witch, Julie, starts to develop a crush throughout this book. While I was disappointed that there was a love story since I was hoping for a YA novel free of romantic entanglements for a change, I was happy that Marcus was not your stereotypical YA man candy. He is not a brooding vampire/angel/demon, he doesn't spend his weekends working on cars or tossing footballs and he isn't the adorably aloof new guy who may or may not have killed someone. Marcus spends most of his time working on science homework and getting shoved into lockers. Sure, I love large, hulking broody types just as much as the next girl, but pocket protectors can be cute too right? Well, sort of. While I was relieved that the author chose to go in a different direction with the leading man, I didn't find myself all that compelled by Marcus and I certainly won't be ordering any Team Geek t-shirts in the near future. Sorry.
Ghosts: I walked into this story thinking that it was mostly about ghosts. It turned out to be mostly about a witch. I wasn't too disappointed though, because when the ghosts were present they were done right. So good on you Sean Cummings for writing actually creepy ghosts! Ten points to Gryffindor!


DISLIKES:
Julie: Things start to go downhill quickly when you don't like the main character. This is definitely the case for Poltergeeks. Julie is supposed to be a take-charge, kick ass heroine, but to me she comes off as whiny, inconsistent and overly-aggressive. She spends half the book having an inner-dialogue about whether or not Marcus likes her, whether she should get involved with magic, how much trouble she's going to be in if she gets involved with magic, etc. It's tedious and it really distracts from the plot.
Show, don't tell: This one's pretty self explanatory. Much of the bulk of this book is Julie describing how she's feeling, what's going on or what the consequences will be if she does magic (see above). Again, this makes the story tedious and frankly made me want to put the book down about half way through.
Predictability: One of my biggest problems with this book is that I wasn't surprised by anything. Even the twist at the end I could see coming a mile away.
Overall, this book just bored me. I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn't get into it. Then again, I've talked to others who really loved it so, as always, the choice is up to you, but I can't recommend it.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review can also be found on my blog The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl.

Poltergeeks by Sean Cummings was such a light, refreshing read. I won this book off of a blog competition, and I'm so glad I did. I absolutely loved it!

Julie Richardson is a 15 year old witch. She's her mother's apprentice. However, when her mother's soul is stolen by something evil, Julie must step up and try to do everything in her power to save her mother. In the process, she is also putting her own life in danger as an evil poltergeist is after her, one who hates witches. This poltergeist will stop at nothing to make sure Julie is dead.

I love the title to this book. I don't think it suits the book 100%, but it's a funny title. I don't really understand where the geek bit comes in as there was no mention of any kind of geek. Julie's best friend Marcus is a bit of a geek but that's about it.

The cover of the book is awesome! I think it matches the story very much. Julie looks to be levitating (which she seems to do a lot in this book against her will), and she's got her trusty amulet that helps her to focus her magic. The cover of this book reminds me of the scene when she's in the old lady's house trying to rid it of poltergeist activity.

I love the pacing of this book!! It kept my attention throughout every chapter. I don't think there was one chapter where I felt bored. The pacing of the book is on track all the way through.

The world building and setting were great. I loved how it took place in a normal town in normal Canada. The setting of the high school where the poltergeist activity takes place is my favourite. =)

The dialogue was easy to understand. However, there are quite a bit of swear words in this book so be warned if you're not big on swearing. I don't think there were too many swear words, nothing over the top or anything. I think the swearing fit in with how 15 year old kids would talk.

I loved all the characters!!! Julie was such a funny character, and I mean funny in the haha sense. I loved her comic timing!! I thought it was brilliant. I loved how Marcus was always into his science how how shocked he was when he couldn't scientifically explain the paranormal goings-on. Betty brought in some humour as well, and I thought she represented a guardian quite well. As for Marla, I don't really like the way the author portrayed her as the stereotypical goth. I've always been irked when goths are stereotyped so that's one thing that got on my nerves.

The plot was really good. I felt it was semi-original as well. It was a bit predictive though, and I already had it figured out who the bad guy was, but it was still a great story nonetheless.

Overall, I felt that Poltergeeks was a great read, and I'd definitely recommend it for those ages 15+. I'm looking forward to the second book in the series coming out!

I'd give this book a 4.5 out of 5.

[Felicia Chien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book: Poltergeeks by Sean Cummings
Pages: 282
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Source: Sent from Strange Chemistry Publishing


Short Synopsis: Julie Richardson is not your average fifteen year old girl. She's a witch with special powers. After dealing with a poltergeist, Julie must face an ultimate evil that is trying to end her life.

My Thoughts: An action packed adventure, filled with paranormal ghostly elements, mixed with a hint of witchy powers.

Julie Richardson is a fifteen year old with magical powers. She and her best friend Marcus do everything together. That also includes hunting down poltergeists in a neighbor's home. Julie and Marcus try to help their neighbor one day, when elements of a paranormal ghost seem to erupt from the house.
Julie manages to capture the ghost and contain it, and bring it back to her mother, who is also a witch, to help deal with the issue. As Julie questions the entity, it explains that it was ripped from its place of rest and not because it wanted to.
Things get out of hand quickly, as Marcus and Julie discover that there is a larger and more powerful entity coming after Julie. As Julie and Marcus are at school one day, they experience something majorly paranormal. Julie's mother becomes ill, due to a spell, and the clock is ticking for Julie to make things right. Julie and Marcus must try to find out who is after her, how to defeat this entity, and how to get Julie's mother back, all before it's too late.

A very interesting read. I enjoyed reading how the ghost world is mixed in with witches, and their powers. It's definitely not your average ghost story, and I fell in love reading about Julie and her adventures with Marcus.
This is not your average paranormal read. Julie is a strong, independent, and caring main character, who will do just about anything for those she cares for. Marcus is an interesting, unique supportive character, that is completely loyal to Julie. With the charisma of these two characters combined, Poltergeeks is an intriguing story.
As soon as Julie is thrust into a paranormal adventure, intuition takes over, and Julie does just about everything and anything to attack the situation head on. I loved reading about the relationship between Marcus and Julie, and it was cute reading how jealous Julie was when Marcus started to receive attention.
The ghost aspect of the story was very different than what I usually read, and I felt that it was unique how Julie was able to contact certain spirits. The culprit behind the attacks was the least likely person suspected, and I love how this novel ended. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Would I recommend this book: Yes

Rating: I give this book a 3.5/5.

[Nina (Death, Books, and Tea) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: We start off meeting Julie, a teenage witch, and her friend Marcus as they investigate a house that’s been messed around with by a poltergeist. This isn’t the normal kind though-it’s a bit malevolent and tries to attack Marcus. After trapping it in a teddy bear, Julie goes home and shows her mother, who also doesn’t like it. Things build from there as a spirit gets loose again, and takes Julie’s mother with it. Julie is put on a mission to get her mother back, discovers her heritage and gets caught up in a hunt for a Witchfinder...
Of all the Strange Chemistry titles to start with, this was the one that I really wanted to read. Ghosts, witches and a badass heroine? My thing exactly.
From the start, it was slyly funny, with Julie calling out the poltergeist with unconventional words. She also explains her situation with humour and a voice that I knew I’d love throughout. From the writing, Julie is smart and sassy. From her actions, Julie is this and more. She takes initiative all the time, and she produces amazing comebacks. She’s a really likeable character, and you do find yourself rooting for her.
Marcus too. He’s not your average hero, “not suitable material for the cover of a romantic novel”, a bit awkward when it comes to social etiquette, taking Julie’s magic in his stride, but he’s really funny and sweet. Oh, and his text alert tone is the Doctor Who theme tune. Win! His feelings for Julie are so cute, and I really wanted them to get together. As a couple, both magically paired and otherwise paired, Julie and Marcus work excellently. Both of them are fresh, unpreoccupied with love, and the kind of characters that I really want to be real because they’d make awesome friends.
Other characters are good. Marla, school goth, is nice, and I liked seeing her try for Marcus’ attention while knowing that he was in love with Julie. Having Julie’s father be a ghost was excellent. Matthew Hopkins brings the right amount of evil to this, while still keeping it light hearted. And having magic tutor/guardian Betty changed into a talking dog...
Plot develops well, at just the right pace. Some things seem to work out a bit too well, but it’s easy to over look these as it doesn’t happen too often and you’re just so caught up in the fun. the action at the end was well written, with magic and intensity well fitting the drama.
Overall: Strength 5 tea to a story that’s full of phantoms, fantasy and fun. I really really want a sequel soon, or just more from Sean! (although I think in the author’s notes, there was something about a sequel.)

[Tsana Dolichva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poltergeeks by Sean Cummings is a rollicking great read out from Strange Chemistry (YA imprint of Angry Robot) on October 2nd in the US/Canada and ebook and on October 4th for the UK/Aus paperback. A copy of this book was provided for review from the publisher. Also, how awesome is the cover? I love it.

Julie is a trainee witch, still learning the craft from her mother. The only person who knows her secret is her best friend Marcus. An excerpt from the blurb:

When she and her best friend, Marcus, witness an elderly lady jettisoned out the front door of her home, it’s pretty obvious to Julie there’s a supernatural connection.

In fact, there’s a whisper of menace behind increasing levels of poltergeist activity all over town. After a large-scale paranormal assault on Julie’s high school, her mother falls victim to the spell Endless Night. Now it’s a race against time to find out who is responsible or Julie won’t just lose her mother’s soul, she’ll lose her mother’s life.

This was a great fun read packed full of action and (magical) explosions. I liked Julie as a kick-arse heroine but one who hadn't come into her full power yet. When bad things happen, she's still supposed to call her mum and when she doesn't, she gets told off and grounded. It's nice to see a YA book where the main character's parent has some agency and acts like a normal parent despite the supernatural elements (even if she spends half the book unconscious — it's still an improvement).

Marcus is painted as a love interest early on and, although Julie panics at first, I found her examination of her feelings (in between something trying to kill her) believable. Oh and Marcus is a science geek and keeps trying to work out how magic fits in with physics. It was great.

The only thing I didn't like was Julie's other (female) friend's jealousy regarding Marcus. It would have been nice if there was also a strong girlfriend relationship but at least there were no queen bitches at the school (a trope I'm a bit sick of).

I very much enjoyed this read and I hope that there will be more books about Julie in the future (and from his website it seems that Cummings is working on a follow up, Student Bodies, so yay). I recommend Poltergeeks to anyone who wants a quick, fun read with lots of action, crazy paranormal activity and a dash of awkward romance. And bonus: it's set in Canada for a bit of variety.

4.5 / 5 stars

You can read more of my reviews on my blog, Tsana's Reads.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published at Walker of Worlds.

Poltergeeks is the story of Julia Richardson, a teenage witch. It runs in the family, and while they aren't part of a coven, Julia and her mother get by just fine by themselves. That is until, one day, Julia steps in to stop a poltergeist from terrorising one of her neighbours, and in doing so sets off a chain of events that not only lead to danger and tragedy, but also to discovery, and the reason behind her mother's often strict rules on Julia and her use of magic.

Sean Cummings has taken a pretty straight forward - and often overdone - trope and shined it up real good, being rather clever, and working well on many levels. While this is a YA novel, it edges towards the older crowd, and with the main protagonist a 15 year old girl going through many life changing events because of her heritage, it's nice to see them handled well. Julia is a headstrong young woman, and while at many points she goes through with plans that she really shouldn't, they're not done in haste. With her best friend, Marcus, at her side, Cummings allows their relationship to often carry the story without resorting to dragging it out. It's quick and punchy, and does exceedingly well for it.

Julia and Marcus are, without a doubt, the highlight of the novel. The chemistry between them easily carries the story at a quick pace, entertaining you as the plot progresses. It's nice to see them both as fully fleshed out characters, each with distinct personalities and quirks, and each complementing the other very well. The character depth doesn't stop with the main protagonists, but carries on throughout the cast. Perhaps there were moments that could have been explored a little more, but the urgency of the plot allows these to be pushed to one side to be examined later on, and hopefully in future instalments.

One of the main points I was worried about would be the explanations of the use of magic. Rather than bore the reader with long and in-depth info-dumping and history, Cummings delivers everything you need to know within the story. It once again adds to the ease with which Poltergeeks can be read, and is very appealing to anyone not wanting to be bogged down with a slow-moving narrative.

In short, Poltergeeks is a quick, easy, and enjoyable read with characters that make the story. The plot is interesting and quirky, with surprises in store throughout. A recommended read.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://theprettygoodgatsby.wordpress....

Somebody killed my father. I don't know who did it or why, but I'm going to find them.

I'm a girl.

I'm a witch.

I'm a Shadowcull.

Someone is going to pay.

I went into this book fairly blind - I had never read any book by Sean Cummings prior to Poltergeeks nor was I a big paranormal reader. The plot intrigued me and having a strong mother-daughter relationship was a definite plus. Now that I've read it, I'm glad I took that chance.

Julie Richardson is your average 15-year old. Except for the fact that she's a witch. And can see spirits. Her best friend Marcus is her constant companion and one of the few people who knows what Julie truly is.

What initially seems like a typical poltergeist turns out to be far more menacing. An attack on her school has left Julie shaken and her mother in the hospital comatose and under a powerful (and fatal) spell. In an attempt to save her mother's life, Julie makes a deal with an immortal and with the help of her guardian and some friendly advice from the spirit of her father, Julie prepares to face down her demons. Literally.

Poltergeeks is a fairly short book that can easily be read in an afternoon. It was a pretty average read - nothing horrible, but nothing remarkable - and there was a cute romance (and no love triangle!). Unfortunately, I felt the Big Reveal was a bit of a letdown and more than once I was confused and not quite sure what was going on or why the villain did what they did.

It doesn't seem like Poltergeeks will be a series, but the ending is written in such a way that it's certainly possible.

Over the course of the novel, the writing style seemed much more suited to a Middle Grade novel, yet there's quite a bit of profanity thrown about. Originally I would have definitely said Poltergeeks would be right at home with 10-ish year olds (mainly due to the writing style), but once multiple f-bombs were dropped, I reconsidered.

Fans of paranormal YA will most likely enjoy Poltergeeks. There's nothing mind-blowing about this novel, but it's a quick, enjoyable ride nonetheless.

[Cheree Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julie Richardson is just like a normal girl, well except for the fact that she's a witch. Actually a witch-in-training. Her mother is teaching her how to harness her magic and help exorcise spirits/poltergeists from the mortal realm. When Julie and her best friend, Marcus encounters a poltergeist attacking an elderly neighbour, and a large-scale paranormal attack on her high school, Julie knows that something malice is out to get her and her mother. After her mother falls victim to a spell called Endless Nights, Julie must learn the truth about who she is and learn to harness her full powers if she hopes to stand a chance against defeating this evil and saving her mother's life.

Ever since the cover and blurb was revealed I knew I wanted to read Poltergeeks and I wasn't disappointed. Sean Cummings has created an interesting and original world of witches and ghosts and together with the snarky and humorous attitude of Julie, Poltergeeks is a page-turning read that will capture and hook the reader's attention from the first page.

Julie is just like an average teenager. She fights with her mother, she struggles with determining her feelings towards her best friend, and she makes mistakes (a lot of them). She is eager to prove to her mother, and herself, that she can handle things without anyone's helps. This doesn't always lead to the best result, and often gets Marcus into trouble with her. Julie isn't the only well-rounded character. This novel is full of a cast that reader's can root for and sometimes despise.

The story starts at a sprinting pace and doesn't slow down as Julie is attacked over and over again by supernatural forces, which will have the reader wanting to continue turning the page to find out what's going to happen next (trust me, lost sleep just to see how it ended). It is a fun and quick read with a few twists and turns thrown in to keep Julie on her feet. I would definitely recommend Poltergeeks to anyone who loves YA paranormal, but also anyone who loves sassy characters and strong, butt-kicking females. I can't wait to read the sequel and see where Julie's adventures lead her next.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sean Cummings, Canadian author of adult Urban Fantasy, has written a young adult paranormal for Angry Robots’ new YA imprint, Strange Chemistry. Poltergeeks is about Julie, a young teenage girl trying to prove to her mother and herself that she is responsible enough to use her magic on her own, but she quickly gets in over her head, dragging her best friend Marcus along for the dangerous ride.

This is an action/mystery story with a sweet romance woven in. What impressed me most was Cummings’s knowledge of magic and his use of it in this story. I don't know much about magic, but I know when something doesn't ring true and his system was very believable. Add fabulously written action scenes and you have a fast-paced kick-butt story. Even though Julie has to deal with a few serious issues, the author keeps it light and angst-free, giving the reader a fun reading experience. (And any story with a talking dog is winning in my book.) I am a fan of first person POV and enjoyed experiencing things through Julie’s eyes. She has the makings of one of those snarky heroines I love in urban fantasy novels.

It is a little difficult to say what age group would enjoy this most. The story will definitely appeal to the 13-15 year old crowd. There is a little bit of profanity in it, but let’s face it, any 15 year old would cuss while being attacked by a malevolent sprit . If you don’t mind your middle grader watching PG-13 movies, I think they will enjoy this story too.

One more note, have you checked out this cover? It is fabulous! Strange Chemistry is off to a great start with Poltergeeks (and isn’t that a clever title? ) in its line up so be sure to check them out. Sean will be doing a blog tour for the release of Poltergeeks in October and will be stopping by I Smell Sheep, maybe he will give us some hints about about book two Student Bodies releasing Spring of 2013.

SharonS (edited by BAK)
4 sheep
You can find the review and others here:http://ismellsheep.blogspot.com/2012/...

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has been sitting on my shelf for a couple of years now, and this year I have made it my goal to read as many of these old books gathering dust as I can. My reading tastes have changed a bit since I purchased Poltergeeks and lately young adult books have not been my kind of book. So when I decided that this was to be my next read I didn't have particularly high expectations.

Needless to say, I actually quite enjoyed reading Poltergeeks. It was just a nice fun and light read. I think that my low expectations of the book worked in my favour as I was pleasantly surprised by this one.

There are quite a lot of cliches and things that are typical of a lot of young adult books but I felt like the mystery and supernatural side of this book kind of outweighed those parts and I found myself having fun.

While this is quite a light read, I was reading it at night time by myself and I was pretty tired, so I did find myself getting a little nervous at some parts. I will admit that it was a little bit scary. That being said, I think it was just the situation of having read a few other scary stories earlier in the day that I was a little on edge. Poltergeeks isn't meant to be overly frightening. The tone really is quite fun and light-hearted.

In all honesty, there isn't a lot I have to say about Poltergeeks, other than it was a light-hearted and fun read.

So, will I read the second book in the series? At this point I'm still not sure. On the one hand this was quite a fun read, but on the other, there are so many other books that I want to read before it that really it will just depend on whether or not I feel like it one day. If you are interested in reading this book and/or its sequel I would suggest purchasing them sooner rather than later as the publishing company, Strange Chemistry are not in business anymore, so the books that are out there, are the last going to be printed, unless they get picked up by another publishing company some time in the future.

[Serendipity Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I heard about this book I was desperate to read it. From the first sentence I felt like I was on a thrilling ride which continued at a fast pace all the way through the book.
I adored the humour in the book. Sean Cummings has one sarcastic mind and I personally love it!
The characters really stand out, they all have a quirkiness about them. Julie, the main protagonist, is just full of sassiness and sarcasm. Straight away, you are cheering her on, desperate for her to solve the disasters erupting around her. Poor Julie, just never stops! The action is wham, bam all the way through the book, never giving her a chance to catch her breath, let alone worry about what she was letting herself in for. That is probably the only thing I would change about the book; the pacing. At times I would have liked it to be a bit slower. I really wanted Julie to slow down, but I felt she never got the chance.
And then there is Marcus! I personally don't relate to the geeks in YA books, but this one is a real sweetie. His heart is definitely in the right place and he is just such a strong character for Julie to lean on.
The Tutelary was hilarious in his or her many disguises. His later appearance in the book really had me in stitches.
The plot is very well written and kept me intrigued. I always get a little excited when Matthew Hopkins makes an appearance in a book. What witch book would be complete without him?
There are lots of red herrings with the story, so I didn't see the ending coming until very near the end. I thought the author had an original and unique voice, one that I felt stood out from the crowd. The book was a dramatic page turning rollercoaster that slipped in snippets of humour.
I really enjoyed it and I can't wait to see what else Sean Cummings writes.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sean Cummings writing style was the first thing that grabbed me when I started reading. It flows naturally, and perfectly encompasses Julie's character including her sassiness, wit and outspoken teen voice. It reads so naturally like a teenager that I instantly got a sense of what Julie's personality was like and I loved her.

Although I guessed pretty much from the outset what was coming at the end, I'm not sure if this was down to my extra good guessing abilities or easy to read plot/characters. Despite this there were still a few twists and surprises that threw me so that I still enjoyed the ending, and the plot overall was energetic and action packed. The premise behind the story has so much potential and I can see Julie getting into a whole host of adventures, or misadventures, in future books and I think it would work so well as a TV series.

The magical elements bring the story to life, with the grimoire passed down to Julie, her mother's collection of unusual smelling concoctions, the shadowcull legacy and don't forget a bit of grave digging.

After Julie, I liked Marcus the best. Because he provides the 'reasonable' and scientific perspective. He tries to fit magic into science and his understanding of the physical world, remains a little sceptical, but also makes steps to believing some of the crazy things that are happening around him.

Although it hadn't really crossed my mind at the time, Non at Catnip, pointed out how well the content and style for Poltergeeks would be appropriate for a younger Middle Grade age range. I think younger audiences would really relate to Julie, the confusing situation she is in with Marcus and their changing relationship. Although she's not popular in school, she is quirky, quick-witted and completely herself. For young girls I think she shines as a role model.

Poltergeeks is a sassy, funny, and thrilling YA debut.