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Three Witches
Three seemingly ordinary girls, studying together in the same ordinary high school. All have their own reasons to summon Trevor Saunders after his car goes over a cliff. Aliya brings the mystical seances of Syria. Gillian contributes the voodoo arts from her native Trinidad. Miya shares the secret magic of ancient Japan. Will they be able use their powers to bring him back one more time? Should they?
- GenresYoung Adult
236 pages, Hardcover
First published March 3, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 7, 2014
Aliya, Gillian and Miya are all haunted by the same boy.
Aliya loves him even though he isn't Muslim. Gillian needs the money he promised her so that she can get back to Trinidad. And Miya desperately wishes she could take back what she said to him at that party.
But Trevor is dead and he isn't coming back. Unless these girls have it their way in Three Witches (2009) by Paula Jolin.
Sounds exciting right?
I particularly liked that this novel was drawing on witchcraft lore from three different cultures (Jolin has a Master's in Islamic Studies which is likely why that aspect of the story is most plotted out). Except by the end of the story, the girls are really just making it up as they go along.
The pacing is incredibly slow. Jolin jumps around a lot, telling different events of the story from each girl's perspective. Instead of creating a tight narrative, this made all of the characters feel distant. The plot also felt really tedious because Jolin has a knack for switching point of view right when readers will want to see what happens next.
The writing itself was also frustrating. Certain parts of the story were presented in a very heavy handed fashion. Gillian's love of Trinidad, for instance, was so over the top it actually became hyperbolic. Other aspect Jolin treated with such a light touch that it is still unclear what actually happened.
Spoilers ahead:
The real problem with Three Witches was the ending. As the story progresses and the girls continue to chase after Trevor and piece together his last night (and bring him back) it is obvious that they are falling apart. The story ends abruptly with what I can only call band-aid fixes for the girls problems.
Aliyah did actually seem to grow and move on. Gillian, bizarrely went through the entire book only to end up back where she started with her desire to go back to Trinidad (with the one distinction being eventually rather than right away).
Miya, meanwhile, has turned to Asceticism and is convinced that by hurting herself she is able to channel the spirits and invoke their power. There are so many problems with that I don't even know where to start, especially because I really liked Miya as a character initially.
The Lifetime Movie Style Ending (speedy wrap up and little resolution) make it unclear if the girls' spiritual misadventures worked or not. If they did, Miya is going to keep hurting herself to gain more power. If they didn't, Miya is still going to keep hurting herself. AND she's delusional.
Jolin never addresses this one way or the other. It is so painfully clear that Miya is broken and needs help, but she doesn't get it by the end of the story. And, worse, Jolin never even really says she needs help leaving a huge opening for readers who, looking for an excuse to hurt themselves, might have found the excuse they needed in this character who thinks she is "new and improved" and stronger because of the pain she is causing herself. (I'm talking standing naked under waterfalls in winter, walking over hot coals, and pricking herself with pins by the way.)
Now, you might say there are other books that deal with this kind of problem like Cut, Wintergirls, and even in some way Specials. The difference is those books eventually do address hurting yourself as being a problem. Jolin never does. In fact, the open-ended closure of the novel suggests it might even be giving Miya the power she thinks she has. Substandard writing aside, I don't really know how anyone could recommend Three Witches in good conscience when it has a character like Miya as model.
Aliya loves him even though he isn't Muslim. Gillian needs the money he promised her so that she can get back to Trinidad. And Miya desperately wishes she could take back what she said to him at that party.
But Trevor is dead and he isn't coming back. Unless these girls have it their way in Three Witches (2009) by Paula Jolin.
Sounds exciting right?
I particularly liked that this novel was drawing on witchcraft lore from three different cultures (Jolin has a Master's in Islamic Studies which is likely why that aspect of the story is most plotted out). Except by the end of the story, the girls are really just making it up as they go along.
The pacing is incredibly slow. Jolin jumps around a lot, telling different events of the story from each girl's perspective. Instead of creating a tight narrative, this made all of the characters feel distant. The plot also felt really tedious because Jolin has a knack for switching point of view right when readers will want to see what happens next.
The writing itself was also frustrating. Certain parts of the story were presented in a very heavy handed fashion. Gillian's love of Trinidad, for instance, was so over the top it actually became hyperbolic. Other aspect Jolin treated with such a light touch that it is still unclear what actually happened.
Spoilers ahead:
The real problem with Three Witches was the ending. As the story progresses and the girls continue to chase after Trevor and piece together his last night (and bring him back) it is obvious that they are falling apart. The story ends abruptly with what I can only call band-aid fixes for the girls problems.
Aliyah did actually seem to grow and move on. Gillian, bizarrely went through the entire book only to end up back where she started with her desire to go back to Trinidad (with the one distinction being eventually rather than right away).
Miya, meanwhile, has turned to Asceticism and is convinced that by hurting herself she is able to channel the spirits and invoke their power. There are so many problems with that I don't even know where to start, especially because I really liked Miya as a character initially.
The Lifetime Movie Style Ending (speedy wrap up and little resolution) make it unclear if the girls' spiritual misadventures worked or not. If they did, Miya is going to keep hurting herself to gain more power. If they didn't, Miya is still going to keep hurting herself. AND she's delusional.
Jolin never addresses this one way or the other. It is so painfully clear that Miya is broken and needs help, but she doesn't get it by the end of the story. And, worse, Jolin never even really says she needs help leaving a huge opening for readers who, looking for an excuse to hurt themselves, might have found the excuse they needed in this character who thinks she is "new and improved" and stronger because of the pain she is causing herself. (I'm talking standing naked under waterfalls in winter, walking over hot coals, and pricking herself with pins by the way.)
Now, you might say there are other books that deal with this kind of problem like Cut, Wintergirls, and even in some way Specials. The difference is those books eventually do address hurting yourself as being a problem. Jolin never does. In fact, the open-ended closure of the novel suggests it might even be giving Miya the power she thinks she has. Substandard writing aside, I don't really know how anyone could recommend Three Witches in good conscience when it has a character like Miya as model.
February 13, 2013
I really wanted to like this book. I mean, teen witches! Ethnically diverse teen witches! Magic inspired by the myths/folklore of their respective cultures! (Namely Syrian-Muslim, Trinidadian, and Japanese.) Ghosts! Djinns! Obeah! Jumbies! Séances! Tarot! Shaving boys' heads to steal their powers! Quranic ayyats recited backwards! Mysterious emails from beyond the grave! Three Witches was supposed to have it all, and it did... and it was awful.
The writing was irredeemably terrible. The plot jumped around in such a badly-edited jumble of thoughts and actions that you always felt like you were missing something about the characters' motivations. The rare moments of wit and insight from the girls were eclipsed by the author's heavy-handed attempts to cram a cultural reference in every sentence. It was like, the more I learned about them, the more they became awkward caricatures of their cultures. So much for that refreshing diversity! Just because I'm near-desperate for representation in the YA supernatural genre, doesn't mean I'm going to settle for... whatever this was. Even the girls' friendship was strained — they started out judgmental of one another, and eventually graduated to banter that came off as irritating and argumentative. And finally, after all of that, even the ending was an anticlimactic letdown!
I wish I could bring myself to give it a higher rating just for its potential, because let's be real, we need more supernatural fiction that isn't all white people all the time. You have no idea how happy I was to casually flip this book open and see that one of the witches in question was Muslim, because how often do you even get that in your YA? (If the prospect of Muslim witches doesn't feel like a rarity to you, please contact me immediately because these are the stories I need in my life.) I did keep my expectations reasonable — I mean, I found it in a bargain bin at World's Biggest Bookstore for a whopping $2 — but I figured at the very least it would be a decent story with some cute teen witch-girl friendships, and I barely even got that.
Are non-white protagonists such an exception in this genre that I had to resort to such a badly-written book to get my fill? The answer is yes... and that's a problem. I dream of a utopia where books about ethnically diverse witches are so common that no witch-loving lady of colour ever has to resort to reading a book this terrible again. With the promise of that bright and shining future, this book gets a lonely single star.
The writing was irredeemably terrible. The plot jumped around in such a badly-edited jumble of thoughts and actions that you always felt like you were missing something about the characters' motivations. The rare moments of wit and insight from the girls were eclipsed by the author's heavy-handed attempts to cram a cultural reference in every sentence. It was like, the more I learned about them, the more they became awkward caricatures of their cultures. So much for that refreshing diversity! Just because I'm near-desperate for representation in the YA supernatural genre, doesn't mean I'm going to settle for... whatever this was. Even the girls' friendship was strained — they started out judgmental of one another, and eventually graduated to banter that came off as irritating and argumentative. And finally, after all of that, even the ending was an anticlimactic letdown!
I wish I could bring myself to give it a higher rating just for its potential, because let's be real, we need more supernatural fiction that isn't all white people all the time. You have no idea how happy I was to casually flip this book open and see that one of the witches in question was Muslim, because how often do you even get that in your YA? (If the prospect of Muslim witches doesn't feel like a rarity to you, please contact me immediately because these are the stories I need in my life.) I did keep my expectations reasonable — I mean, I found it in a bargain bin at World's Biggest Bookstore for a whopping $2 — but I figured at the very least it would be a decent story with some cute teen witch-girl friendships, and I barely even got that.
Are non-white protagonists such an exception in this genre that I had to resort to such a badly-written book to get my fill? The answer is yes... and that's a problem. I dream of a utopia where books about ethnically diverse witches are so common that no witch-loving lady of colour ever has to resort to reading a book this terrible again. With the promise of that bright and shining future, this book gets a lonely single star.
November 29, 2018
This book is fantastic. Love the way the author has a different perspective for each character of the book.
December 1, 2019
Wow! I always finish a book. No matter how bad. It took all I had to finish this. Literally. Just. Bad.
October 21, 2020
Well...I didn't hate it. Wouldn't recommend it, though, for reasons already well articulated in many other reviews.
As a BU alumna, though, I did appreciate the Boston University mentions.
As a BU alumna, though, I did appreciate the Boston University mentions.
May 10, 2010
After Trevor's death, the lives of three girls are forever changed: one wracked with grief, one beating herself up with guilt, and one suffering from her business relationship with him. They find each other in order to fix their lives, and end up on a winding path through magic steeped in their own unique cultures.
I liked the cultural diversity in the story. The three main characters, Aliya, Miya, and Gillian, are all from vasty different cultures: Arab, Japanese, and Trinidad. The way each culture is woven into the story is interesting.
The rest of it, though, was difficult.
The pacing was incredibly slow, and the story itself was even-keel - there weren't really climactic moments, and there was little to no suspense building toward the end. Nothing that compelled me to keep reading. The story didn't flow smoothly from beginning to end. It jumped around a bit, partly because we jumped from character to character. But it happened within one character at times, as well. The ending was too ambiguous for me, and felt like the author herself didn't know what she wanted to be true. It was also a bit predictable. The characters did grow, but grew in completely predictable ways. Even Trevor was a bit predictable.
There's nothing new here, really, aside from the variety in cultural magic. Which I liked, and gave an extra star. For me, the story felt like a first draft. Way too rough, and there are too many places where it felt like the author didn't think things through.
I liked the cultural diversity in the story. The three main characters, Aliya, Miya, and Gillian, are all from vasty different cultures: Arab, Japanese, and Trinidad. The way each culture is woven into the story is interesting.
The rest of it, though, was difficult.
The pacing was incredibly slow, and the story itself was even-keel - there weren't really climactic moments, and there was little to no suspense building toward the end. Nothing that compelled me to keep reading. The story didn't flow smoothly from beginning to end. It jumped around a bit, partly because we jumped from character to character. But it happened within one character at times, as well. The ending was too ambiguous for me, and felt like the author herself didn't know what she wanted to be true. It was also a bit predictable. The characters did grow, but grew in completely predictable ways. Even Trevor was a bit predictable.
There's nothing new here, really, aside from the variety in cultural magic. Which I liked, and gave an extra star. For me, the story felt like a first draft. Way too rough, and there are too many places where it felt like the author didn't think things through.
November 13, 2012
Reviewed by Lauren Ashley for TeensReadToo.com
Schoolmates, but not yet friends, Aliya, Gillian, and Miya all come from various cultural backgrounds: Aliya is Muslim, Gillian is from Trinidad, and Miya is Japanese.
They come together to work magic in allowing themselves closure in the death of Trevor Saunders. Aliya was his secret girlfriend, Gillian was involved in a secret business and wants her money to get back home, and Miya had a secret argument the night he died that she'd do anything to take back.
THREE WITCHES is less about magic and speaking with the dead and more about finding community in the most unlikely of places and coming to terms with your parents' heritage. All of these girls want something that their parents don't seem to understand. To come out from under their thumb, they have to work together.
One thing that I really enjoyed about THREE WITCHES is that each character is a person with a colorful upbringing and background. It's not every day you have a character in a book that isn't Caucasian, but to have all three main characters not be white? That's definitely an interesting addition to this book, and it wouldn't have been the story it was if any of the characters were changed.
The ending is definitely one that will leave readers questioning. It would make a wonderful book club discussion!
Schoolmates, but not yet friends, Aliya, Gillian, and Miya all come from various cultural backgrounds: Aliya is Muslim, Gillian is from Trinidad, and Miya is Japanese.
They come together to work magic in allowing themselves closure in the death of Trevor Saunders. Aliya was his secret girlfriend, Gillian was involved in a secret business and wants her money to get back home, and Miya had a secret argument the night he died that she'd do anything to take back.
THREE WITCHES is less about magic and speaking with the dead and more about finding community in the most unlikely of places and coming to terms with your parents' heritage. All of these girls want something that their parents don't seem to understand. To come out from under their thumb, they have to work together.
One thing that I really enjoyed about THREE WITCHES is that each character is a person with a colorful upbringing and background. It's not every day you have a character in a book that isn't Caucasian, but to have all three main characters not be white? That's definitely an interesting addition to this book, and it wouldn't have been the story it was if any of the characters were changed.
The ending is definitely one that will leave readers questioning. It would make a wonderful book club discussion!
March 21, 2010
This book is terrible; the writing is weak, the storyline is weak, and the characters aren't even likeable. I kept thinking the novel would get better, but it never did, and the ending was completely stupid.
Trevor is dead, but three girls have unfinished business with him: Aliya was his secret Muslim girlfriend who needs to confess her undying love for him one last time, Gillian was his "business partner" who needs him to tell her where to find some money so that she can return to Trinidad, and Miya was the girl who ruined his parents' marriage who needs to apologize for their fight the night he died. Through a series of VERY UNLIKELY circumstances, these girls team up to dabble in the dark arts to bring him back from the dead.
Trevor is dead, but three girls have unfinished business with him: Aliya was his secret Muslim girlfriend who needs to confess her undying love for him one last time, Gillian was his "business partner" who needs him to tell her where to find some money so that she can return to Trinidad, and Miya was the girl who ruined his parents' marriage who needs to apologize for their fight the night he died. Through a series of VERY UNLIKELY circumstances, these girls team up to dabble in the dark arts to bring him back from the dead.
November 15, 2012
It would've been a cuter read if the stereotyping of the characters wasn't so hardcore (the good Mulism/Arab-American who obeys her parents...but wants more. The sassy girl, who transferred from the Caribbean and loves marijuana, warm weather, and steel drum music...and believes in a sort of voodoo and speaks with an accent (there was a lot of phonetic writing: "Yeah, gyrl...youarh da one..."). The Japanese American girl who is smart, dresses sexy...and is thinking about becoming a kimono-wearing priestess). Also, the ending sucked. It was one of those books that built it up, built it up, built it up...and then, "OH, NEVER MIND. THAT'S KID'S REALLY ALIVE, AND EVERYTHING WAS JUST A COINCIDENCE BUT NOW EVERYTHING'S ALL BETTER. YAY." Boo, I say.
March 1, 2016
Pros: This has a really interesting contemporary setup. Finally we see three ethnic witches on a quest to resurrect a dead friend. The Craft and Eastwick witches, with the exception of Rochelle the token black witch, could all pass for white (not sure if Cher is Jewish, let's keep going).
Cons: Absolutely terrible execution. The writing is passable, but perspective is all over the place, taking the reader out of the story. Also, that ethnic thing I just told you about? All the culture groups are totally stereotyped, including accents. I had difficulty getting through this book to start with, around the second half it starts to speed up a bit, but then the ending is both confusing and anticlimactic.
Cons: Absolutely terrible execution. The writing is passable, but perspective is all over the place, taking the reader out of the story. Also, that ethnic thing I just told you about? All the culture groups are totally stereotyped, including accents. I had difficulty getting through this book to start with, around the second half it starts to speed up a bit, but then the ending is both confusing and anticlimactic.
February 27, 2010
The writing style just didn't do it for me. After every page, I debated putting the book down, put I kept wondering if the book would redeem itself, and then the ending just made everything seem even more silly. I wonder if readers that share the ethnicities of the girls in this book would be offended. (That had no bearing on my rating, but I am just curious. I found some of the dialogue to be a bit stereotypical, but that may have just have been me.) I just would recommend other YA books before this one.
November 3, 2009
A teen book with three main characters, none of whom are white, and yet the story is not about their struggles of being non-white in a white world? Is America ready for this?
First thing about the book that I noticed. :-) Review to come on teenreads.com
First thing about the book that I noticed. :-) Review to come on teenreads.com
September 22, 2010
this book was good..some parts it even gave me the shivers.
and the ending got me thinking.what really happened?
though i have to say there were some boring parts.
and the ending got me thinking.what really happened?
though i have to say there were some boring parts.
January 14, 2015
I love how three compleate diffrent girls share one thing in common and come together to fix there lifes
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