Spying Eyes

Sabrina the Teenage Witch #14

by Nancy Holder

When a team of government scientists descends on Westbridge, on the lookout for signs of black magic, Sabrina tries to throw them off the trail while she struggles to reverse a spell she cast gone awry. Original.

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Witches, Childrens, Contemporary, Fiction, Urban Fantasy

160 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 6, 2001

About the author

Nancy Holder, New York Times Bestselling author of the WICKED Series, has just published CRUSADE - the first book in a new vampire series cowritten with Debbie Viguie. The last book her her Possession series is set to release in March 2011.

Nancy was born in Los Altos, California, and her family settled for a time in Walnut Creek. Her father, who taught at Stanford, joined the navy and the family traveled throughout California and lived in Japan for three years. When she was sixteen, she dropped out of high school to become a ballet dancer in Cologne, Germany, and later relocated to Frankfurt Am Main.

Eventually she returned to California and graduated summa cum laude from the University of California at San Diego with a degree in Communications. Soon after, she began to write; her first sale was a young adult romance novel titled Teach Me to Love.

Nancy’s work has appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, LA Times, amazon.com, LOCUS, and other bestseller lists. A four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association, she has also received accolades from the American Library Association, the American Reading Association, the New York Public Library, and Romantic Times.

She and Debbie Viguié co-authored the New York Times bestselling series Wicked for Simon and Schuster. They have continued their collaboration with the Crusade series, also for Simon and Schuster, and the Wolf Springs Chronicles for Delacorte (2011.) She is also the author of the young adult horror series Possessions for Razorbill. She has sold many novels and book projects set in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Saving Grace, Hellboy, and Smallville universes.

She has sold approximately two hundred short stories and essays on writing and popular culture. Her anthology, Outsiders, co-edited with Nancy Kilpatrick, was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award in 2005.

She teaches in the Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing Program, offered through the University of Southern Maine. She has previously taught at UCSD and has served on the Clarion Board of Directors.

She lives in San Diego, California, with her daughter Belle, their two Corgis, Panda and Tater; and their cats, David and Kittnen Snow. She and Belle are active in Girl Scouts and dog obedience training.

Reviews

[Thibault Busschots · Rating 3 out of 5]

Castanalia is the day witches can cast any spells they want for one day without any consequences. As the next day will return everything back to normal. Sabrina goes on a magic spree and makes animals talk. Aunt Hilda makes herself the President of the United States. They have a lot of fun. But her aunts forgot to tell her one very important thing. One of her spells is about to blow up in her face. And then some men in black come to her school to investigate.


A charming and fun nostalgic read.

[Madeleine Knutsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dom här böckerna är så lätt lästa att även fast mitt läshumör inte är det bästa hinner jag läsa en bok per dag. Känner sakta men säkert att mitt humör börjar bli bättre men skolan och mitt stora arbete tynger ner mig. Men Sabrina och gänget finns här för mig.

[Mackenzie Larochelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loooved Sabrina the teenage witch. Cool to read a book version that was never an episode! Found it randomly at value village and it was a cute read

[Liander (The Towering Pile) Lavoie · Rating 3 out of 5]

In case you were not a fan of Sabrina the Teenage Witch in the 90s, these books are based on the tv show, which is about Sabrina, who learns as a teenager that she's a witch, as are her aunts. This book tells the story of Sabrina's first Castanalia, a holiday on which witches can cast all the spells they want for 24 hours without any consequences, because the day will just start over again the next day. However, Sabrina's aunts forget to mention that one spell doesn't go away, and if you don't prepare for that in advance, you won't know which one! When scientists come to their town looking for evidence of magic, Sabrina has to find the spell that didn't go away, and fix it, while there's a ban on magic.

This book was a fun read, and really brought me back to the show, which I loved as a preteen. (It was on TGIF with Teen Angel, Boy Meets World, and You Wish. I loved that lineup!) This book was definitely cheesy, though. I can't remember if the show was like that.

When the witches had to stop doing magic to avoid the suspicion of the scientists, I found it scarier than I probably should have, just because it reminded me so much of Charmed, which had several episodes with similar plot lines, including one in which a witch ends up burned at the stake! But these scientists were more of the goofy variety.

So, not exactly a great work of literature, but a fun story, especially if you were a fan of the show.

3 stars.

This review is copied from my blog, The Towering Pile. It was originally published here.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved all of the Sabrina tales full of magic. Every story was a different adventure and some new and exciting challenge to overcome. These books made me want to have magical powers too but the ending results were hilarious.

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

All magic comes with a price. In this case its Castanalia, the day witches can cast any spells they want for one day since, the 'next' day will actually be the same day but without the Castanalia aspect.

So Sabrina casts away with Valerie become a major rock star, Harvey the MVP of the football team, Hilda becomes President of the United States and so on. One spell is to allow animals to speak which seems really neat.

Then things go wrong. A big group of MIB type guys and a somewhat crazy scientist show up with the scientist determined to prove beyond doubt that magic exists and Sabrina's home is where he parts his van and his group spreads out to take various readings.

If they hear the animals talk, though, things will get really bad for Sabrina, her aunts and all other witches. Yet another thing goes wrong and unless Sabrina can figure out what to do her future, the future of her aunts and all other witches is in danger.

It sounds terribly serious but the way things play out is really funny and very cute.

[ECH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun with a lot of fast plot movement, just like the series.

[Malin · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.6 stars.

[Dalaina Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope to collect all in this fun series it sure takes me back to the 90’s era!

[Sophie Sternschuss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite having an exciting plot where Sabrina can make any wish she wants on this one special day, the book itself was just ok and not too memorable for me.

[Kevyn]

When I was about 10, i loved the TV show Sabrina the Teenage Witch and whenever i came across them in the book store i would always beg my parents to buy me one. But i never had the patience to sit down and read it. Now, I've read it so I can review it. i think the TV show version of this book is much better than the actually book version. First of all, I think its a better outcome if movies are based on books not vice versa. To me, it just works better. second the whole series is not as interesting as the book blurb makes it sound. this is what happens with many books i read. compared to the television shows these days, Sabrina the Teenage Witch is a boring series. Comparing 90's classic sitcoms and 2010's television shows, the main event in a 90's show might just be a little "side event" in a show today. if a book is written based of a boring tv show, then the book will also most likely be boring

Overall this book is not well written, because it combines a series of random little events that have nothing to do with each other and that are supposed to be interesting. It is also very repetitive. The book mentions that Sabrina's aunts are witches as well, and throughout the book the author writes about more of their abilities as witches with out realizing that the audience does not care about repetitive facts.

[Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a cute, short story, where Sabrina gets to have fun casting all the spells she wants on a day that doesn't exist. but, everyone forgets to tell her that one of her spells will remain. so, she has to figure it out and fix it... while government scientists come into town to study evidence of magic! I like when the books try to describe magic that would have been difficult to create on the show (with 90s special effects). obviously this isn't great literature, but it's nice for someone with fond memories of the show.

[Sella Malin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I used to love this T.V. show, along with the books.. now I don't care for both much anymore.

[Tori · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was weird.

[Lara]

It cool
I am a fan of Sabrina the teenage witch

[Liene · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was interesting, but I more loved Sabrina's books by other authors.

[Vampire-lk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome! Childhood memories learning how to read and watching this tv show as a faithful fan!!!! :)

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute and quick read, but it was definitely a little cheesy - much like the show itself!