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Rhymes with Witch #1
A Curse, A Key, & A Corkscrew
Joan's just your average, everyday meteorologist - who happens to be cursed.
Twenty-nine years ago, Joan’s first grade teacher, suffering from a migraine, put a curse on her entire class, giving them an electric jolt and taking away their sight and voices. The symptoms faded the next day, but there’s reason to believe it’ll be back soon – and it’s already starting for some. As adults, Joan and a core group of her classmates have been racing against the clock, sifting through any info they can find on the supernatural, with no success. So when Joan comes across a skeleton key that gives her that same jolt, she hopes this may be their first real lead. She calls in reinforcements and they all descend on her house, including Veronica, yoga teacher to the stars, Ed, a pot-smoking ghost hunter, and Brandon, her sexy on-again-off-again lover.
Will Joan be able to find the antidote to the curse before it takes over their lives – and before these wackos drive her completely bonkers?
Twenty-nine years ago, Joan’s first grade teacher, suffering from a migraine, put a curse on her entire class, giving them an electric jolt and taking away their sight and voices. The symptoms faded the next day, but there’s reason to believe it’ll be back soon – and it’s already starting for some. As adults, Joan and a core group of her classmates have been racing against the clock, sifting through any info they can find on the supernatural, with no success. So when Joan comes across a skeleton key that gives her that same jolt, she hopes this may be their first real lead. She calls in reinforcements and they all descend on her house, including Veronica, yoga teacher to the stars, Ed, a pot-smoking ghost hunter, and Brandon, her sexy on-again-off-again lover.
Will Joan be able to find the antidote to the curse before it takes over their lives – and before these wackos drive her completely bonkers?
144 pages, Paperback
Published February 5, 2020
35 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Anna McCluskey
13 books12 followersAnna McCluskey is an autistic indie fantasy author known for her witty dialogue, whimsical storylines, and immersive style. Anna lives in rural Oregon with crapload of pets and plants.
For information on upcoming projects, check out her website, annamccluskey.com.
For information on upcoming projects, check out her website, annamccluskey.com.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 7, 2022
A Curse, a Key, & a Corkscrew by Anna McCluskey is the first part of the "Rhymes with Witch" series.
As a young child, Joan and the rest of her first-grade classmates were cursed by their teacher, Mrs Olsen. Most of the students were struck blind and dumb, some worse than others. Officials chalked it up to a mass hallucination, but Joan and her friends know the truth: Mrs Olsen cursed them, and the curse is scheduled to re-set the year they turn 30. All of this gives the classmates approximately five months to prevent it. Several of them have devoted their lives to breaking the curse. Joan became a physicist, Ed a ghost-hunter, Derek a doctor, and Veronica a yogi. When Joan happens upon an odd key in an antique store and gets the same jolt from it that she remembers getting from the curse, she believes the key may hold the key to breaking the curse. Summoning the others, Joan and her friends launch a desperate attempt to thwart the curse before they are all rendered blind and deaf for life...or worse.
Despite how dire the synopsis sounds, this book was lighthearted and amazingly funny. I enjoyed Joan's interactions with her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brandon, as well as the antics of Veronica (naked yoga, anyone?) and Ed, the stoner. There was some friction between the classmates, but they ultimately pulled together in an effort to break the curse.
Lots of funny lines/quotes! Sort of waffling here between a four and a five. Affecting the score are two points: One, there was casual drug use in the story, which I didn't care for. I'm an old prude, sue me. However, it was Joan who rescued Brandon, which is a big 'Woot Woot!" in my book. That delighted me more than the drug use dismayed me. Five stars!
As a young child, Joan and the rest of her first-grade classmates were cursed by their teacher, Mrs Olsen. Most of the students were struck blind and dumb, some worse than others. Officials chalked it up to a mass hallucination, but Joan and her friends know the truth: Mrs Olsen cursed them, and the curse is scheduled to re-set the year they turn 30. All of this gives the classmates approximately five months to prevent it. Several of them have devoted their lives to breaking the curse. Joan became a physicist, Ed a ghost-hunter, Derek a doctor, and Veronica a yogi. When Joan happens upon an odd key in an antique store and gets the same jolt from it that she remembers getting from the curse, she believes the key may hold the key to breaking the curse. Summoning the others, Joan and her friends launch a desperate attempt to thwart the curse before they are all rendered blind and deaf for life...or worse.
Despite how dire the synopsis sounds, this book was lighthearted and amazingly funny. I enjoyed Joan's interactions with her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brandon, as well as the antics of Veronica (naked yoga, anyone?) and Ed, the stoner. There was some friction between the classmates, but they ultimately pulled together in an effort to break the curse.
Lots of funny lines/quotes! Sort of waffling here between a four and a five. Affecting the score are two points: One, there was casual drug use in the story, which I didn't care for. I'm an old prude, sue me. However, it was Joan who rescued Brandon, which is a big 'Woot Woot!" in my book. That delighted me more than the drug use dismayed me. Five stars!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2022
um.
maybe this just wasn't for me. but then i don't know who this is for, so, uh. well.
it wasn't funny. i felt like i was in physical pain trying to work through "bits" that were intended to be funny but instead just felt forced and ahhh. ahah. um.
this book is hinged upon coincidence. we supposedly have a main character, but she's incredibly reactive when she isn't just lucky. they all lacked depth, feeling incredibly surface level--though i get the impression perhaps the author cares for their depth, we were given no opportunity to see it, especially with such a large cast and such a short work.
but damn. i just... don't really know what to say? i'm feeling too lazy to properly critique because, frankly, this book doesn't feel like it warrants that time. coincidence upon coincidence. supposedly we're following a meteorologist, and never has it been more fucking clear to me that an author couldn't be bothered to do a fucking singular minute of research. literally motherfucker WHAT lol. are you???? excuse me??? and then just the misunderstood words as part of a running joke that again the author assumed she knew but was wrong about. google aglet bestie please.
also google the hours of a tv meteorologist.
and also google, um, anything, please. like how to have an active protagonist. or plot structure and raising stakes and making conflict significant. the one thing you seem to have in the bag is all the fucking drinks, so.... uh. good for you. genuinely. but here it worked out of favor given it highlighted the things you DIDN'T know going into this.
anyway bye besties lol pls no
maybe this just wasn't for me. but then i don't know who this is for, so, uh. well.
it wasn't funny. i felt like i was in physical pain trying to work through "bits" that were intended to be funny but instead just felt forced and ahhh. ahah. um.
this book is hinged upon coincidence. we supposedly have a main character, but she's incredibly reactive when she isn't just lucky. they all lacked depth, feeling incredibly surface level--though i get the impression perhaps the author cares for their depth, we were given no opportunity to see it, especially with such a large cast and such a short work.
but damn. i just... don't really know what to say? i'm feeling too lazy to properly critique because, frankly, this book doesn't feel like it warrants that time. coincidence upon coincidence. supposedly we're following a meteorologist, and never has it been more fucking clear to me that an author couldn't be bothered to do a fucking singular minute of research. literally motherfucker WHAT lol. are you???? excuse me??? and then just the misunderstood words as part of a running joke that again the author assumed she knew but was wrong about. google aglet bestie please.
also google the hours of a tv meteorologist.
and also google, um, anything, please. like how to have an active protagonist. or plot structure and raising stakes and making conflict significant. the one thing you seem to have in the bag is all the fucking drinks, so.... uh. good for you. genuinely. but here it worked out of favor given it highlighted the things you DIDN'T know going into this.
anyway bye besties lol pls no
May 7, 2020
A Curse, A Key, & A Corkscrew is the first book in the Wayward Witches Trilogy and is a fantastic start to this new trilogy.
I really enjoyed this book and found it to be entertaining and witty. The characters are wonderfully wacky, likable, and fun. The storyline is well crafted and original, flowing nicely from start to finish. This is a terrific afternoon read.
This is the first book I have read by this author and I look forward to reading the next books in this trilogy.
I read and reviewed this book with no obligation.
I really enjoyed this book and found it to be entertaining and witty. The characters are wonderfully wacky, likable, and fun. The storyline is well crafted and original, flowing nicely from start to finish. This is a terrific afternoon read.
This is the first book I have read by this author and I look forward to reading the next books in this trilogy.
I read and reviewed this book with no obligation.
Want to read
May 10, 2020I enjoyed this story very much so. It had a well-thought out premise with plenty of extremely interesting characters. The main character was increasingly fascinating and I never found myself wanting to quit reading the story. I finished it all rather quickly and would definitely recommend this book to others wanting to try this author out.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 27, 2021
This was one of the first of the series books that I often get through Bookfunnel and I was pleasantly surprised with the story. The plot was unique and the story witty and engaging. So many novellas tend to rush through to the ending. That didn't happen with this book. It flowed nicely throughout with a surprise twist at the end that didn't leave a cliffhanger (which I detest) but definitely left an opening for additional books. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series
I received a free copy of this book through a promotion and voluntarily chose to review it.
I received a free copy of this book through a promotion and voluntarily chose to review it.
November 12, 2021
Ok for a first foray
This book may appeal to others. It was a fairly quick, light read. The story was okay but not particularly humorous. There were very few editing errors but I really couldn’t get past one glaring mistake. If you’re going to try to be clever by using unusual vocabulary then the least you can do is get the definition right. An “aglet” is NOT the hole in your shoe that laces pass through! It’s the plastic tips on the end of the shoelace.
This book may appeal to others. It was a fairly quick, light read. The story was okay but not particularly humorous. There were very few editing errors but I really couldn’t get past one glaring mistake. If you’re going to try to be clever by using unusual vocabulary then the least you can do is get the definition right. An “aglet” is NOT the hole in your shoe that laces pass through! It’s the plastic tips on the end of the shoelace.
May 22, 2020
I was intriqued by the blurb and after reading I was not disappointed. This is an unusual story in which a teacher with a migraine curses her students and years later, it is happening again. I thoroughly enjoyed this quirky story with its strange characters and Joan experimenting on peoples responses to a skeleton key she has. Its a very good read.
October 10, 2021
Really? good book
Pretty cool story, I enjoyed all the different personalities intermingling and intertwining, mostly whimsical and definitely absurd, quite like real life. Very fun book to read and very interesting search and rescue. Who would have thought to try the cure as the cure? Anyway, we’ll worth my time to read it.
Pretty cool story, I enjoyed all the different personalities intermingling and intertwining, mostly whimsical and definitely absurd, quite like real life. Very fun book to read and very interesting search and rescue. Who would have thought to try the cure as the cure? Anyway, we’ll worth my time to read it.
May 4, 2020
The story line was intriguing and the book had a smooth flow to it. The character work was great. I was hooked from beginning to end and am eagerly awaiting the next book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 17, 2022
Great Premise!
Novel approach to the frustration every First Grade Teacher has endured. Fun Read with endearing, well defined character personalities! Sweetie, you're gonna love it!
Novel approach to the frustration every First Grade Teacher has endured. Fun Read with endearing, well defined character personalities! Sweetie, you're gonna love it!
February 5, 2023
This is a light-hearted humorous urban fantasy novel, or maybe a novella – it’s quite short. It’s also well written and keeps a good pace, so it’s a very quick read.
When Joan was six years old, her school teacher lost her patience, cursed the entire class, and disappeared. Now, it’s almost thirty years later, and Joan may just have stumbled on the clue she needs to break the curse.
The story is about how Joan and a few of her old class mates (not exactly friends all of them) try to decipher the clue to see whether it’s relevant or just a random coincidence. There’s witty banter, romantic complications, and magic. Not entirely wholesome, but good fun.
What I’ll whine about
As the son of two teachers, I feel like I could kind of relate to the poor school teacher who originally cast the curse. Sure, cursing a bunch of six year olds isn’t a nice thing to do, but it felt more like a convenient plot device than an actual villainous act of evil. Then again, this is a book you read for a laugh and some escapism, not to explore the dark corners of the human psyche.
What I’ll gush about
The cast. Sure, most of the people in the book are over-the-top caricatures, but they’re varied, and they’re fun.
Science. It was interesting to see the characters applying scientific methods to investigating the witchcraft. There were also some fun discussions about what’s real or not real, given that witches and curses exist.
Final words
A quick fun read for when you need to clear your mind after something heavy and serious.
When Joan was six years old, her school teacher lost her patience, cursed the entire class, and disappeared. Now, it’s almost thirty years later, and Joan may just have stumbled on the clue she needs to break the curse.
The story is about how Joan and a few of her old class mates (not exactly friends all of them) try to decipher the clue to see whether it’s relevant or just a random coincidence. There’s witty banter, romantic complications, and magic. Not entirely wholesome, but good fun.
What I’ll whine about
As the son of two teachers, I feel like I could kind of relate to the poor school teacher who originally cast the curse. Sure, cursing a bunch of six year olds isn’t a nice thing to do, but it felt more like a convenient plot device than an actual villainous act of evil. Then again, this is a book you read for a laugh and some escapism, not to explore the dark corners of the human psyche.
What I’ll gush about
The cast. Sure, most of the people in the book are over-the-top caricatures, but they’re varied, and they’re fun.
Science. It was interesting to see the characters applying scientific methods to investigating the witchcraft. There were also some fun discussions about what’s real or not real, given that witches and curses exist.
Final words
A quick fun read for when you need to clear your mind after something heavy and serious.
August 9, 2021
A quick and fun read.
September 5, 2021
Very quick read. I did lol for real a couple of times but it was wrapped up too quickly in a far fetched way for my taste.
November 26, 2021
A quick easy read with minimum proofreading errors.
July 10, 2021
This was another one of those free, first in series books that I like to pick up. I loved the cover and was really intrigued by the premise. It took me a couple of chapters to adjust to the tone of the narration but then I found it ridiculously adorkable. It was a quick, fun read once I got the chance to settle in and enjoy it. It's super light-hearted and a fair bit silly and I am here for it! I'm going to be checking out the second book in the trilogy soon.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews