Spell Checkers, Vol. 1

Spell Checkers #1

by Jamie S. Rich, Joëlle Jones, Nicolas Hitori De

Three teenaged witches use their power for popularity, good grades, and the good life. When nasty graffiti starts showing up about them at their school, they first suspect one another. But when they start losing their powers, and their magical fetishes disappear, they realize this is an attack from outside their circle, and they must join hands (and wits) to defeat the usurper and her demon companion!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Graphic Novels Comics

148 pages, Paperback

First published April 29, 2010

About the author

Rich is an author of both prose (Cut My Hair, I Was Someone Dead, and The Everlasting) and comics (the two-volume series Love the Way You Love; the Spell Checkers series). His third full-length novel, Have You Seen the Horizon Lately?, was released by Oni Press in the summer of 2007. He regularly collaborates with artist Joelle Jones, including the Oni graphic novels 12 Reasons Why I Love Her and You Have Killed Me. Rich most recently wrote It Girl & the Atomics for Image Comics and A Boy and a Girl with artist Natalie Nourigat. He also serialized his fourth novel, Bobby Pins and Mary Janes , online.

Reviews

[April · Rating 1 out of 5]

I will admit that I DID NOT finish reading this. I found myself turned off by the characters foul attitudes and talk. It seemed forced- like the creators were trying to make them seem liek tough mean girls and I just didn't buy it. I loved the art in the flashbacks, but found the dotting in the background of the present time period irritating to my eyes. I would have preferred traditional shading. Overall I was disappointed by this book.

[Steve · Rating 1 out of 5]

Worst book I've read this year. Horribly unlikeable protagonists and a writing style that is trying much too hard to be young and hip. It felt like Rich was knowingly attempting to be the next Scott Pilgrim with this book, which is sad because I normally like his work but despise it here.

[Jenna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't get past part one. It's just a bunch of chicks calling each other whores and sluts. But with magic. I don't need to be reading this crap. Not only is it pointless, offensive, and anti-feminist, but it's also pretty lame.

[Kerry · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was hard pressed to finish this. I'm not really even sure what the point of the story is other than 3 rotten to the core girls who cast spells to get what ever they want.

[Pturingan · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's a bit too mean-spirited for my tastes. The main characters aren't likable at all.

[Marc Jentzsch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Contained within, there is not nearly enough witching*, the protagonists are truly anti-heroes (they are not just vapid idiots, but also unrepentant killers as young children), and ultimately I wished the girls had at least a minor improvement of character at the end. Sadly, they remain unconscionably horrible people. That said, Joelle Jones' art is always a treat, though the main storyline art didn't really engage me and felt like a western manga fan work in that it goes out of its way to occasionally sexualize character designs that look even younger than they are meant to be.

I firmly believe there is room in storytelling for horrible protagonists. That's just more comfortable to say in theory than to embrace in practice sometimes. No matter the flaws of the protagonists, though, I do believe that there should be something in them that draws us to them. Certainly, that varies from reader to reader but there are some cultural expectations that evoke sympathetic reader response. These girls are superficial with (in this volume at least) literally** no depth beyond what is presented via their dialogue and action. Just a flicker of a sympathetic trait in any one of them would have been nice and would have done wonders for my engagement in the story.

And the ghost monster...could have been so cool...


*it is 70% asshole showcase and 30% witch adventure, tops
** yes, I mean literally in the literal sense, not the literally figurative sense all the kids use these days =)

[Astoria (Jax) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I told my friend the other day that I felt compelled to read the five lowest books rated on my goodreads TBR shelf. I don't have time to be an official booktuber or really keep up with most social media but I like using these challenge things for myself because why the hell not enjoy myself however I feel when the mood strikes?

Anyway, this was one of the four (since I have yet to find my fifth OFFICIAL lowest rated book) and never have I read a book where I agree with the majority of people. The characters were horrible people, using slurs left and right and the main three were suppose to be best friends but could easily turn on the others if prompted. I'm glad it was short and that it never has to be talked about by me after this day.

[AquaMoon · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, yeah... I'm feeling a bit Witchy lately. Must be something in the air. (All that Pumpkin Spice I've been breathing in, perhaps?) So it's only natural I'd gravitate toward witch-themed books and movies even more so than usual.

Here we have Jesse, Cynthia, and Kimmie, three Frenemies who are also (guess what?) witches. These Mean Girls have been using magic to gain popularity, make good grades, and, in general, terrorize their classmates and teachers. But karma is about to bite these Rhymes-With-Witches in the arse. It starts with the graffiti, but doesn't stop there. Soon the girls have turned against each other (because who else but another witch could pull off the stuff that's been going down?). But when their powers begin to fade, they realize there are outside forces at work. Turns out there's a new witch in town, one who would stop at nothing to destroy the girls. And they realize they must put aside their grudges and work together if they are to stop the bad juju that's going down.

Spell Checkers kind of read like a bad witch movie from the 80s, one with stock characters, bad romance, and special effects that were cheezy even when the film was first released. It was entertaining, but wasn't as good as I'd anticipated. The characters weren't very likable (or deep, for that matter), and I don't feel they really grew much. Also, and the ending seemed a bit hurried. Perhaps there'll be more to come, but I'm not sure I liked this first book enough to continue the story.

[Karen JEC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun and ghastly. Took me a beat longer to figure out who was talking to whom throughout the book but that’s fine: it made me slow down to enjoy it. Appropriate for teens and adults. 3.5 stars.

Favourite Quotes:

"You have no idea what we’ve been going through. I actually did my own homework last night. MY OWN HOMEWORK, JESSICA!"

"In Middle Earth, trolls use your severed hooves as hammers."

[BrokenMnemonic · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my sort of humour.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short fun read of
how three witches got their power and how she use it to rule their high school

[Lanesha · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh...

[Nate Deprey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Craft meets Heathers. I never fell in love with this book but I liked it, liked it and it was fun to see early art from Joelle Jones.

[#ReadAllTheBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first picked up this volume I have to admit, I was expecting it to be better than it was. It's got a good cast of artists to it & the plotline sounded interesting in a The Craft meets Mean Girls sort of way. I was just so sad that this floundered so badly.

Spell Checkers follows the exploits of three truly mean girls- not only do they rule the roost at their school, but they also have magical powers! Unfortunately two of the trio are slowly starting to lose their powers as well as having horrible things written about them on the walls of their school while the third mysteriously keeps her strength. With tensions rising & a sweet sixteen party on the horizon, these girls better get their acts together or they'll discover that there's worse things than a little harassment & not being able to get it up magically.

I liked the premise of this book & I do like all of the artists. It's just that this didn't really seem to grab me. The artwork is fab, but then what do you expect from Jamie Rich & company? No, where the book failed to keep me was with the characters. I absolutely LOVE a good mean girl book, but none of these three girls really had me hooked. They just seemed to lack in the "read about me more!" charisma that I've found in other books such as the Pretty Little Liars series & other media. I'm really hoping that the second volume fleshes these girls out a little more & makes them a little more entertaining as well as going into a bit more about what makes them tick.

The story & jokes in this book are really what makes it readable- there's a lot of sarcasm in here, so much so that it just drips off of the pages in a wonderfully twisted way. And watching how our little witches misuse their powers? Incredibly entertaining. It's just that again, the three main characters just seem to be a little one dimensional in a not-good way. I kind of understand where they're trying to go with this, but I really do hope that the character developments improve in the next volume.

If you're looking for a great indie read, I suggest that you go halfsies on this wish a friend or get it from the library, if you can. This isn't a bad graphic novel & it has the potential to be really great, but it just doesn't seem to be as "OMG! MUST READ!" as some of the other books out there are.

[Witchy Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the Witchy Books Network review blog.

Let's be honest, if any of us had magic powers in high school, we'd use them to get the hot guys, ace every test, gain popularity, and rule the school in every possible way. Jesse, Kimmie, and Cynthia have done just that. Since they got their hands on an ancient spell book in elementary school, they've been the queen bees, filling out tests with a flick of the wrist and sending magical clones to gym class. But in high school, it starts to catch up with them-- magically-created graffiti that challenges their status starts popping up around the school, and the charmed dolls that are the conduits of their powers begin to disappear. They turn on each other, pointing fingers, because after all, they're the only witches in school...right?

Let me just start off this review by saying, that if you have an aversion to swearing, smoking, cattiness, shallowness, and every other Mean Girls kind of behavior, this book is not for you. That said, if you don't mind those, you'll have a really good time. These teenage witches aren't tiptoeing around the shadow of some karmic law-- they use magic in the way that we all secretly wish we could at some point or another. The story is very original, and you'll find yourself cheering for some of the most unsympathetic characters ever put to paper.

The art (mostly) by Hitori De is energetic, able to portray the girls as simultaneously evil and cute, and the story would not work without it. The flashback scenes by Joëlle Jones reflect the childlike mischievousness of their origin story.

This book is labelled "volume 1" so hopefully we don't have to wait too long for the next installment! You can read a 22-page preview here on the Oni Press website.

[Rachel Nabors · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 star for "would not bother reading in a second life." How does this pass as good storytelling?

1) The characters: There are none to like here. They don't even have distinctive personalities. I couldn't tell you any one of their hopes, dreams, or desires or motivations. All you learn is that the redhead is hung up on this stupid boy and is supposed to be stupid. And the black-haired one is supposed to be Japanese American. That's a piss poor setup for a plot. Also, they may or may not have killed a woman as children. We don't know. It's not explored when or how they all became psychopaths. But that's what they are: generic, swearing, psychopaths.

2) The art: it has its merits, especially in the flashbacks, but at its worst it can be confusing (like the ending where our blonde protagonist AND our blonde antagonist(?) are wearing glasses. You can't tell who's smacking down who.

3) The plot: I would like all these characters to die. I am not invested in the plot because I have no one to root for. "Oh look, here's something that made one character unhappy. I guess that's... bad? I dunno. They're so awful. Maybe it's good? How am I supposed to feel again?" The ending was terrible. The one character I was starting to root for was turned into a living chibi. (I guess I wasn't supposed to be rooting for her? How am I supposed to feel?)

On top of that, the dialog is unrealistic. Teenage girls may swear aplenty in private, but they are rarely witty when filled with such vitriol. These ladies talk like how you wished you could talk in high school--and they say things you'd never have thought to say to your worst enemy--TO THEIR SUPPOSED FRIENDS.

I think the creators and publishers watched one too many episodes of Gossip Girl and not enough High School Musical. How did this get published? Seriously, for shame. I'd like to see the creators read "Save the Cat" and try again with some tried and true plot and character devices to move this heaving engine forward.

[Keke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jesse, Kimmie and Cyn. Are witches, real witches, not just what people call them.

Here is the line that makes me want to read this, and I am glad I did. The book is fun and quick,and really enjoyable. The most complaints I have read about this book is that the girls are interchangeable, they have no personality that sets them apart from each other which is true. But instead of looking at it as a bad thing I honestly like it, because it shows their closeness. Which isn't really portrayed in the book besides in flash backs. As a person who has had the same two best friends from grade two until grade 10 I can tell you that when you spend enough time with people you just become three sides of the same triangle. So I find that the fact that they are the same horrible person it shows how close they are more than them knowing all each others secrets and who they talk to at school. Besides that only leaves room for them to grow as characters, right? So I rate this book for because I got just what I came here for, a fun book about mean highschool witches.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason this graphic novel entertained me, and I'm not sure why because it crossed so many cliches. I wondered if it copied charmed with the whole "Power of Three" reference, as it follows three teen witches who rule the high school. Yet, I'm not sure how an asian goth, dumb blonde, and femme fatale redhead ever really became friends in the first place. Using sentences related to the Jonas Brothers and Lord of the Rings, and telling someone they have "Rubeus Hagrid" feet...a little overboard. Not to mention the sexual references and every other bitchy comment being "hoe, slut, skank", just made this book follow the Mean Girls theme too much. Yet, I read the whole thing.

[Rosa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Jesse, Kimmie and Cynthia rule the school, suddenly their reputations are getting trashed, they start losing their powers and Jesse and Cynthia assume Kimmie is behind it all. Then they find out who is really behind it all.

I just couldn't get into this. I've never been a fan of mean girls winning and this is exactly what this book is, and the "nice" girl was just a little bit rediculous if you ask me. I couldn't bring myself to like any of the characters and they just weren't interesting enough either. I also had a tough time with the art style. In the beginning I had a lot of trouble figuring out who was who.

[Shandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining. One reviewer called it "gleefully mean-spirited". The bad girls are the protagonists, ruling the school with fear and magic. Sometimes it's fun to root for the wrong side. I'm curious to see how it holds up as the series progresses, though, as I can't help feeling a little bad for the rest of the school. The dialog was snappy and snarky, and the art work is kind of an American take on manga style. Altogether, a quick, fun read, though some of the sexual references seem a tiny bit more mature than the 13+ rating it was given... but I could just be a fuddy-duddy grown up. ;)

[Jake Forbes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rich has a great premise, although it takes a while to pay off. It's hard to root for such bitchy witches, but by the end of the book I was under their spell. I'm definitely excited to see what mischief they cause in the next volume.

Both Nico's and Joelle Jones' art are gorgeous, but they make strange bedfellows. The transitions can be a little jarring -- it might have helped to have a black background on the flashback scenes, manga style.

[Sandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

I honestly had much higher hopes for this story. The idea and main plot is entertaining...but the execution is terrible. With so many lame pop culture references one after the other any allusion made became something I had to endure, teeth gritting all the way. And for girls that don't like Weezer, they sure know the lyrics well.

By the time I realized I really didn't like what I was reading it was too late. I'd gone to far and had to finish it.

[Don · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read a couple of Jamie S. Rich/Joelle Jones books over the weekend. This was bad. The art was fine, but the book was populated with completely miserable, unlikeable characters. The story of three witches being taken down a peg was a good idea, but in the end the witches win. It was all kind of pointless.

[Lady Entropy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am surprised I actually liked this book while all three of the main characters were so unlike-able. But here you have it, it is a good, solid mystery, with good, solid stakes.

I liked it so much, I bought the other ones.

... just really didn't like the art that much, as the characters looked too much like one another.

[Meagan Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

What I liked:
The art and nostalgia of the scene subculture references

What I didn’t like: everything else

Literally didn’t care about any of the characters
They’re horrible to everyone even each other

Idk if I’ll continue the series, some people say it gets better but I’m not sure how it could


🍎

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yuck. I had to stop two-thirds through--I have better books to read. I'm not usually turned off by cuss words, but the chicks in this book are mean and foul and it didn't serve as entertaining to me. I was hoping some big mama-in-charge would swoop in and melt the three main characters!

[Brian Ashmore · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a fan of the writer and one of the artist, I picked this up to see how it was. It was fine, but nothing amazing. There were some good jokes and a decent story. Just a quick read to try something different.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really. Really. Terrible. No redeeming qualities. Bitchy, selfish idiots just concerned with popularity, smoking, and trying to put others down so they think they are cool. It actually makes "Mean Girls" look like a Shakespearean drama.

[Sylvia McIvers · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like graphic novels. I like three witches working together. Why not like this book? The whole theme of the novel is that friends take anonymous insults as jabs from each other. Not such great friends, are they? Girls being nasty to each other, not my cuppa tea.

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started out liking it but the big reveal was lame!