REVIEW: Silver by Talia Vance

As I step into the room, a silver flash blurs my vision. Before I can take a breath, the world falls away.

Brianna has always felt invisible. People stare right past her, including the one boy she can't resist, Blake Williams. But everything changes at a house party where Brianna's charm bracelet slips off and time stands still. In that one frozen, silver moment, Blake not only sees her, he recognizes something deep inside her she's been hiding even from herself.

Discovering she is descended from Danu, the legendary Bandia of Celtic myth, Brianna finds herself questioning the truth of who she is. And when she accidentally binds her soul to Blake, their mutual attraction becomes undeniable.

But Blake has his own secret, one that could prove deadly for them both. Bound together by forbidden magic, Brianna and Blake find themselves at the heart of an ancient feud that threatens to destroy their lives and their love. 

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MY THOUGHTS
I don't like writing negative reviews and I went back and forth about whether I wanted to post this review or not. It has sat in my drafts folder for the last five months. As it is probably obvious, I decided to post this. I do not like adding negativity, but I also needed to review this book for a challenge. And I want to warn others about how problematic this book is. I can honestly say this is the worst book I read this year. It was just a...mess. It was not at all what I expected. It had a few interesting concepts, but all of the characters were horrible people and it just turned out to be a horrible, cliche read.

Brianna feels invisible next to her attractive friend, Haley. But one day at a party her charm bracelet slips, there's a flash of silver light, time freezes, and she finally catches the attention of Blake, a boy who has previously never seemed to notice her. This small moment catapults Brianna into discovering her true origins and abilities.

I admit that when I first started this book I was interested. There were elements I wasn't too fond of, but for some reason, I kept wanting to turn the pages. But it was like watching a trainwreck. I suddenly found myself halfway through and I just kept thinking to myself, what the hell am I reading? By that point, I was too far in to give up. Part of my earlier interest was pure curiosity. I wanted to know what the flash of silver light meant. I thought the book was going into a fantasy direction (I honestly thought this was fantasy based on the cover) and I thought that Brianna would realize that Blake was not a good person to have an attraction to. That did not happen though.

There is so much girl-hate in this book. Brianna calls other girls stupid and slutty. She shames a girl based on her boobs (making the assumption they are fake) and calls other girls strippers, and this is only because they are interested in Blake, a boy who Brianna isn't even dating! There is so much slut-shaming and girl-hate, it just makes me so angry! This was written by a woman and primarily for teenage girls, and it's full of misogynistic crap! There is one point where Brianna is with two guys during a battle and just because she was with them her friends shame her because they assume she was hooking up with both of them. What the heck?! Her friends are absolutely terrible, not caring for Brianna at all. They only care about boys and how hot they look (although, Brianna's the same way). You know how girls are? They only care about themselves, their looks, and catching a hot boy. They will glare at you for daring to talk to a boy they like and call you terrible names. At least, that is the stereotype this book continues to show because THIS WAS EVERY GIRL IN THIS BOOK! I'm not kidding! There is not a single girl in this book who is portrayed in a positive light. UGH! You know what I want in a book? Girls who are in strong friendships with one another and don't give a rat's behind about boys!

Oh yeah, Brianna's character was also all over the place. She would say one thing and do a complete 180. When the book began, at the party, I thought the book was going in a completely different direction. When Blake notices her, she doesn't get immediate attraction, she had complete fear and the need to run away! I thought, cool, maybe a female character that doesn't get into a toxic relationship because she's smart (oh yeah, I forgot, Brianna is apparently a nerd and a super math whiz. Not that it's ever important to the plot). Nope. She falls in love(?) and enters an extremely toxic relationship. Her train of thought just never made sense.

Now, let's talk romance. It is really tough to get me to like a romance in a book and boy was this one terrible. There is a love triangle in this book but both guys were terrible human beings. They were both perverted, with only sex on the mind. I was legitimately scared that one of them was going to rape Brianna. I got that strong of a negative vibe from both of them. I mean, the first time Blake "sees" Brianna he says ""Mine" [hide to view spoiler]This turns out to be a claim to kill her. How fun. By the way, this is the guy we are supposed to ship Brianna with [end of spoiler] Classy, right? They have a back and forth relationship throughout the book which is extremely toxic and mostly physical. I did not want them to get together, at all. Although the other guy was worse if you can believe it. Hooray for romanticizing toxic relationships!


IN CONCLUSION

I really want to say something positive about this book. I guess I liked the Celtic mythology, but everything above took over the story. I am legitimately worried about how many positive reviews this book got because... is this how people see teenage girls? Is this what people think teenage girls should want in a relationship? This book was published seven years ago, which isn't that long ago, but it makes to realize that we have really changed how we write woman characters.

To end on a positive note, I have seen in the past year that more books are coming out that feature positive female representation in YA, and positive examples of female friendships. Do not read books like Silver, read books like Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee (which was one of my favorite reads of 2019). Read books where girls are there for each other. It is almost 2020 at the time of me writing this review and I am hopeful that in 2020 that I will read more books with positive examples of friendships and other relationships.

I hereby give this book

1 Star

Meaning: I did not like it

REVIEW: RoseBlood by A.G. Howard

In this modern day spin on Leroux’s gothic tale of unrequited love turned to madness, seventeen-year-old Rune Germain has a mysterious affliction linked to her operatic talent, and a horrifying mistake she’s trying to hide. Hoping creative direction will help her, Rune’s mother sends her to a French arts conservatory for her senior year, located in an opera house rumored to have ties to The Phantom of the Opera.

At RoseBlood, Rune secretly befriends the masked Thorn—an elusive violinist who not only guides her musical transformation through dreams that seem more real than reality itself, but somehow knows who she is behind her own masks. As the two discover an otherworldly connection and a soul-deep romance blossoms, Thorn’s dark agenda comes to light and he’s forced to make a deadly choice: lead Rune to her destruction, or face the wrath of the phantom who has haunted the opera house for a century, and is the only father he’s ever known. 

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NOTE: I reviewed this book on Goodreads during my hiatus, so it is not a recent review, but I wanted to post it onto my blog.

MY THOUGHTS
Oh boy. I loved LOVED the Splintered series! I was so excited to hear that A.G. Howard was writing another book! But I so very disappointed by this book. It was a strange read, as I was expecting, but the characters were dull and the plot was annoyingly cliche.

The book mostly follows Rune, a girl who is being sent to RoseBlood, a boarding school for opera students in Italy. Rune has an opera talent, one that she hates. She can't help but sing, but she gets ill every time she sings. At her school, she is bullied right away from peers and others. And she keeps seeing a masked man, one that she might have a connection with. She'll figure out (very slowly) how everything is coming full circle and realize the truth behind her ability.

Okay, so like her Splintered series, this book is not an actual retelling of the original story. Rune is familiar with the Phantom of the Opera tale and this takes place after the events in the original story. Despite my issues, I do think that A.G. Howard portrayed the tale in a unique way. Maybe not good unique, but certainly interesting. There was a lot of info-dumping though because apparently, Rune couldn't figure things out for herself.

Speaking of Rune, boy was she dull! She was a complete Mary Sue! I don't know anything from her personality, if she even had one. Just that she sings and that she has a tragic past. And she makes so many stupid decisions. There's a masked man following me around, leaving creepy clues for me to follow! I better follow the creepy clues! What the hell?! And her compulsion to sing! I understand that her singing can break glass, but couldn't she sing in the untended garden or something? [highlight to view spoiler] I seriously don't understand why she had to burst into the auditorium and interrupt the try-outs! She knew they were happening, she knew people would be pissed off! Again, go sing in the frexing garden where no one is and there is no glass she can break! [end of spoiler] Maybe I don't understand how opera works, but I still think she could've done things differently.

Now, the romance was the worst part. Thorn was our love interest and while he had an interesting backstory, he was also dull and I don't care how tragic his backstory is, that does not give him an excuse to be a creep. We get to see multiple chapters from his perspective, which was annoying. He is the Phantom's "son" and does his bidding. Which means he's cruel to Rune (for stupid reasons) but he lwves her so much because soulmates. He also stalks Rune throughout the entire book, watching her sleep and all that jazz. Rune even knows this and she's so chill because soulmates. I don't believe in soulmates, not one bit, and I didn't believe it in this book.

I mentioned how there was a big info-dump? Rune literally has to get everything explained to her all at once, not until the last hundred pages. Yes, it takes that long to get the party started. While I found some things unique, a lot of things were just ridiculous. [highlight to view spoiler]For some reason, I am stuck on the Aunt. So, she was the one who was bullying Rune? WHAT THE HELL?!! So, you want your niece to leave the school, I'll place a dead bird in front of her! I'll destroy her uniforms! Are you five???? Also, didn't Rune get into the school because of her Aunt? Rune mentions several times that there was a waiting list to get into the school and she was number one because her Aunt works there. If you didn't want your niece to go to the school can't you just, I don't know, not put her in the number one spot![end of spoiler]

Honestly, this book had so many cliches that I felt like I could tick off a bunch of YA paranormal tropes. Boarding school? CHECK. Dead parent? CHECK. Creepy romance? CHECK. "True love"? CHECK. Tragic backstory? CHECK. Attractive but misunderstood love interest? CHECK. Mean Girl? CHECK. Makes sudden friendships (even though life doesn't work that way)? CHECK. I could go on and on. I think the only cliche that isn't in there is a love triangle.


IN CONCLUSION
When I first started this review, I gave this book 2 stars but I am having such a hard time finding positives. There are so few. I am so disappointed in this book. I am such a fan of Splintered and I hope that A.G. Howard's next book will be in the vein of Splintered, not this. Do I recommend this book? Definitely not! But it looks like readers will either love it or hate it, so good luck to you!

I hereby give this book

1 Star

Meaning: I did not like it

REVIEW: Rae of Hope by W.J. May

How hard do you have to shake the family tree to find the truth about the past?

Fifteen year-old Rae Kerrigan never really knew her family's history. Her mother and father died when she was young and it is only when she accepts a scholarship to the prestigious Guilder Boarding School in England that a mysterious family secret is revealed.

Will the sins of the father be the sins of the daughter?

As Rae struggles with new friends, a new school and a star-struck forbidden love, she must also face the ultimate challenge: receive a tattoo on her sixteenth birthday with specific powers that may bind her to an unspeakable darkness. It's up to Rae to undo the dark evil in her family's past and have a ray of hope for her future. 

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MY THOUGHTS
I downloaded this book as a freebie ages ago because it sounded interesting and I figured why not? It was free. Sadly, I did not enjoy this book. I had to force myself to finish this book because I had already DNF-ed another freebie this week and I didn't want another DNF. My feelings towards this book did not change as I continued reading. Needless to say, this will not be a positive review. I don't like writing negative reviews, and I don't write negative reviews often, but I need to review this book for a challenge and get out some of my emotions.

Rae gets a mysterious letter from Guilder Boarding School. Her Uncle sends her to the mysterious school and she finds out that everyone at the school is part of a special group of people who have supernatural abilities. At the age of sixteen, a tattoo (or tatu) magically appears on the individual's body along with a special power. The tatu appears on the arm if it is a male and on the lower back if it is a female (because it is "sexier"). Rae is reeling because her Uncle has kept this secret from her for so long. It doesn't help that people expect her to be just like her father, who died with her mother in a mysterious fire (Rae was the miraculous survivor). Rae's father used his ability for evil and her mother also had a tatu, even though it is forbidden for two individuals with a tatu to be together. Guilder expects Rae to be extremely powerful, but Rae must wait until she turns sixteen.

It's obvious from the synopsis that this book has some Harry Potter similarities.
-Rae is an orphan
-She is essentially the girl-who-lived, surviving a tragedy that took her parents
-She is expected to have great power and her name makes people gasp
-She gets a mysterious letter from a boarding school in England
-She is told that she is a wizard tatu person?
-She has a headmaster she confides in and trusts
-A teacher who hates her for no reason

If you took Harry Potter and made him female and his father Voldemort, it would follow a similar plot (but would be a lot better than this). The thing is, even though the plot obviously borrows from Harry Potter, this book could have been interesting. The concept of the tattoos/tatu was an interesting one, especially with the combination of superpowers. I love reading books with superpowers and I liked seeing all the potential abilities. When Rae discovered her ability, I thought that that was one of the more interesting parts of the book (even though I guessed the full extent of her ability early on). There was just too much that bothered me about this book though.

A big problem I had with this book was that I just did not care for Rae. Rae was very judgemental and I had trouble identifying with her. The book was oddly written in the first place because everything is in third person, following Rae, but a majority of the book glimpses her inner thoughts which are italicized. This made it an odd mix of third and first person and very annoying, especially since most of these inner thoughts were not necessary to know. Some of these thoughts were very mean for someone I was supposed to be rooting for.

Very early on in the book, Rae comments on the "stuck-up" girls on the bus on the way to Guilder. These girls don't even talk to her, whisper, or whatever. They just weren't friendly and, here's the kicker, they were blonde. Rae also says that they weren't thin, pale, and tall like her (because Rae is not like other girls!). Which means that the girls were likely curvy, tan, and/or short and because of those attributes, they must be snobs! Here's a newsflash: They weren't "friendly" to you probably because you're a stranger? Who isn't even going to your school? I know I'm focusing a lot on this little moment, but this happens again when she meets Haley, who, you guessed it, is blonde. Haley ends up being a mean girl in Rae's mind. Yes, Haley is not exactly nice, but if Rae actually talked nicely with Haley, this would not have been a problem. Rae's thoughts about other women and her idea that she was "not like other girls" is a really damaging idea. It's a trope that really hurts women and causes them to, very early on, think bad thoughts about other girls just because of their looks or interests. If you want to hear more about it, Claudia Gray wrote a great article about how damaging this idea is. This is one of the reasons why I was very stuck on how Rae was portrayed because it shows a very negative few on how women think and how they interact with other women.

What really made me scream "What?!" out loud was this:

"Yeah, Rae'd like to meet this Beth and throw rotten bananas at her, along with a few moldy tomatoes. Might as well make sure she's wearing something white and very expensive so it ruins everything."(pg. 88)

WHAT IN THE WORLD?! For context, this is about Beth, a girl Rae has never ever met. Beth is Devon's (the guy Rae likes) girlfriend. Yeah, Rae wants Devons, but this seems like an incredibly mean thing to think about someone you've never meet and know absolutely nothing about. She also thinks that Beth is a jerk and doesn't deserve Devon because she called Devon's fox tattoo/tatu "cute". That's a jerk move? Eventually, Rae meets Beth and... the blondes strike again! Beth is blonde, curvy, and "olive-skinned". Oh no! Beth is not nice to Rae (because she shows up all hot and Devon is paying attention to her) and actually says to Rae that she must have gotten into her school because one of her parents slept with the dean! WHAT?! Who even says that to a complete stranger to start a conversation? Of course, the only reason this happened was so we would see that Rae was right! Beth is mean and doesn't deserve Devon. That was the ONLY reason for this ridiculous dialogue and there were much better ways to show the reader this. Again, it shows a very negative view of women.

Another major problem I had in this book was that no one talks or acts like a real person. None of the dialogue sounded real and a lot of folk's actions made no sense. Keep in mind, this book takes place in England but everyone uses American slang. Everyone felt like a stereotype instead of a real person. There were so many characters to keep track of too and because many of them did not have strong personalities, they were forgettable and I kept mixing people up.

The romance was also an issue. If the plot was like Harry Potter, the romance was like Twilight. Rae is so hot that every guy at her school literally wants to be with her. This is not an exaggeration, it is even said in the actual text. Three or four guys were even trying to date her throughout the book (all of them having interchangeable personalities). Why though? What made Rae so hot? This started before she even got her tatu when people still thought that she was going to be like her evil dad. Is it because she is just "not like other girls"? I'm just so tired of this trope. It just needs to stop.

Rae, of course, wants Devon who has a girlfriend and I honestly saw no chemistry between them. It was complete insta-attraction on Rae's part. Devon saves Rae from irresponsible construction workers and a board from crushing her (What book does that remind you of?). Devon then tutors Rae by teaching her about tatu history, but I really didn't see anything between them. Partly because during three different sessions, they talk about almost the exact same thing. Rae asks him three times about what tatus her parents have and he answers her during three different sessions. There really did not seem to be chemistry, which made any romance between them feel forced.

IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I did not like this book. Maybe it's another book I would have liked if I read it when I was younger, but I don't know. I just could not ignore some of the problems this book had, some I even found damaging. I will not be continuing the series.

I hereby give this book

1 Star

Meaning: I did not like it

REVIEW: Lailah by Nikki Kelly

The girl knows she’s different. She doesn’t age. She has no family. She has visions of a past life, but no clear clues as to what she is, or where she comes from. But there is a face in her dreams – a light that breaks through the darkness. She knows his name is Gabriel.

On her way home from work, the girl encounters an injured stranger whose name is Jonah. Soon, she will understand that Jonah belongs to a generation of Vampires that serve even darker forces. Jonah and the few like him, are fighting with help from an unlikely ally – a rogue Angel, named Gabriel.

In the crossfire between good and evil, love and hate, and life and death, the girl learns her name: Lailah. But when the lines between black and white begin to blur, where in the spectrum will she find her place? And with whom?

Gabriel and Jonah both want to protect her. But Lailah will have to fight her own battle to find out who she truly is.

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MY THOUGHTS
This book sounded so amazing! It has a fantastically intriguing cover and a very interesting idea, but sadly, it failed to meet any of my expectations. I've seen negative reviews around, but ignored them, thinking that I would still like this book. This book had potential, but ended up being just another cliche YA paranormal.

**apologies, but there may be ranting ahead**

May as well start with the positives. I love the idea behind the book. A girl who has no memory of who she even is, with repeating visions of past lives? Sounds so mysterious! I also think that Nikki Kelly had a pretty good grasp on her world. The history of the Angels and Vampires was very well-done, even if it had some info-dump, and there was definitely a lot of creativity involved in it (instead of using the usual aspects of the paranormal beings).

Sadly, the entire plot seemed to revolve more on the romance. Lailah has two guys liking her in this book,and she kisses both of them. The romance between her a Gabriel was so cheesy, it made me gag. Gabriel himself is just like every other YA paranormal love interest.  He seems like a good guy at first, but he keeps lying to Lailah. Let's not forget to mention that a hot girl that keeps trying to get together with Gabriel. Why does every YA love interest have to have some hot girl to make the MC jealous, seriously? As for the other guy, I really couldn't understand that one. He kind of creeped me out, but Lailah kissed him and lead him on even though it's obvious who she really likes.

As for Lailah, I expected a badass, independent girl, but no. She seemed that way in the beginning, but she began the usual YA girl. Blah.

Lastly, I want to touch on the flashbacks. Most of this book was made up of flashbacks. I liked the flashbacks, but the formatting bothered me. There was no way to tell what was a flashback and what was not. and it was very confusing.

IN CONCLUSION
I didn't hate this book, but I was not a fan. I am personally getting sick of all the same YA paranormals and this one just followed the same trend. The plot has promise, but the romance took over and the MC annoyed me. I will not be picking up the sequel.

I hereby give this book

1 Star

Meaning: I did not like it

REVIEW: Somebody Up There Hates You by Hollis Seamon

Chemo, radiation, a zillion surgeries, watching my mom age twenty years in twenty months: if that’s part of the Big Dude’s plan, then it’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? Somebody Up There Hates You.

SUTHY has landed me here in this hospice, where we—that’s me and Sylvie—are the only people under 30 in the whole place, sweartogod. But I’m not dead yet. I still need to keep things interesting. Sylvie, too. I mean, we’re kids, hospice-hostages or not. We freak out visitors; I get my uncle to sneak me out for one insane Halloween night. Stuff like that. And Sylvie wants to make things even more interesting. That girl’s got big plans.

Only Sylvie’s father is so nuclear-blasted by what’s happened to his little girl, he glows orange, I swear. That’s one scary man, and he’s not real fond of me. So we got a major family feud going on, right here in hospice. DO NOT CROSS line running down the middle of the hall, me on one side, her on the other. It’s crazy.

In the middle of all of this, really, there’s just me and Sylvie, a guy and a girl. And we want to live, in our way, by our own rules, in whatever time we’ve got. We will pack in some living before we go, trust me.

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MY THOUGHTS
Somebody up there must hate me because they let me read this book.
I hate writing negative reviews for a book. I hate coming across books that I just don't like, but I did not like this book AT ALL.

The entire plot of this book is basically a horny teenage guy, who happens to have cancer, trying to get into the pants of the only girl his age in the hospital. That's it. There is nothing more to this book besides that.

When I read a book, I like to read a book with an actual plot, not a book about a horny teenager. Yes, he's a teenage guy, a lot of teenage guys are like that! But can't we have an actual plot? Or even something else happening besides two teenagers' quest to lose their virginity? (Yes, the girl actually encourages this!).

Another thing I would like to mention is the "conflict". One main conflict is Sylvie’s, the girl's, dad. Her dad does not like our main character, not a bit, and our main character is constantly complaining about him and fighting with him. Richie, our main character, also doesn't seem to understand why Sylvie's dad doesn't like him and is endlessly frustrated that her dad keeps preventing Richie from sleeping with Sylvie. Hmmmmmmm...why in the world would her dad not like Richie?
Maybe it's because Richie keeps trying to have sex with Sylvie!
I think that would piss any father off!!!

IN CONCLUSION
Okay, I'm definitely not a fan of this book. I really wish I gave up on it (I NEVER give up on books!) and I was tempted to, but it was so short that I decided to go through with it.
I do not recommend this book and I apologize for the rant.

I hereby give this book

1 Star

Meaning: I did not like it

REVIEW: Bloodspell by Amalie Howard

The spell was simple...

Cruentus Protectum (Defend the Blood)

But what do you do if your blood is your enemy?

Victoria Warrick has always known she was different. An outcast at school, she is no stranger to adversity. But when she receives an old journal for her seventeenth birthday, nothing prepares her for the dark secrets it holds -- much less one that reveals she's a witch with unimaginable power.

What's more, when she meets the dazzling but enigmatic Christian Devereux, she has no idea how much her life is about to change. Enemies will hunt her. Friends will turn on her. The terrible curse that makes her blood run black will stop at nothing to control her. And Christian has a sinister secret of his own...

Without knowing whom to trust, can Victoria survive her blood's deadly desires? Or will she lose everything, including herself?

Goodreads

THE RUN-DOWN
After a strange incident ending with her in the hospital, completely fine, Victoria is more aware of her different-ness. On her seventeenth birthday, with the gift of a music box, an amulet, and a strange journal, Victoria founds out that she is actually a witch. But not just any witch, one with immense power and dark, uncontrollable blood.

MY THOUGHTS

In the beginning, the only major problem that I had was the fact that this book was basically a generic YA paranormal plot.

Is the main character actually a *insert paranormal being here*?

Yes

Did they find this out on their birthday?

Yes

Is the main character an orphan/has a single parent?

Yes

Does the main character ever move to a new school/town?

Yes

Does she met an irresistible hot guy?

Yes

Is he a *insert paranormal being here*?

Yes

All of the above are plot pieces that I see all the frexing time in YA books, especially paranormal ones. In fact, the only plot piece that is not in this book but is so popular in YA is the love triangle, and even that is questionable.

I actually didn't hate that it was such a generic plot, I didn't like it, but for a while I might have given this book 2 stars or even 3 stars at most. But there had to be other aspects that irritated me.

Where can I start? One thing that bothered me was the fact that this book was all tell not show for the first half of the book. Examples: We are told that Victoria is being trained on how to be a witch, but we only see this happen once. We are told that Victoria and Christian are having a relationship with each other in secret, but we never actually see them having any secret dates.

We are actually shown more things closer to the end, but by then, I had completely lost interest.

The points of view were also hard to follow. The book has a third person point of view and, at the beginning, the thoughts of characters switched every so often in an organized manner. But as more characters were introduced, the thoughts of characters was completely random. In one paragraph we would get Victoria's thoughts, the next paragraph would have Christian's thoughts, then the evil guy, etc. And it was confusing!

Lastly, was Victoria and Christian's relationship.

This one really made me lose interest in the book and it also made me extremely annoyed.

Here's a summary of their relationship:

You're amazing, I really want to be with you!

But the rules! We cannot be together!

But I cannot deny the attraction!

But I am dangerous and may possibly kill you because I'm a vampire!

But we belong together!

But I am also dangerous and may possibly kill you with my super witch powers!

But I cannot live without you!

So, yeah, I couldn't stand their stupid angsty relationship. It also wasn't helpful that a majority of the plot was basically them not making up their stupid minds!

IN CONCLUSION

As it might be obvious, I was not a fan of this book. It might actually be my fault since I usually try my best to avoid these kinds of books. I could also blame myself for not giving up on this book and DNF it. But no, I failed at both.

I probably won't read anything else from this author. I read Waterfell and while I liked it more than this book, I still wasn't a big fan of it. I might read The Almost Girl, since it is sci-fi which is more of my thing, but I make no promises.

While I wouldn't recommend this book, I wouldn't completely discourage it.

If you're a fan of generic YA paranormal books, then you might like this. But if you're like me and would like more original and different books, then pass this book by.

I hereby give this book

1 Star

Meaning: I did not like this. Not at all.

REVIEW: What the Spell by Brittany Geragotelis

Brooklyn is nearly sixteen-years-old and feels like she's invisible. She desperately wants to be pretty and popular, and to be adored by a cute guy. Luckily for her, she's a witch about to come of age ~ so she's only a few spells away from making it all happen. On her milestone birthday, Brooklyn's conservative parents finally unbind her powers, and this newfound freedom leads to a spell-assisted dream makeover. Her crush, Asher, finally notices her, and so does the Queen Bee of the popular, cool clique. Even better, Brooklyn discovers her true power: the ability to magically match couples with a love spell.

But Brooklyn's quest for popularity is not without its price, and as the clique escalates their initiation tests, the more she relies on her powers to complete the tasks. Can Brooklyn keep her magic hidden from their scrutiny? Like her Salem ancestors, if caught, she could be vilified. But worst of all, Brooklyn runs the risk of losing what she really cares about ~ Asher ~ unless she can work a little magic of her own.

Goodreads 

THE RUN-DOWN 
Brooklyn is invisible. Not literally, but to her, it seems that the only people that know of her existence are her parents and her school counselor. But ,of course, Brooklyn isn't completely normal. She comes from a family of witches. While most witches start learning spells when they start to walk, Brooklyn's parents have not bounded her powers and won't let her use them until her sixteenth birthday.
When she gets her powers, the first thing she does is get a magical makeover.
Brooklyn doesn't want to be invisible anymore.

MY THOUGHTS 
This book was not what I expected...
I was fully prepared to dive into a book full of magic and witches!
But what I get is high-school drama...

I admit it, the main reason why I had trouble with this book is because I didn't understand Brooklyn's obsession with popularity.
I understand that she was feeling invisible, but that's no excuse because I'm also invisible at my high-school! I also understand that there are people out there like Brooklyn, that feel like they won't amount to anything in life if they weren't popular.
But I really didn't understand why she wanted to be part of The Elite (the popular kids) so badly. The magical makeover changed her appearance so much, that hardly anyone recognized her! But she's been going to the same school for three years and The Elite suddenly wants her because she's now hot! How was she okay with hanging out with people that only wanted her because of how she looked when that's not really what she looked like? Let's not forget to mention how badly The Elite treated her.
Throughout the whole book, I just knew that Brooklyn was going to fall down hard. 

I got the feeling that this book had a life lesson. Popularity isn't everything, know her your true friends are...
And while I don't necessarily like the story, I respect the fact that it was teaching something. And honestly, things had to play out the way they did or else there wouldn't be a lesson to learn.

IN CONCLUSION 
If it's not obvious by what I wrote above, I'm not a fan of popularity and have never understood it. This made me much disappointed in this book since that's where the majority of the book lies. I honestly thought that this would be more of a magic/witch book. 

If you are looking for a magical read: Turn around and pick up a different book.

If you like High-school drama and popularity stories: You can give this book a try.

I hereby give this book...

1.5 Stars

Meaning: I am very close to disliking this book...