Gothic Hoodoo Debutantes

I have a problem. If there is a secret society or group who keep their business very private, I become obsessed with it. I have a friend whose boyfriend is a Mason, and I am dying to know what goes on in those highly secretive meetings (but he won't tell!). I am fascinated by Voodoo, Hoodoo, Obeah, and anything from the Louisiana Cajun culture- its so cool and creepy at the same time! Bohemian Grove? I would totally break into that place if I had a chance. And the strange Southern Gothic nature of Savannah has always made me wish I could go down there and not automatically be an "outsider" (aka be let in on all the bizarre stuff that goes on). So naturally, The Magnolia League by Katie Crouch was right up my alley! Who wouldn't love a story about debutantes dabbling in hoodoo, right?!

Alexandria Lee grew up on a communal farm in California where here mother made and sold tinctures to help people. Sure the farm might have grown a little pot, but mostly they were about communal living, organic produce, and "sticking it to the man". When Alex's mom is suddenly killed in a horrific car accident, she is forced to leave the commune- the only home she ever knew. Now she has to move to Savannah, Georgia to live with her grandmother, the leader of the Magnolia League. The Magnolia League is a group of old high society women who run the town. They also run the Debutante ball, something Alex, dreadlocks, 70's band T-shirts, and all, has no plans of participating in.

What Alex isn't aware of is that the Magnolia League has secrets- dark ones- dark magic ones. The Magnolia League, since Alex's grandmother created it, has been the biggest customer of the Buzzard family- the local hoodoo practitioners. They get all their magic, love potions, appearance spells, and hexes, from the Buzzards. At first, Alex is intrigued by the hoodoo, but still wants to be herself, pudgy and all. But slowly the Magnolias wear her down, and then she quickly begins to enjoy the perks. Her dreads are gone and instantly replaced with beautiful new hair, and her body changes, losing weight while her appetite is insatiable. She even starts dating the brother of a fellow young Magnolia, the hottest guy in school. Alex should be happy, but there is the nagging feeling that since everything happened because of magic, it can't be real. Soon, she starts to see the bad side of using so much magic- especially since it might have been the reason her mother died.

My biggest problem with this novel is that it was so great for the first 3/4 of the story- I was hooked, couldn't put it down. Then it just seemed to become an information dump to wrap some stuff up and open up the rest for the sequel. I really loved how this story was developed, loved the characters and liked both sides of the magic, from the Magnolias and the Buzzards. Then it just crashed at the very end for me. Maybe it was because I wasn't expecting where it ended up? Usually I appreciate twists in a plot, but this twist seemed rushed and undeveloped. I wish it had been explained more. I would have sacrificed some of Alex's transformation for a more thorough ending. Instead it just ENDED... I mean literally got you on the edge of your seat and done.

The language was fairly tame. The content wasn't overwhelmingly mature, although there was a great deal of talk about smoking pot (not glorifying it, but definitely there). Drinking is common, but more of a backdrop to the social engagements than the focus. The hoodoo is incredibly interesting, but nothing is graphic or overly violent. To be honest, I would love to give this book to a kid, probably junior high and up, but I would make sure the sequel was out before I suggested it to anyone- otherwise you are going to have a pretty angry reader when they finish the book! I know I was fairly peeved!

Everyone needs a Witch Once in a While!

Now, there are so many supernatural books out there these days, it almost gets hard to tell one from the other. We've got vampires all over the place, some twinkle, some burn, some are downright creepy. We have werewolves, were-lions, even were-eagles! Not to mention witches, warlocks, wiccans, and any number of other kinds of spellcasters. Then add in the fallen angels, ghouls, zombies, etc. and we are so full of the supernatural, we can't tell where one story ends and the next begins. So when you find one that stands out from the pack, like Once a Witch, by Carolyn McCullough, you get excited!

The story begins in a unique way for a family of witches, because the main character, Tamsin, is the only non-magical member of the family. To rub salt in the wound, when she was born, Tamsin's grandmother foretold that Tamsin would be the most powerful witch of them all. So Tamsin tries to live as normal of a life as possible away from her family, and when she is with her family, she must deal with the fact that she is literally powerless in a family full of the most powerful witches of that time.

When Tamsin is watching her grandmother's magic shop, a young man mistakes her for her very powerful sister and asks her help. Enjoying the feeling of someone thinking she was powerful, she doesn't correct him. In fact, she agrees to help him find a clock that was lost from his family long ago. So Tamsin enlists the help of her very talented and newly returned family friend, Gabriel, to find the clock. When they travel back in time, however, they find there is more to this clock than they originally thought. Now her sister is under a powerful love spell, her grandmother is in a coma, and Tamsin the Powerless must fix what she has done.

This is a really fun story with some new twists and powers that we haven't seen lately. Tamsin is a girl who feels like an outsider everywhere she goes- she is powerless in a family of very powerful people and out in the real world, she has to hide the truth of who her family really is. This "outsider" feeling is one that would really hit home with many teenagers. It is a time when so many feel like they don't belong anywhere, and it is nice to read that they are not alone with those feelings- with a supernatural twist of course! I also think Tamsin is a wonderful character full of spunk, frustration, and conflict between wanting her own life and wanting to fit in.

The book is a middle-of-the-road reading level that would be appropriate for high-skilled middle school students to low-skilled high school students. The story might be a bit too juvenile for a mature high school student, and might be best for 10th grade and under. The coolest thing was the author's website. It has a bunch of information about myths and history about witches, especially about witch trials. It also has a little quiz to test how well you know your witches, including questions about witches from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", Harry Potter, Salem, and even "Sabrina the Teenage Witch". So check out the book, and don't forget to look at the website! You won't be sorry!

http://www.onceawitch.com/