Review Detail

What worked: Fun, engaging witchy tale where a teen is suddenly uprooted from her Californian home to a coven.

Emsy loves surfing and hanging out with her girlfriend. When her parents tell her they have to move back to a coven, she's shocked and then angry. Emsy's reactions and emotions are very realistic. Who wouldn't be upset to leave the only home they knew and their girlfriend? When Emsy and her family arrive at the coven, that's when things change. She finds out that her mother, who was next in line to head the coven, gave it all up for Emsy to have a 'normal' life. After the death of her cousin Ben's family, they rush back but not without some resistance from those within the coven.

Ben comes off as very ansty and rude at times. I get that he's hurting from losing his family and resents Emsy being there. Later, they do come together to try to bring his family back from the dead. Still, Ben goes from hot to cold throughout the book.

I only wished there had been more on what exactly was in the book THE ART OF NECROMANCY. There are hints on how to do the spells, but nothing more. Plus, Aunt Kat's role isn't too clear. I felt it should have been fleshed out more.

The illustrations and graphic novel format help move along the story.

Fast-paced witchy tale that shows not only Emsy first rejecting and then reluctantly trying to help Ben out with a spell that he hopes will bring his dead family back. Fans of THE CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA are such to enjoy this magical tale where a teen finds out about the truth of her family's part in a coven and the lengths she'll go to help those she loves.