Review Detail

Moth and Charlie have had such a good winter break that they don't want to go back to school, but Moth's mother won't let her stay home even though she's just found out about her magic powers and traveled to her grandmother's realm, Hecate. Pike, who is descended from the founders of their town, is an enormous jerk who blows everything out of proportion and is relentless in his bullying of Moth. The other kids play along, although Moth hears a few girls who seem sympathetic to her. When she travels to Hecate for a celebration, she is glad to see Peter, and finds an amulet called a nyklum. It is supposed to absorb the traits that Moth admires from other people and transfer those things to Moth. She uses it when she goes back to school, and is able to stand up to Pike. Her mother is dating her English teacher, Mr. Gorski-Garcia, and the other students have given her a hard time about this, but wearing the nyklum gives Moth the self confidence she needs to stop hiding. She is nominated for Founderella, a time honored position at a local festival, and wants to keep using the amulet until after the winner is announced, but there is a catch. Will Moth be able to withstand the forces of evil with her limited magic, and find a way to get through middle school? Don't want to spoil the twists in the story by giving away too much of the plot!