Spell Check by Julie WrightPublished June 10th 2014 by Heart Stone Press
Paperback, 218 pages
Series: Stand-Alone?
Genre: Young-Adult ParanormalAmazon | Goodreads
Summary from Goodreads
A skeleton is rattling its way out of the closet marked
“FAMILY SECRET! KEEP OUT!”
Allyson Peterson believes that being hanged by the
Salem High Witches is the absolute worst thing that
can happen. But when her powers, wrested from the
trolls of ancient Sweden, manifest themselves, she
realizes that a prank hanging by vindictive cheerleaders
is the least of her worries.
Ally accidentally sends her parents to the jungle to fight
anacondas, turns her brother into a mute, and curses the
entire cheerleading team with an illness that has no cure,
proving that her spells need a little checking. Her Swedish
grandmother shows up to help her through the worst part
of all—surviving the Troll Trials and saving the guy of
her dreams from a vengeance that has festered through-
out generations.
The power is in her, if she can just get the magic right.
“FAMILY SECRET! KEEP OUT!”
Allyson Peterson believes that being hanged by the
Salem High Witches is the absolute worst thing that
can happen. But when her powers, wrested from the
trolls of ancient Sweden, manifest themselves, she
realizes that a prank hanging by vindictive cheerleaders
is the least of her worries.
Ally accidentally sends her parents to the jungle to fight
anacondas, turns her brother into a mute, and curses the
entire cheerleading team with an illness that has no cure,
proving that her spells need a little checking. Her Swedish
grandmother shows up to help her through the worst part
of all—surviving the Troll Trials and saving the guy of
her dreams from a vengeance that has festered through-
out generations.
The power is in her, if she can just get the magic right.
After finding out that the women in her family inherit powers that were wrested from the trolls of ancient Sweden, Allyson Peterson did not expect the amount of responsibility or troubles they can cause. Suddenly the saying, 'be careful of what you wish for' holds a whole new meaning. Especially after accidentally sending her parents off to the jungle to fight anacondas, cursing the cheer-leading team and turning her own little brother mute. Now her Swedish grandmother is involved in fixing her mess and preparing her for the Troll Trials, if she could survive them first.
Not at all what I expected, but it was a pleasant surprise anyway. This story felt quiet a bit juvenile to me. I was actually surprised by the main characters age of 16, since I felt she acted way younger. With the theme and the characters actions and the elements, this story probably would have done a lot better if it was for the way younger audience. Allyson's actions baffled me sometimes, but it was nice to see a bit of character growth in this book, especially for a stand-alone. The thing that seemed to have confused me the most was the odd love interest. I didn't really feel it. It was kind of awkward and I have to admit I did not expected it to turn out the way it did in the end, it almost felt kind of forced, especially since the one big scene between Allyson and her love interest was odd, short lived, and looked like it might actually head in a completely different direction.
The plot line was cute. I thought the author had a great imagination, but once again - I felt it could have done better if it was for younger audience. Somethings did leave me feeling a bit confused. Like... Why was there a death penalty if Allyson refused to take the Vow? That was really never explained. Second, the trials felt a little silly to me. I did not understand how on earth they would benefit her in the real world. Her magic suddenly went from being simple wishes to something much more, it felt unexpected and unprepared. Third, I just could not wrap around my head why on earth Allyson's archenemy Lisa hated her so much and had caused her so much trouble. I felt that it should have been addressed a bit more in the story.
Overall, I liked the magic. The concept was cute and original. The story was fun and It did draw me in. Aside from a few things that left me confused and unsure of, this was a pleasant read.
Not at all what I expected, but it was a pleasant surprise anyway. This story felt quiet a bit juvenile to me. I was actually surprised by the main characters age of 16, since I felt she acted way younger. With the theme and the characters actions and the elements, this story probably would have done a lot better if it was for the way younger audience. Allyson's actions baffled me sometimes, but it was nice to see a bit of character growth in this book, especially for a stand-alone. The thing that seemed to have confused me the most was the odd love interest. I didn't really feel it. It was kind of awkward and I have to admit I did not expected it to turn out the way it did in the end, it almost felt kind of forced, especially since the one big scene between Allyson and her love interest was odd, short lived, and looked like it might actually head in a completely different direction.
The plot line was cute. I thought the author had a great imagination, but once again - I felt it could have done better if it was for younger audience. Somethings did leave me feeling a bit confused. Like... Why was there a death penalty if Allyson refused to take the Vow? That was really never explained. Second, the trials felt a little silly to me. I did not understand how on earth they would benefit her in the real world. Her magic suddenly went from being simple wishes to something much more, it felt unexpected and unprepared. Third, I just could not wrap around my head why on earth Allyson's archenemy Lisa hated her so much and had caused her so much trouble. I felt that it should have been addressed a bit more in the story.
Overall, I liked the magic. The concept was cute and original. The story was fun and It did draw me in. Aside from a few things that left me confused and unsure of, this was a pleasant read.
I like the different aspect of the trolls but I am sad that not everything was explained clearly. It does sound like this has promise though.
ReplyDeleteI like a magic book, and trolls? that's fun. Even if it's not what you thought, it sounds interesting in a whole
ReplyDeleteSounds a bit more MG than YA. I'm glad you enjoyed it, somewhat. :)
ReplyDeleteThis might be a good one for my kiddo to read! I like the cover, too. Thanks for putting it on my radar :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed it, Lily, even if it was a bit juvenile. I like the sound of it and I bet my younger daughter might really enjoy it. :)
ReplyDelete