Audrey's
Guide to Witchcraft by Jody Gehrman
Spoiler
Free!
Bree Ogden, Jody Gehrman’s agent, asked
on twitter if bloggers would review her book, and I volunteered. Soon I was
sent a pdf of awesomeness and I was sent to reviewer heaven.
This book is, as the title announces,
the guide book to Audrey’s life as she is introduced to an unexpected magical
life. Perhaps best described as a supernatural thriller, it is definitely a
coming of age story. It begins the day her journey beings, and that is the day
that her mother goes missing. This is the story of Audrey discovering her
identity and her new abilities. Instead of other YA lit protagonists who adamantly
refuse to accept the changes associated with young adulthood, Audrey wants it. Now. Not because she wants to be more
mature and have all the responsibilities-she wants to save her mother from the
big bad that threatens them.
Characters
Audrey is a believable protagonist. Not
perfect, but protective. She makes mistakes. A lot of them. Her heart is always
in the right place. She has a talent for baking and science, which help her
very special talent. Snarky. Intelligent. Fierce. Funny.
Without her mother, Audrey has to learn
from another witch, Sadie. Sadie is cool, beautiful, and has a thing for
animals and plants. But she is not the same type of witch as Audrey. It’s slow
going, especially considering that Audrey was not raised with the knowledge of
her mother’s hidden past. And really, nothing is known about Sadie other than
she just showed up...
I like Meg, the little sister. Instead
of being the secondary character of blah place-holding, Meg has her own unique
characteristics. White-blonde hair, beautiful, seductive, and she's in a band
that leaves audiences rapt. She’s not pinned as the annoying character, the
sweetheart that everyone loves, or the obvious character to be killed off
dramatically. I would have to say that she’s probably more emotionally complex
than Audrey.
Other
Things...
The “Canadians had only slight accents”
bit made me giggle, eh?
The cover is gorgeous! Not really sure
where to place Audrey in that red dress, but I will let it slide.
The incantations are not corny but
still mysterious and believable. The way that Gehrman writes the alchemy that
goes on inside of Audrey is rich with details that make it so convincing.
I kind of wish she wrote in her book
more. Even if she just mentioned that she was writing something down in there.
She writes down spells and recipes (like one for a killer chocolate cake) and
other “How To” lists.
Maybe it is because I am, in fact, not
a teen, that I saw the big reveal a mile away. I’d like to ask some teens one
day if they saw the trope before the big moment.
The ending has so many loose ends,
making it not enough of an ending for me, but it definitely sets itself up for
a sequel, which I would be more than overjoyed to read.
Judgement!
I would love to do a book club with
this book in the future. It does not have the crass and crudeness that this
conservative community might run in fear from while making the cross symbol
with their fingers. Okay, it has witchcraft, and that might get them in a tiff,
but its good witchcraft! Overall, it is a fantastic book that I highly
recommend.
