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greatbutuseless's review against another edition
1.0
HATED it
Nothing happened, don't waste your time or money.
Nothing happened, don't waste your time or money.
lumos_libros's review against another edition
2.0
Why did I finish this book? I keep asking myself this. In the beginning I seriously thought of chucking it, but my interest got peaked in the middle but gosh it just didn't cut it. This book should have been a sure hit. I mean the premise is just too enticing to pass up. I love southern settings and there is the element of southern magic. There are secrets that need to be uncovered and our heroine isn't your run of the mill girl. But it still fell flat to me. I'm actually a little sad really that I didn't like it more; as conceded as this may sound it just didn't live up to it's potential.
Alex has been living on a communal farm in California and feels like this is her real home, even with her mom gone. Well Alex is ripped from her comfort zone when her grandmother who lives in Savannah basically forces Alex to come live with her. Alex immediately feels out of place. She's a hippy like, chubby California girl placed into the southern belle circle. Before she knows it she starts discovering just how powerful the Magnolia League is and the important role she will play. The question is will she be able hold on to who she is, or will she also succumb to the Magnolia League ways?
I'm not going to say the magic wasn't interesting because it was. The setup between the Magnolia League and the Buzzards has its own morbid fascination to it too. What the story's major downfall for me were the characters to be honest. Alex always used LOTS of acronyms, which got on my nerves fairly quickly. We see her in the beginning smoking a joint, and supposedly she is just so smart. Really? She’s already looking kind of dim to me already. Oh gosh, then she says she doesn’t use the word awesome lightly because she knows the power of words because she likes to read (here’s a ploy by trying to hook the reader because as readers we like to read about people who like to read too. Didn’t work in this case) and then she commences to use the word fairly often for anything of interest. Then there is this whole thing about her not being like the crowd, but in reality by trying to go against the grain she is just like everyone else. Outwardly she's not, but she wants the same things like other girls. Then the whole thing with Thaddeus (the love interest) didn't pan out as well as I hoped. Even though the story was told in basic chronological order (didn't that remind you of school right then, when they told us to line up that way?) the plot felt sporadic to me. It felt like there were holes missing that could have helped with character development.
When I was explaining the story to someone they told me that it sounded like a cool premise. And it really does, but nope. The ending is a cliff-hanger, but I'm not sure I'll be reading the sequel. This is a bad sign because I’m usually a person who has to see how a series ends, but I’m not sure if I care enough for this one. *shakes head* I feel like a teacher who is disappointed in a brilliant student who murmurs to herself," It's a shame, all that wasted potential."
Update: Through a goodreads friend I found this article. I don't think the author's intention was to put down the reader, but now I understand why I didn't love the book. I'm kind of sad really that this is what the author said about the YA genre, and its readers. It probably does have some truth to it, but I don't think that should interfere with producing a quality story. I'm fairly certain the article is not to be taken too seriously, and is suppose to be funny but it feels like a joke that crossed the line.
Alex has been living on a communal farm in California and feels like this is her real home, even with her mom gone. Well Alex is ripped from her comfort zone when her grandmother who lives in Savannah basically forces Alex to come live with her. Alex immediately feels out of place. She's a hippy like, chubby California girl placed into the southern belle circle. Before she knows it she starts discovering just how powerful the Magnolia League is and the important role she will play. The question is will she be able hold on to who she is, or will she also succumb to the Magnolia League ways?
I'm not going to say the magic wasn't interesting because it was. The setup between the Magnolia League and the Buzzards has its own morbid fascination to it too. What the story's major downfall for me were the characters to be honest. Alex always used LOTS of acronyms, which got on my nerves fairly quickly. We see her in the beginning smoking a joint, and supposedly she is just so smart. Really? She’s already looking kind of dim to me already. Oh gosh, then she says she doesn’t use the word awesome lightly because she knows the power of words because she likes to read (here’s a ploy by trying to hook the reader because as readers we like to read about people who like to read too. Didn’t work in this case) and then she commences to use the word fairly often for anything of interest. Then there is this whole thing about her not being like the crowd, but in reality by trying to go against the grain she is just like everyone else. Outwardly she's not, but she wants the same things like other girls. Then the whole thing with Thaddeus (the love interest) didn't pan out as well as I hoped. Even though the story was told in basic chronological order (didn't that remind you of school right then, when they told us to line up that way?) the plot felt sporadic to me. It felt like there were holes missing that could have helped with character development.
When I was explaining the story to someone they told me that it sounded like a cool premise. And it really does, but nope. The ending is a cliff-hanger, but I'm not sure I'll be reading the sequel. This is a bad sign because I’m usually a person who has to see how a series ends, but I’m not sure if I care enough for this one. *shakes head* I feel like a teacher who is disappointed in a brilliant student who murmurs to herself," It's a shame, all that wasted potential."
Update: Through a goodreads friend I found this article. I don't think the author's intention was to put down the reader, but now I understand why I didn't love the book. I'm kind of sad really that this is what the author said about the YA genre, and its readers. It probably does have some truth to it, but I don't think that should interfere with producing a quality story. I'm fairly certain the article is not to be taken too seriously, and is suppose to be funny but it feels like a joke that crossed the line.
shuofthewind's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting premise, but the followthrough was disappointing. The last fifty pages needed about fifty more to make everything make sense, and characterization was shoddy ("hos before bros," great, awesome--were you guys even friends before?).
pikasqueaks's review against another edition
So, uh this book takes an actually existing system of folk magic and turns it into a very special episode of Charmed.
What could have actually been cool was borderline offensive? As in, there's a lot of misinformation and some weird made up europagan stuff (dudes there's no chanting in hoodoo... stop trying to make it a thing).
The MC is also fat (no, it's not handled well) and has dreadlocks and is a California commune hippie with Attitude.
So naturally, I'm reading the second book to figure out what the heck is going on.
What could have actually been cool was borderline offensive? As in, there's a lot of misinformation and some weird made up europagan stuff (dudes there's no chanting in hoodoo... stop trying to make it a thing).
The MC is also fat (no, it's not handled well) and has dreadlocks and is a California commune hippie with Attitude.
So naturally, I'm reading the second book to figure out what the heck is going on.
amyzig's review against another edition
3.0
A fun, frivolous read. I enjoyed it even though the adult-trying-to-sound-like-a-teenager writing was atrocious.
bananzers's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
crisarnold's review against another edition
2.0
Wow. I almost stopped reading it early on, but decided to keep going. Both of my parents graduated from high school in Savannah, so I was curious. This book has cussing, underage drinking, hoodoo magic, mean girls; just nothing good about it at all. I'm definitely not reading the next in the series.
tlvz721's review
4.0
While I am not an avid reader of YA, I was drawn in by the idea of debutante secret society in Savannah (one of my favorite cities) with a side of magic. It was a bit young for my taste, which I expected, going into it. The premise is good and entertaining enough that I am interested in reading the sequel. I hover between 3 and 4 stars but, leaving out my feelings (which I know aren't the popular opinion) for YA, I give this title four stars. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to my teenage daughters.
themodvictorian's review against another edition
1.0
A disgrace to YA literature and a disgrace to the beautiful city of Savannah. It's been years since I've read it and I still remember how much I hated it.
lazygal's review against another edition
3.0
Even though the book doesn't come out and say it, the ending left me with a definite "there's gonna be a sequel" feeling. Which is too bad, because as a one-off this would have been an interesting addition to the whole paranormal genre.
Alex's life is one of hippie freedom on the commune where she lives with her mother; after her mother's death however, things change. At first, it's good - there's Reggie - but then her grandmother sends her minion to bring Alex back to Savannah. Once there, Alex's confidence in her wardrobe, hair and general Alex-ness are shaken by the "girls" of the Magnolia League, founded by her grandmother many years earlier. At first she rebels, even going so far as to run back to the commune.
However, once there she discovers that all the things she thought were true about the farm, the "community" have changed, and heading back to Miss Lee and the other is her only option. She settles in, allowing them to bring her directly into the fold with hoodoo beauty treatments and love potions. It's only at the end that she decides to do what's right... we think.
The relationship between the Magnolias and the Buzzard clan is dribbled out, and only at the end do you get the sense that it's not quite what the Buzzard's want. Ditto Alex's decision to not run away but to stay and change things. My guess is that the ending is confused because there'll be a sequel, but better editing and no sequel would be far better.
ARC provided by publisher.
Alex's life is one of hippie freedom on the commune where she lives with her mother; after her mother's death however, things change. At first, it's good - there's Reggie - but then her grandmother sends her minion to bring Alex back to Savannah. Once there, Alex's confidence in her wardrobe, hair and general Alex-ness are shaken by the "girls" of the Magnolia League, founded by her grandmother many years earlier. At first she rebels, even going so far as to run back to the commune.
However, once there she discovers that all the things she thought were true about the farm, the "community" have changed, and heading back to Miss Lee and the other is her only option. She settles in, allowing them to bring her directly into the fold with hoodoo beauty treatments and love potions. It's only at the end that she decides to do what's right... we think.
The relationship between the Magnolias and the Buzzard clan is dribbled out, and only at the end do you get the sense that it's not quite what the Buzzard's want. Ditto Alex's decision to not run away but to stay and change things. My guess is that the ending is confused because there'll be a sequel, but better editing and no sequel would be far better.
ARC provided by publisher.