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tlvz721's review against another edition
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.
phenixsnow's review against another edition
3.0
I liked it. I had lots of theories about what was going on but none of them were correct. It kept me guessing.
skyhazzard's review against another edition
1.0
The narrator for the audiobook was the only thing that kept me going. Let’s not even talk about the rest.
thereadingzone's review against another edition
3.0
First of all, I like the ARC cover much better than the current cover.
As for the book, it's a fun, gothic magic story. Hoodoo, ghosts, and love spells- it will definitely appeal to teen girls. And it made me really want to visit Savannah, Georgia!
As for the book, it's a fun, gothic magic story. Hoodoo, ghosts, and love spells- it will definitely appeal to teen girls. And it made me really want to visit Savannah, Georgia!
myeverskye's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this book. I love the whole southern debutante thing mixed with the creepy hoodoo. I'm very curious as to how this series will go in the next book!
rigel's review against another edition
2.0
DNF at page 42. The writing style just isn't vibing with me and I think I'm too mature a reader now to be able to tolerate the MC.
imallmadhere's review against another edition
4.0
I added this to my bookshelf in preparation for #YALLFest where author Katie Crouch would be a speaker. Having just finished it I am quite glad I stuck with it. I wasn't going to write a review but then I saw all the negative reviews and felt it important to add another opinion.
This book was a slow starter for me. The main character Alex is not a very strong personality, she seems completely dependent on those around her for affirmation. Additionally her being the "fat" girl is a constant in the first half of the book. Later in the story she loses twenty pounds or so and is skinny so her denotion of fat in the beginning seems even less realistic. However getting past all that there is a unique setting and concept here something new in the field of the paranormal YA category.
Alexandria Lee is returning to Savannah to live with her grandmother after her mother's tragic death in a car crash. Her mother raised her in california on a communal farm surrounded by free loving hippies and the occasional pot smoking. So moving to the old south to live in a mansion with her very formal seemingly traditionalist grandmother is quite the shock. Add to that the new membership in The Magnolia League a debutante society which has something very odd about its members. Alex is a member by virtue of her birth and stands to be the next head of the magnolias but there is something too perfect about all these girls. They are too pretty, too skinny, too rich and Alex knows something is up...
This book was a slow starter for me. The main character Alex is not a very strong personality, she seems completely dependent on those around her for affirmation. Additionally her being the "fat" girl is a constant in the first half of the book. Later in the story she loses twenty pounds or so and is skinny so her denotion of fat in the beginning seems even less realistic. However getting past all that there is a unique setting and concept here something new in the field of the paranormal YA category.
Alexandria Lee is returning to Savannah to live with her grandmother after her mother's tragic death in a car crash. Her mother raised her in california on a communal farm surrounded by free loving hippies and the occasional pot smoking. So moving to the old south to live in a mansion with her very formal seemingly traditionalist grandmother is quite the shock. Add to that the new membership in The Magnolia League a debutante society which has something very odd about its members. Alex is a member by virtue of her birth and stands to be the next head of the magnolias but there is something too perfect about all these girls. They are too pretty, too skinny, too rich and Alex knows something is up...