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This was the first book I've read by Meg Cabot but it won't be the last.
I really enjoyed the story of Jinx as she learns about herself, her family and most importantly her power. The main character was likable, though a bit too naive and trusting, but in the end she's a typical teen with atypical blood lines.
I really enjoyed the story of Jinx as she learns about herself, her family and most importantly her power. The main character was likable, though a bit too naive and trusting, but in the end she's a typical teen with atypical blood lines.
Jinx by Meg Cabot follows Jena Honeychurch as she embarks on a new journey in New York City, living with her aunt and uncle in their brownstone.
Will Jean stop being called Jinx?
Jean "Jinx" Honeychurch
Jean is a sixteen-year-old girl moving from her hometown of Hancock, Iowa, to New York City. Her parents hoped that moving to the East Coast might be better than staying where her stalker could get to her. Jean starts off being shy but grows into a person I wouldn't mind being friends with in high school. I wouldn't have cared that she's a preacher's daughter. Jean believes that she is cursed forever with bad luck as things seem to go weird when she's around.
The Story
Jean and Tory, her cousin, come from Branwen, a witch that is their great-great-great-great grandmother from Wales. Tory, aka Torrence, thinks that the witch their ancestor prophesied about is her despite what she initially thought about. It doesn't seem like any of Tory's spells are working...not quite like how they do for Jean. These two cousins have some major fighting happening, but will Tory win? Or is Jean?
Five Stars
I am giving five stars to Jinx by Meg Cabot, along with a recommendation to read it. Ms. Cabot has always captured me with her stories, and this one is no different. I loved all the characters, including the romance between Sam and Jean. Ms. Cabot perfectly brought to my imagination what life would be like being related to a witch and finding out that you may be a witch that she talked about before being burned at the stake.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Jinx by Meg Cabot.
Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.
Will Jean stop being called Jinx?
Jean "Jinx" Honeychurch
Jean is a sixteen-year-old girl moving from her hometown of Hancock, Iowa, to New York City. Her parents hoped that moving to the East Coast might be better than staying where her stalker could get to her. Jean starts off being shy but grows into a person I wouldn't mind being friends with in high school. I wouldn't have cared that she's a preacher's daughter. Jean believes that she is cursed forever with bad luck as things seem to go weird when she's around.
The Story
Jean and Tory, her cousin, come from Branwen, a witch that is their great-great-great-great grandmother from Wales. Tory, aka Torrence, thinks that the witch their ancestor prophesied about is her despite what she initially thought about. It doesn't seem like any of Tory's spells are working...not quite like how they do for Jean. These two cousins have some major fighting happening, but will Tory win? Or is Jean?
Five Stars
I am giving five stars to Jinx by Meg Cabot, along with a recommendation to read it. Ms. Cabot has always captured me with her stories, and this one is no different. I loved all the characters, including the romance between Sam and Jean. Ms. Cabot perfectly brought to my imagination what life would be like being related to a witch and finding out that you may be a witch that she talked about before being burned at the stake.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Jinx by Meg Cabot.
Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.
An okay book of witchcraft, but almost completely entirely made up of romance, denial, and teen angst.
I'm completely satisfied at the ending, but not as much for the beginning or middle. It's a really short book, but the story has been told. It's more like the Princess Diaries, a children's book, than a teen book.
The ending was completely appropriate!
I'm completely satisfied at the ending, but not as much for the beginning or middle. It's a really short book, but the story has been told. It's more like the Princess Diaries, a children's book, than a teen book.
The ending was completely appropriate!
What can I say? It's Meg Cabot! The author of my second favorite series (second only to Harry Potter) "The Princess Diaries", she combines the excitement of living in New York City with witchcraft and wizardry. Though it's not the same as Harry Potter, they don't use wands, the essense of witchery is still strong.
It's a really well-written book about magic and romance, READ IT!!
It's a really well-written book about magic and romance, READ IT!!
Odds are good you'll be able to figure out exactly where the book is going to end up well before it gets there. Don't worry about it, the ride is still worth it. Even as you find yourself asking something, the moment you turn the page, the issue is addressed. I read it pretty much in one gulp and wished for more.
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Meg Cabot is the author of the wildly popular "Princess Diaries" series (adapted into two Disney movies starring Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews), the "1-800-Where-R-You" books (loosely adapted into a short-lived series on Lifetime), "The Mediator" books (not yet adapted into anything), among a variety of other books for teens and adults.
"Jinx" is Cabot's latest standalone teen novel.
As her nickname might suggest, it is not easy being Jinx. Jean Honeychurch has been unlucky since the day she was born, with her luck only getting worse from there. Jean was even unlucky with her name: not Jean Marie or Jeanette, just Jean (although her last name does hearken back to Lucy Honeychurch in Forster's "A Room With a View" which is cool even though Cabot never mentions this fact in the story).
It is because of her bad luck that Jean has to leave her family and friends in Iowa to come and live with her aunt and uncle in New York City. Readers don't learn exactly why Jean has come to New York until the middle of the novel. Until then Jean alludes to the reason she had to flee in annoying asides noting how no one knows the "full story."
Jean had hoped to escape her bad luck in the big city, or at least dodge her reputation. But Jean's glamorous and sophisticated cousin, Tory, has other plans. In fact, she has a lot of plans where Jean is concerned. After another of Jean's unfortunate accidents, Tory realizes that Jean is magically gifted, which ties into an old family prophecy. Thrilled to have another witch in the house, Tory invites Jean to join her coven. But, for reasons that are revealed later in the story, Jean refuses. Family feuding and intrigue ensues.
I liked the story here. But I wanted to like it more than I did. It was funny and light, which is really hard to achieve in writing. But certain elements of the prose were quite annoying. Every time Jean alluded to the "full story" of her trip to New York, I had to fight a strong urge to skim ahead and see what she was talking about. That's how long it took for Cabot to explain everything.
Allusions like that are fun to build up the story, unfortunately Cabot doesn't use them very well in the narrative. Instead of creating tension the asides just make Jean seem like a pain for not explaining herself sooner. At the same time certain parts of the plot are predictable enough that it seems silly to build them up quite so much.
Jean is also an infuriating heroine. She is incredibly likable, but also painfully naive and gullible. Cabot seemed to take Jean's "country fresh" personality way to far. Jean is so sweet that she is a veritable doormat to her less-than-loving cousin. Again and again Jean also shows herself to completely oblivious to what's going on around her. This behavior might be sweet for a country girl, but it seems forced--even for a sixteen-year-old from Iowa who may not be as worldy as this semi-jaded city dweller.
This book wasn't great, but it wasn't bad either. (If the plot sound interesting, by all means give it a try.) I enjoyed reading it, but I expected more from the story and the characters.
You can find this review and more on my blog Miss Print
"Jinx" is Cabot's latest standalone teen novel.
As her nickname might suggest, it is not easy being Jinx. Jean Honeychurch has been unlucky since the day she was born, with her luck only getting worse from there. Jean was even unlucky with her name: not Jean Marie or Jeanette, just Jean (although her last name does hearken back to Lucy Honeychurch in Forster's "A Room With a View" which is cool even though Cabot never mentions this fact in the story).
It is because of her bad luck that Jean has to leave her family and friends in Iowa to come and live with her aunt and uncle in New York City. Readers don't learn exactly why Jean has come to New York until the middle of the novel. Until then Jean alludes to the reason she had to flee in annoying asides noting how no one knows the "full story."
Jean had hoped to escape her bad luck in the big city, or at least dodge her reputation. But Jean's glamorous and sophisticated cousin, Tory, has other plans. In fact, she has a lot of plans where Jean is concerned. After another of Jean's unfortunate accidents, Tory realizes that Jean is magically gifted, which ties into an old family prophecy. Thrilled to have another witch in the house, Tory invites Jean to join her coven. But, for reasons that are revealed later in the story, Jean refuses. Family feuding and intrigue ensues.
I liked the story here. But I wanted to like it more than I did. It was funny and light, which is really hard to achieve in writing. But certain elements of the prose were quite annoying. Every time Jean alluded to the "full story" of her trip to New York, I had to fight a strong urge to skim ahead and see what she was talking about. That's how long it took for Cabot to explain everything.
Allusions like that are fun to build up the story, unfortunately Cabot doesn't use them very well in the narrative. Instead of creating tension the asides just make Jean seem like a pain for not explaining herself sooner. At the same time certain parts of the plot are predictable enough that it seems silly to build them up quite so much.
Jean is also an infuriating heroine. She is incredibly likable, but also painfully naive and gullible. Cabot seemed to take Jean's "country fresh" personality way to far. Jean is so sweet that she is a veritable doormat to her less-than-loving cousin. Again and again Jean also shows herself to completely oblivious to what's going on around her. This behavior might be sweet for a country girl, but it seems forced--even for a sixteen-year-old from Iowa who may not be as worldy as this semi-jaded city dweller.
This book wasn't great, but it wasn't bad either. (If the plot sound interesting, by all means give it a try.) I enjoyed reading it, but I expected more from the story and the characters.
You can find this review and more on my blog Miss Print