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Book Summary

Reviewed byKate Pavao
When Jean -- nicknamed Jinx because she's a bit of a bad-luck magnet -- moves from Iowa to her aunt's house in New York City (all readers initially know is that she was being "stalked" back home), she immediately gets off on the wrong foot with her beautiful -- but mean -- cousin Torrance. The tension only escalates when Torrance confronts Jean, saying that she knows they are both the witches foretold by family legend -- and that they should use their powers to "rule the school."

When Jean denies her powers, Torrance unleashes a series of cruel punishments meant to torment and humiliate her cousin (think headless rat in the locker). Jean needs to decide if she should use the magic she promised not to in order to fight back.

Is It Any Good?

3
JINX is filled with familiar but fun elements, starting with the set-up; how could it not be entertaining? The book even has few surprises, from its stock characters to its ultimate conclusion in which Jean must learn to accept her true self. The only eye-opener is how creepy and violent the girls' final confrontation is.

In the end, there is enough drama here -- some of it magical and some merely mean-spirited -- to make this book satisfying if not spellbinding.

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