Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Amy and Phin Goodnight are spending the summer housesitting for their aunt Hyacinth. Both Amy and Phin are witches, as are all Goodnight women, though Amy would much rather have a normal life. But there are times when witchcraft and psychic powers come in handy—like, say, when there’s a ghost supposedly haunting the area.
Texas Gothic reminded me of Highway to Hell, Rosemary Clement-Moore’s third Maggie Quinn book. So if you enjoyed that one, there’s a lot that will appeal here, namely romance, humor, mystery, and the supernatural. Yeah, these were present in Prom Dates from Hell and Hell Week, but what really unites Texas Gothic and Highway to Hell (from what I remember, at least) is how their supernatural elements are rooted in broader historical events or legends. By this I mean the supernatural events are not just a generic “a person was killed here and their vengeful spirit has been haunting it ever since”-type thing that could take place anywhere (even if a particular setting is well-drawn), but are instead tied to a particular place and its own specific history.
Overall, I liked Texas Gothic but didn’t love it. Mostly because I was lot more interested in the Phin-Mark romance than Amy-Ben, which I never completely bought into.
Wildcat Fireflies by Amber Kizer
Speaking of plots centered on local history…
Anyway, so after the events of Meridian, Meridian and Tens are on the road, looking for another Fenestra. They end up in Carmel, Indiana, still unsure of how much they can trust other people. Meanwhile, alternating with Meridian’s narration is that of Juliet, who lives in a group home under horrific conditions, not knowing that she is a Fenestra.
It’s been a couple of years since I read Meridian, and while I didn’t remember much about the story, Kizer provides enough background that I didn’t feel lost. As for the story itself, I’m a bit torn. It’s a long novel, but while I was reading it, it didn’t seem to drag, even though it’s a while before Meridian and Juliet finally connect. After reading it, and without knowing what will happen in the rest of the series, my reaction now is, that was a lot of pages without as much plot as you’d think would be in a 500+ page novel. Oh well, I do plan on at least reading the next book and I wasn’t bothered by the length while reading, so I’ll be generous here.
Oh, and yay, no love triangle! But what happened to [name redacted just to be on the safe side of spoilers] at the end of the story?
Most of all, what really struck me about Wildcat Fireflies is how it contrasts with Angel Burn. I mean, Angel Burn and Wildcat Fireflies share some similarities in their respective angel/protector road romance storylines. However, whereas there’s a notable lack of action (you know, *that* kind of action) during Angel Burn’s idyllic interlude, Kizer tackles this head-on, wit
Steph did a fantastic job of sharing the RITA news on Sunday, but I thought I'd give a couple more behind-the-scenes glimpses.
Here are Rosemary, Tera and me at the Golden Heart/Rita Reception, after Golden Heart finalist (and our friend) Vanessa Barnevelt told us to yell out "Rita!"
And here, another picture taken by her, in the last row of the Rita seating, just moments before the program began.
Next year's conference is in Nashville--hometown of country music. What else do we know about Nashville? Shout it out and let's get the BUZZ started for 2010!
I'm excited to be presenting
Laura Koenig's first review at The Well-Read Child!
and
Highway to Hell (Maggie Quinn: Girl Vs Evil) by Rosemary Clement-Moore
A few short months ago, in
Prom Dates from Hell , Maggie Quinn defeated the seriously evil demon that was trying to take over her senior prom. Now Maggie's back in
Hell Week, and she can't even crack the staff of the Bedivere College newspaper. What gives? But Maggie's luck suddenly changes when she goes undercover as a pledge to Sigma Alpha Xi, the campus' most popular - and most secretive - sorority. Her Phantom Pledge articles are a hit, and that's not the only place where Maggie's life has taken a turn for the lucky. It's not long before Maggie starts to question whether there's something supernaturally lucky about the Sigma Alpha Xis - even beyond their abnormally perfect hair.
In
Highway to Hell, which will be released in March 2009, Maggie and Lisa take off
on a totally demon-free road trip. They're going to spend Spring Break on the beach at Cabo San Lucas - ironically, of course. But thanks to a middle of the night encounter with a dead cow in the middle of a deserted Texas highway, the girls are stuck in a tiny town with some very unusual characters. (Luckily, one of those characters is a devastatingly gorgeous real-live cowboy.) Things quickly take a totally unsurprising turn for the supernatural, and once again Maggie is hot on the trail of some unusual demonic activity. After making inquiries at the only bar in town about what animal could have gruesomely killed the cow that totaled their jeep, Maggie and Lisa are becoming more and more sure that the mythical chupacabra is very real - and very nasty.
The second and third books in the "Maggie Quinn: Girl vs. Evil" series stay true to the super-sarcastic, laugh-out-loud funny voice of
Prom Dates from Hell. But now Maggie's well past her early skepticism. She's accepted that there are demons hanging out in her neighborhood, and that as the local psychic investigative journalist with a spellcasting best friend and a love interest who studies supernatural mythology, she's the one who's going to have to deal with all the evil beasties that pop up in her area. And as Maggie acknowledges her psychic powers and begins to learn how to use them, they no longer feel like a tacked-on plot point - they're an integral part of both books.
These books start to dig further into the how and why of the demons and magic that are popping up around Maggie Quinn, and the mix of folklore, religion, and superstition are a strength of Clement-Moore's. Maggie's boyfriend brings the theoretical knowledge, and her sorcerer friend Lisa brings the practical application. It's Maggie who pulls it all together, using both her natural curiosity and her psychic Spidey-sense.
Highway to Hell brings some traditional brujas into the picture, as well as the intriguing addition of a priest-in-training to their crew of demon-battlers. The young priest is a great foil for Lisa the sometimes-evil sorceror, and he also has his run-ins with Maggie, whose relationship with religion is pretty well summed up in
Hell Week:
"Facing Evil with a capital E makes a convincing argument that somewhere, in some shape or form, there was Good with a capital G, too, and I wanted no mistake about which side I was on.
I'm not saying team Father, Son, and Holy Ghost is the only team in the G league, but it's what I defaulted to when I needed to get my spiritual ducks in a row. Even so, I'm not exactly what you would call a reverent traditionalist.
'Okay, God.' I stared up at the dark ceiling. 'Maybe you could throw me a bone here. I'm going in circles and could really use a signpost.' I paused, trying to sound at least a little supplicant. 'So. . . anytime you're ready, that would be great.'"
-
Hell Week, page 166
The question of where God falls in all this mix of magic and mayhem is a welcome addition to the world of the books, and I hope that the priest character will be back in future Maggie Quinn adventures.
With their fast-paced action, sharp tongues, and quick wit, Maggie and her friends are a great match for any teenage Buffy fans in your life. They potentially have some appeal to readers of the
Twilight books - but you might want to make it clear that if Maggie Quinn runs into a vampire in her biology class, that vampire's going to have a stake through his heart sooner than he can say "I'm madly in love with you!" The teen-friendly covers make these books a pretty easy sell, but it's the bitingly funny characters and their smart take on some implausible situations that will keep readers coming back. As Maggie puts it, "'Yes, we're in over our heads... Maybe there's someone in the world who actually understands how all this works, who's fully equipped with the armor of righteousness and the flamethrower or smiting or whatever else is in the arsenal of Team Good. But unless they're hiding behind a mesquite tree somewhere, me, my freaky brain, my sorcerous friend, and my paladin boyfriend are all that stands between Hell and Texas'" (
Highway to Hell , page 293).
What Other Bloggers Are Saying About Hell Week:
Abby (the) Librarian: "Written with a great sarcastic humor, the book had me laughing out loud. Throw in a smidgen of romance, a dash of mystery, and a sprinkling of interesting secondary characters and you've got yourself a great book." (
read more...)
Kiss the Book: " Maggie is a whip-sharp protagonist with intelligence and the friends she needs to back her up. I was enchanted." (
read more...)
Amberkatze's Book Blog: "...all in all, great story, good plot and I still love Maggie." (
read more...)
Simply Books: "Maggie is a great character: she's funny and serious at the same time and her commentary on sororities and fraternities is very satirical. I liked reading a book about a quirky heroine who fights evil in her spare time."
(read more...)
Read a Great Teen Book!: "It was a fun, light read, fairly well-written, and exactly what my poor, over-taxed brain needed.
"
(read more...)
More Info:Prom Dates from Hell- Reading Level: Young Adult
- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (April 22, 2008)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0385734131
- ISBN-13: 978-0385734134
Hell Week- Reading level: Young Adult
- Hardcover: 336 pages
- Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (August 26, 2008)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 038573414X
- ISBN-13: 978-0385734141
Highway to Hell
- Reading level: Young Adult
- Hardcover: 368 pages
- Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (March 10, 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0385734638
- ISBN-13: 978-0385734639
Amy and Phin Goodnight are spending the summer housesitting for their aunt Hyacinth. Both Amy and Phin are witches, as are all Goodnight women, though Amy would much rather have a normal life. But there are times when witchcraft and psychic powers come in handy—like, say, when there’s a ghost supposedly haunting the area.
Thanks for the post! I love all Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy books and devoured Bloodlines as soon as it came out. If I remember correctly, Sydney’s issues with her recent step up to a size 4 actually are meant to further clue the reader in to the psychological games Sydney’s father has played with her. Her weight and appearance is something else he feels free to criticize.
Hmm, I didn’t read it that way, but will take another look with this interpretation in mind. Thanks for bringing it up!