Books4Tomorrow: QUICK REVIEW: "Family Magic"

“FAMILY MAGIC” (The Hayle Coven Novels book 1)

by Patti Larsen

REVIEWED BY: Ellen Fritz

OVERVIEW

Sixteen-year-old Sydlynn Hayle is the daughter of a powerful witch and a demon lord of the seventh plane. The trouble is, she just wants to be ordinary. Syd struggles to survive the minefield of her new high school while being torn between her attraction to football hero Brad Peters and the darkly mysterious Quaid Moromond. When her coven comes under attack, Syd is forced to face the fact only her power can save her family’s magic.

REVIEW

Being a powerful witch as well as the daughter of a demon lord is not exactly the best recipe for being normal in a modern high school. Add two attractive boys and a bunch of vindictive cheerleaders and things can get complicated.

Syd, the main character, transforms from being the victimized new kid in high school to an assertive person who accepts her magical powers in order to keep the leadership of the Hayle Coven of Witches from falling into the hands of some truly nasty characters. As we read this story from the main character's point of view, we are right there with her as she rebels against her mother, denies her inherent power and tries to cope with everyday high school politics. The way in which she tells her story is quirky and often funny. Her inner dialogue is downright hilarious at times!

I thoroughly enjoyed the numerous versatile characters in this book - a rather special cat, a couple of vampires and a very, very old dog. And let's not forget the variety of witches, a few colorful teenagers and a crazy grandmother who can only be subdued by chocolate and tequila and who has invaluable information and wisdom for her family - during her infrequent moments of lucidity, that is.

As this is the first book in the Hayle Coven series, the author takes the necessary time to introduce her readers to the characters and the world they live in. The action, suspense, Syd's teenage dramas and numerous disputes are artfully balanced by lovely moments of family solidarity, a touch of romance and some out-and-out humorous situations. The close relationship between the main character and her not-so-normal little sister is sure to warm your heart. Thus I can safely say that there’s not one dull moment in this story!

Although this is a young adult novel, I would strongly recommend it to readers of all ages. I, for one, am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series by a very gifted author.

ELLEN’S star rating: 5/5

READ more REVIEWS

“Family Magic” by Patti Larson has 11 reviews on GoodReads. View it here – http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12900544-family-magic

ABOUT author PATTI LARSON

Patti writes a lot of middle grade and YA paranormal books for someone who is afraid of the dark. And she wonders why she has to sleep with the lights on. Sometimes life is a teenaged B horror movie and she’s the one who investigates when the scary music is playing. But the voices are calling and resistance is… Yes. She is a Star Trek geek, too. And a fan of RPG’s. With a slight coolness factor since she's been told she's allowed to join the pops. At least, she likes to think she’s cool...

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