You know I like a pretty cover especially if it has a mix of glossy parts and raised images. This cover had it all. Also 237 pages with a lot of dialog and being a YA book made me realize it would only take a few hours so - no problem. I also knew that Myracle is often controversial among parents and challenged in school libraries making it even better. If you know me at all, you know how I hate it when parents over shelter teens from controversial books – I get that from my dad who was a librarian.
Not my favorite, but still I would give it to girls. It is a take on the “mean girl” theme, and also has that touch of the occult feel, and a little creepiness. Jane isn't any different from thousands of girls every year who yearn to be in the dominant clique in every school. So as a freshman when Jane is groomed for a position in “The Bitches” she is surprised but also primed and ready. As you would predict she has no idea what all is going to be asked of her nor who she will step on or hurt along the way. Every high school kid in America thinks about these things.
As implied by the title the initiation tasks have a bit of wizardry to them. The consequences are creepy and sad. You guessed it, the “Bitches” are actually witches and there is even a teacher that in the past had been one at the school when she was a teen. Jane learns hard lessons but also is shocked to see kids who not only don't care what the popular group does, they have no desire to be close to them or in their group. Why would anyone not want to be popular – well some are just happy being who they are and having normal friendly relationships.
Easy to read, good lessons to reinforce. Some parents will object to language and drinking issues in the school, but let us get over pretending it isn't in our school and not likely to stop any time soon.
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