Nikki Jefford
Series: Spellbound, #1
Release date: February 20th, 2012
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A Resurrection Spell Gone Wrong
Two months after dying, Graylee Perez wakes up in her twin sister Charlene’s body. As a witch, can anyone blame her mother for attempting to bring her daughter back to life? Now Gray is stuck sharing her sister’s body 50/50 in twenty-four-hour shifts.
Raj McKenna is rumored to meddle in the black arts, not to mention he’s after Gray’s invisibility spell, and worse—her heart. But Raj might be the only one powerful enough to save Gray from fading away forever.
The race is on for Gray to find a way back inside her own body before Charlene purges her from existence.
*****
This book is intended for older teens.
*A copy was provided by Nikki Jefford for review purposes*
Freaky Friday gone wrong anybody? Imagine living only every other day. This is what Graylee has to deal with after she dies, only to wake up in her sister's body - except, her sister still uses it too. Eep. Doesn't this sound horrifying? It is! It's also wildly entertaining.
I'm guilty - again - at having completely forgotten what this book was about when I got around to reading it. I knew it related to witches (which is enough for me) but that is all I could recall. As soon as I was introduced to the witch lore, though, I knew I would really enjoy it: It's the fun kind, the kind that can be employed at the snap of a finger - like in Charmed. I mean, who hasn't wished they could change their outfit, get a glass of water, turn off the lights, all with a simple thought… yeah these examples are totally lame and just plain lazy-making, but you get what I'm saying! Just imagine the possibilities! :D While my curiosity was piqued, I did find the first quarter of the book to be a bit insipid. The pacing was slow, leaving me unsure of where it was getting at. But once Graylee dies, the actual plot makes a sudden appearance and it does not disappoint. It's a fascinating concept, only getting to live every two days. Even moreso when the person whose body you're sharing has become vengeful. It's a thrilling and creative plot-line with quite a bit of clever humor added in which I especially enjoyed.
The story is told from a dual perspective between Graylee and Raj. Graylee is sweet and down-to-earth, but forced to act like her stuck up bitch of a sister. Then on her "off" days, we get to experience what's happening in this shared life through someone else's eyes. This someone being Raj. Raj is our resident bad boy who comes off as a nuisance with dark secrets, and also, he happens to be a wizard. Despite our first impression, Nikki does a wonderful job at making him extremely likeable when we glimpse at his actual personality. He's got the bad-boy vibe that we all secretly adore, but it comes with loyalty and a tenderness that will make you go weak in the knees. This, of course, leads us to a romance that, even though may play only a small role in the book, is solid with a ton of chemistry.
The plot is stimulating, the characters are convincing, but what really gives heart to this story are the various relationship dynamics that you will find scattered in it from page one. From the sisterly rivalry, to the mother's unconditional love, to the peculiar friendships that can be perceived as either real or pretenses; Nikki delivers them all exquisitely. Alongside this, we've got betrayal, jealousy, magic, friendship, death - all powerful themes visited throughout this novel. Although, surprisingly, I'd still consider it an overall light, easy read. One that is highly entertaining and easily enchanting. Being a big fan of witch stories, Entangled quickly topped the chart in my list of favourites, therefore I highly recommend it to young adult paranormal fan, but if you love witches you simply can not pass it up!
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| 4 Hot Espressos |
