Spellbinding

Jan 31, 2013 Elspeth rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, 2013, kindle, netgalley, young-adult

This review has spoilers...

I am just so disgusted with this book, let me count the clichés...

What is it with cookie cutter tropes these days, is there a check list out there that some authors follow thinking that their book is going to be the next best thing? I seriously hope not because I am getting damned sick of all these knock off young adult stories.

We first meet Abby when she is having a nightmare on the bus, dreaming about a past life where she is being drowned as a witch. This is not the...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Dianne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ages-12-up, arc-read, netgalley, witches, ya, younger-readers

Spellbinding, by Maya Gold seems to be designed for younger readers. I had a hard time picturing the main character, Abby as being sixteen years old.

Abby does suffer from the usual teen angst, crushing on the hot guy at school, someone who would never ordinarily give her a second glance. Then, there are the usual nasty girl cliques that menace her constantly. Abby feels out of place, out of sorts and like she is going out of her mind! During a school project, Abby discovered she is a descendent...more

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Apr 30, 2013 Mallory Thorpe rated it 4 of 5 stars

First off I want to mention that the cover is what totally sold me on wanting to read this book. I am a sucker for a pretty cover and Spellbinding’s cover definitely didn’t disappoint. The candles, lightening, the faded out strip of houses behind the young girl waist deep in water with her hair *clearly* blowing in the wind made me want to know the whole story. Can I offer up more than that as to why I love the cover, not really…it just calls to me and says “read me, you want to know why I’m pow...more First off I want to mention that the cover is what totally sold me on wanting to read this book. I am a sucker for a pretty cover and Spellbinding’s cover definitely didn’t disappoint. The candles, lightening, the faded out strip of houses behind the young girl waist deep in water with her hair *clearly* blowing in the wind made me want to know the whole story. Can I offer up more than that as to why I love the cover, not really…it just calls to me and says “read me, you want to know why I’m powerful?” I was curious and the synopsis of Spellbinding only drew me in further. It sounded promising.
Spellbinding is a simple story. There’s never a whole lot going on at once and the entire story focuses on Abby’s one new discovery, step by step. There’s no sub plot or other things happening that the reader can think about or that Maya Gold could tie into the story as a whole. It’s just a story about a girl (Abigal Silva) who learns some truths about her past when digging into her family tree for a school project and what she does with her new powers. (That’s not spoilery if you read the synopsis, so I’m not telling you anything you couldn’t figure out on your own by revealing Abby’s new found “powers”) Of course Spellbinding has the whole romance theme tied to it and not just with Abby’s obsession with her crush but with her new friend REM. Now a cool aspect of how Maya Gold presents Abby’s love intrests was cool because they didn’t instantly fall in love or write off their entire lives because of a crush. Which does happen in books and I usually don’t like them any less it’s just unrealistic.
I enjoyed reading Spellbinding even though compared to other books in the genre its lacking a more in-depth plot and multiple twists within the story. Another positive note was it’s a complete story and there’s no cliff hanger or need to wait for book two. I do think the last “epic” moment could have been a little bit longer or maybe just more details. It wasn’t a bad conclusion at all, I just feel like it could have been better by adding a few more sentences. Spellbinding had everything the synopsis claimed it would and Maya Gold executed it wonderfully. Even though the overall story is a simple one, the editing was spot on, there were no holes in the plot, no unanswered questions at the end and it was a smooth read that kept me wanting to read more. Overall, Maya Gold delivered a great fun paranormal read in Spellbinding.
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Apr 30, 2013 Kat rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, arc, paranormal, romance, ya-books

Abby is invisible, or so it seems. She only has one friend, and the guy she has had a crush on forever barely knows who she is. She also suffers from horrible headaches, and reoccurring nightmares about drowning in a past life. The only good thing about these dreams is the guy she keeps seeing, the guy she knows she is connected to, the buy with the blue slash through his green eyes.

Then, during a history project, Abby learns that she is related to one of the women convicted of Witchcraft during...more

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Apr 30, 2013 jv poore rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: buried-under-books, young-adult

Oh, how we all longed for our 16th birthday! It meant freedom in the form of a driver’s license. No longer at the mercy of busy parents, or snarky older siblings; we could go where we wanted, when we wanted, all while listening to whatever we wanted to. Good times.

Abby Silva had those very same expectations, but her sixteenth birthday brought wicked nightmares, skull-splitting headaches and strange sensations. Maybe manifestations created from the stress of preparing for her driving portion of t...more Oh, how we all longed for our 16th birthday! It meant freedom in the form of a driver’s license. No longer at the mercy of busy parents, or snarky older siblings; we could go where we wanted, when we wanted, all while listening to whatever we wanted to. Good times.

Abby Silva had those very same expectations, but her sixteenth birthday brought wicked nightmares, skull-splitting headaches and strange sensations. Maybe manifestations created from the stress of preparing for her driving portion of the exam. Maybe she is bipolar. Maybe she has a brain disease. Or, maybe something that has been dormant inside of her since birth, is rapidly emerging. Abby doesn’t know what the problem is, only that something very strange is happening.

Oddly enough, an extra-credit assignment to create a family tree leads Abby towards the answers. While she knew a bit of her father’s background; her mother died when Abby was only eleven. She knew very little of her mother’s ancestors. Imagine her shock and disbelief when she discovers that she is a direct descendant of an alleged witch, destroyed by the people of Salem in 1692. Further research leads Abby to believe that her kin’s witchcraft was very real. Is this the answer? Is Abby a witch?

With a new door opened, Abby recalls recent oddities. Her fervent wish that her driving test parallel parking was good enough to pass, immediately followed by shock and disbelief as the red cone seemed to move closer to the car’s bumper. Ever the student, Abby quickly hits the library to research the phenomenon. Among the dusty reference books, she discovers a small book filled with hand-written spells. There is clearly only one way to test her theory, but which spell to try?

As Abby dabbles with her newfound power, the witches of Salem take notice. As with humans, there are good witches and there are very, very bad witches. It is up to Abby to determine which is which. The wrong choice will have adverse consequences on the entire town of Salem and its surrounding areas. All along the way, temptations are ruthlessly tossed her way, keeping her in a state of flux and she works to seek the truth.

I enjoyed this fast-paced, suspenseful story tremendously. On the surface, it could be said that it is about a young witch with a tough decision; but, to me, there is so much more. I found this to be a book of self-discovery. Abby’s struggles are very real-life. In the book, her rise to popularity is due to witchcraft, but in the real world; all teens go through this roller-coaster ride of fitting in. We all had a moment in the sunshine, in addition to time in the shadows. Once we got what we wanted, we had to decide if we really wanted it after all. We had to stop focusing on the surface lives of the beautiful people to look deep within ourselves. We were given opportunities that seemed easy, with guarantees of success. We also had harder choices, the ones with no guarantees. We all had the same bottom line: if I make this choice, am I being true to myself?

Spellbinding is a fun read with characters that elicit empathy and support, as well as a mysterious, suspenseful plot.
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Apr 28, 2013 Chelsey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Ever since I was a kid I have loved everything about witches. I became obsessed with the television called Charmed, and read tons and tons of stories pertaining to witches and the Salem Witch Trials. I was so addicted that my mom became a little nervous! There are just certain events in history that I will read anything and everything ever written about them, fictional or non-fictional. I’m sure you can just imagine my facial expressions when I receive books like this one in the mail! I especial...more Ever since I was a kid I have loved everything about witches. I became obsessed with the television called Charmed, and read tons and tons of stories pertaining to witches and the Salem Witch Trials. I was so addicted that my mom became a little nervous! There are just certain events in history that I will read anything and everything ever written about them, fictional or non-fictional. I’m sure you can just imagine my facial expressions when I receive books like this one in the mail! I especially love stories about new witches that are just starting to come into their powers. Abby Silva has just traced her family history back to the Salem Witch Trials and all of a sudden strange and unexplainable things start happening to her. Just put yourself in Abby’s shoes; Two extremely gorgeous boys, one who may already know she is a witch, finding out that your mother descended from a line of witches, and doing all this while trying to go to high school! Let’s just say Abby’s life is about to change drastically.

Of course my favorite part of this book was the witchcraft and the link to the Salem Witch Trials. I would like to say that I wish there would have been more of that and less of the romance added in. I did enjoy this book and found myself constantly going back and reading the “witchy” parts. The historical side of this novel was written well and Maya Gold, the author, definitely knows how to draw readers in with historical facts and suspense. Some authors make this part of books too boring, but with Maya this part was my favorite. I loved the fact that Salem was the dominant setting and as I said before, I wish that Maya would have spent more time exploring its haunted streets.

Abby was the perfect voice to guide me through this book. I loved how I could sense that she had a huge inside struggle with her self esteem, and I loved watching her newfound witchy skills draw her closer to her deceased mother. I also loved Rem Anders, who shortly after the first few chapters becomes the new eye candy in Abby’s life. Rem was so mysterious and dreamy. He had this odd connection with Abby from the first time they met. He is able to telecommunicate with her, and I have to be honest I just thought it was the neatest characteristic to add to their relationship.

***A copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Scholastic Point in exchange for an honest review***
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Apr 24, 2013 Stormi (Lightning Book Promotions) rated it 3 of 5 stars

I think the author must have been a fan of the movie Teen Witch as that is the sort of vibe I got from this book. This is my first novel by this author and I found it interesting enough to finish but it didn't really have that pizzazz that you want when reading.

Abby is your ordinary school reject, who is picked on by the mean girls and drools over the hot guy. She doesn't have many friends and feels basically invisible to most even her father. One day a teach has them look up their family histor...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Rita rated it 3 of 5 stars

Spellbinding grabbed my attention from the very beginning, however, the main character, Abby, was not a very likable person. When Abby is 16, she discovers that she is the descendant of women accused of being witches during the Salem Witch Trials. She also begins to develop powers, which she misuses.

I didn't think Abby was likable because she did so many ridiculous and just plain wrong things to get the attention of a boy - Travis. I understand that she's a teenager and teenagers sometimes do f...more

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Apr 21, 2013 Angeline rated it 2 of 5 stars

Read the full review here.

After looking at Maya Gold's previous works, I can see why this book, although interesting in story line failed to connect and meet the same standards a young adult book would have. Starting off with strong writing and compelling characters, Spellbinding by Maya Gold captures you in those few first chapters. But as you read the rest of the book, the plot is riddled with cliches and loose ends.

The concept of elements (air, water, fire, and earth) and heritage paired with...more Read the full review here.

After looking at Maya Gold's previous works, I can see why this book, although interesting in story line failed to connect and meet the same standards a young adult book would have. Starting off with strong writing and compelling characters, Spellbinding by Maya Gold captures you in those few first chapters. But as you read the rest of the book, the plot is riddled with cliches and loose ends.

The concept of elements (air, water, fire, and earth) and heritage paired with a love triangle and a strong, unassuming heroine makes it a worthwhile story. But it's a story we've read before over and over. If you're going to write a story that we've heard before, make it at least well-written and solid, no unfinished business. For once, I want to read about a hot guy who doesn't fit the dark, mysterious, bad boy image. One who actually isn't all, "It will be revealed in the future, young one.", like they're the reincarnation of yoda.

The main character, Abby, is naive, innocent, and easily confused (the perfect damsel in distress), who eventually becomes manipulative, reckless, and a little power hungry. In the beginning, she seems put together and independent, but slowly becomes annoying with her perpetual sate of confusion. I liked that she struggled to balance friends and family with magic, but the problems remained unresolved in my eyes. Oh sure she made up with her best friend and her dad, but it seemed to be wrapped up in a neat, idyllic bow. It felt amateur and juvenile. I wanted to see confrontation, anger, real emotions. Instead I got hugs and kisses with rainbow kittens.

Rem is the main love interest. Of course he's older, wiser, cryptic and emotionally stunted. After all, his character is THAT guy, the exotic, cool one. I found him to be likable, but not lovable. He felt like a nuisance and if he really cared about Abby, he wouldn't have kept secrets from her (and the reader) and would have actually confessed about the world of magic and witches. There was nothing substantial, no blackmail, threat, family scandal that kept him from proverbially spilling the beans. so the story felt flat.

I would have liked to see more of Abby's learning the ways of magic. It seemed like she could just put ingredients together and magically become a witch. A little bit of this, a little that and poof she's a prodigy. I wanted to read about her journey and struggles to learn about becoming a full witch. This could have been easily remedied if Gold had tried to incorporate more of Dyami's character (the owner of the spells and witchcraft shop where Abby works) into the story. Gold has all these ideas and potential, but she doesn't expand things and leaves the middle and ending of the story high and dry.

Overall: The things that could make this okay-ish story skyrocket to awesome are present in this book: character, background, plot. But refining and development needs to be cultivated to create an even more deep and enjoyable book.

Rating: 2.5(less)

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Apr 20, 2013 Gliterary Girl (Page Managed by Sara) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal-ya

Gave this a 3.5, but I rounded up. Originally posted on http://www.gliterarygirl.com

OVERALL THOUGHTS: An interesting story about a young girl struggling to find her way in the world, only to find out she is a descendent of the Salem Witches. This mystical tale balances magic, history and real teen strife pleasingly, while including sensitive statements about bullying and tolerance. The story is easy to read and the characters, although sometimes frustrating in that snotty irrational teen way, ar...more Gave this a 3.5, but I rounded up. Originally posted on http://www.gliterarygirl.com

OVERALL THOUGHTS: An interesting story about a young girl struggling to find her way in the world, only to find out she is a descendent of the Salem Witches. This mystical tale balances magic, history and real teen strife pleasingly, while including sensitive statements about bullying and tolerance. The story is easy to read and the characters, although sometimes frustrating in that snotty irrational teen way, are real. However, there are too many clichés to give it a perfect score. It isn’t literature that will leave you enchanted for years on end, but if a decent YA story with a subtle love that brews just below the surface is what you are in the market for, Spellbinding is a good choice.

THE LOWDOWN: This story immediately sucked me in. I loved the idea of pulling the Salem Witch Trials into a modern-day paranormal book. The paths this story could have taken were endless, unfortunately, the road the writer chose fell short. It wasn’t bad, in fact I liked it, but it could have been amazing and being teetering there on the precipice of greatness was such a disappointment.

The lead character was likeable…at first. I could relate to her struggles and even felt sorry for her. However, as the book moves forward she becomes progressively unlikable and it annoyed me. But as most editors/writers know, YA storytelling isn’t complete if it doesn’t have a redemptive lead. So of course the protagonist sees the err of her ways. There were other elements that were glossed over that I felt needed more attention. For instance, I would have loved to read more about the change in her family dynamic, perhaps some reasons for why the father is so cold or detached with regards to her. I also needed more intimacy with her friends so I could really feel the strain her personality changes put on her close relationships.

The romance was sweet and I felt the author did a good job of portraying the connection. I also loved the mean girls. They were as wicked as can be and it worked well in the overarching tie in with the Salem story. But what the writer really did well was incorporating the historical and mystical elements. From the little store that carries crystals to explaining how the accused witches of Salem were treated and eventually killed.

What ultimately knocked this story down a peg was the prom scene. As a tried and true Brian De Palma/King fan, I found this end scene trying a little to hard to mimic the magic from the book/movie that put telekinesis and terrifying prom scenes on the map. Further, the ending was rushed, finishing entirely too quickly and easily.

Overall, this is a good beach read that is short and sweet, but not knock the breath out of you, great.

My advice: Give it a try.(less)

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Apr 19, 2013 Amy_Read to My Heart's Content rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog, netgalley, young-adult

http://readtomyhearts.blogspot.com/20...

I really really love this cover! I think the cover art is what grabbed my attention first before the synopsis did. I love how the model's hair is free flowing wildly behind her with all the candles and all the blue. Love it!
I really had high hopes for this novel because I really love reading about witches and the history of Salem and whatnot. The description makes the book sound very powerful and Abby an interesting character.

Unfortunately, I couldn't con...more http://readtomyhearts.blogspot.com/20...

I really really love this cover! I think the cover art is what grabbed my attention first before the synopsis did. I love how the model's hair is free flowing wildly behind her with all the candles and all the blue. Love it!
I really had high hopes for this novel because I really love reading about witches and the history of Salem and whatnot. The description makes the book sound very powerful and Abby an interesting character.

Unfortunately, I couldn't connect with her very much. She had parts where I wanted to learn more about her and other parts where she just really bored me. I also felt like the story played up to this extreme confrontation yet I didn't really feel that great about it. I really didn't feel too many connections with any of the characters. I did enjoy the job at the New Age shop and the owner. I felt like she needed to be a more important part of the story because she was so informed on so much.
There are some pretty funny parts though. I really enjoyed the way Abby dealt with her dad having a girlfriend. That was interesting and definitely hot! (Excuse the pun) I could understand why she would be upset especially since it seemed that she was invisible when it came to her family.

Other than that, I really could not get into this story. I tried and tried, up to the very end, but I just felt like this story promised a lot and didn't execute at all. Even now as I write this review, nothing really stands out for me that I have to tell you about. It was just boring for me. Abby seemed silly at times, other times she seemed lost. I thought Remy would be more of a intrigue for me but he turned out to be just as flat.

Now with that being said, Maya Gold is a good writer. She has a talent that we can see, even in this story, it just needs to be developed a little more. I love the idea about descendants of the accused witches of the Salem Witch Trials in modern settings. Spellbinding just didn't do it for me. But someone much younger than me could possibly get into this story more and maybe even connect with the characters a lot more too. I think this story would be okay for someone in the late middle grades into high school too. So maybe it is the age difference that caused me to lack the enthusiasm for the book as I read it.

Overall, I expected much more from this book and felt it lacked a lot of ummph! that I was hoping for in lieu of the description. It wasn't a terrible book for me but it wasn't an outstanding one either. It definitely didn't stand out as a book that I will read again, and probably in a few months I doubt I'll remember much about it. Nothing really jumped out at me in the plot and made take extreme notice. No warm fuzzy feelings, no tingling at the back of my neck, just nothing.
I gave it 2 hearts.(less)

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Apr 12, 2013 Itara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-review

You can also find this review and other at:
mymidnightfantasies.blogspot.com

I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. What got my attention was the beautiful cover. As I read the book, I noticed that there were many similarities with other books I have read and just the YA genre in general; an awkward girl with a crush on the jock and yet another love triangle. I can’t complain though cause who does not like a good love triangle! I really like this story and also enjoyed the Salem witches in...more

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Apr 06, 2013 Sophia C rated it 3 of 5 stars

The book was good but juvenile I should put that out first. I liked it but it was more for the younger age group and not for me, and that's fine. It was a little bit cliched and it wasn't "Oh my God I have to tell everyone to read this", but I did enjoy it. The narrative made the book for me; the first person was enjoyable and made up for what the book lacked in other places.

Abbey was okay. She was a good heroine and likable, but again, most of her problems are cliched in books. She lost her mot...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Tammy Cordeiro (devadasi7) rated it 3 of 5 stars

You can also find this review on my blog, Into the Mystic.

Initial reaction

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm………

Cover Story
I like the cover. In fact, it is one of the things that attracted me to this book. I like the title too. However, I think the cover is a little misleading because it makes the main character seem a lot more mature than she actually is in the book.

What’s the Story?

So, the truth is, I’ve been obsessed with the Salem witch trials since I was a little girl. I can remember reading about them in elemen...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Arthistorychick rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, young-adult

Spellbinding by Maya Gold
2½/5 stars
Source: Netgalley/Point

As an avid reader and devourer of the written word, I jump into each and every book I pick up with enthusiasm. I don’t request books I don’t have a real interest in and will certainly pass on a read if I can’t drum up any enthusiasm. I want a book to be so damn good I literally can’t put it down. Of course, there is a dark side to this, the side where you find yourself jumping into a book with both feet and being less than impressed when...more Spellbinding by Maya Gold
2½/5 stars
Source: Netgalley/Point

As an avid reader and devourer of the written word, I jump into each and every book I pick up with enthusiasm. I don’t request books I don’t have a real interest in and will certainly pass on a read if I can’t drum up any enthusiasm. I want a book to be so damn good I literally can’t put it down. Of course, there is a dark side to this, the side where you find yourself jumping into a book with both feet and being less than impressed when you reach the end of the read. Unfortunately, I took a trip to the dark side with Maya Gold’s YA novel, Spellbinding.

This novel has all the makings of a fantastic read: there is a backstory involving the Salem Witch Trials, there is a young witch just coming into her powers in the here and now, there is a cute yet mysterious boy and, there is evil afoot that must be stopped at all costs. Everything about this set-up appealed to me from the beginning and I was completely prepared to be blown away by the awesomeness. Unfortunately, none of the awesomeness came to pass for me and I was left feeling like Spellbinding is 200+ pages of wasted potential. In order to be completely fair to the author, I must note that I never even considered DNFing this book because I knew with the turn of just one more page the awesomeness was going to come crashing down on me like a tidal wave. I sincerely wish this had happened given how intriguing the synopsis for Spellbinding is.

The Bottom Line: While the author’s writing style is easy to read and has no significant problems (i.e. spelling, grammar, etc.) Spellbinding left me with far too many questions and not nearly enough answers to be a truly satisfying read. For example:

*Why does no one, including her closest family members ever really discuss
Abigail’s mother and what her powers, if she had any, may have been?

* Why does everyone in the family ignore the familial connection to the
Salem Witch Trials? They are descendants of one of the most important and
famous names from the Trials so why ignore it?

*Once Abigail begins to come into her powers, why won’t she talk to anyone about them and what the powers may mean for her? Her boss, Dyami would be the absolute perfect person to ask.
*There is never a discussion as to why every witch who comes into her powers is bad. Are there no good witches anywhere? Even Salem had a few “good” witches, right?

* Why is the plot-critical event (the summer solstice) dealt with in such a rushed manner? The entire book has led Abigail and the reader to this one pivotal moment so why rush through this event?

At the end of the day, I didn’t DNF this book and do still see a great deal of potential. If this one were to go back to the drawing board, so to speak, and have some of the big questions answered or simply dealt with differently, Spellbinding has the potential to be a very good read. I can even see the potential for a second novel which would delve more deeply into the backstory of both Abigail’s family and the Salem Witch Trials. So, would I recommend Spellbinding to a potential reader? In its current manifestation, I have to sadly go with no; I cannot reasonably recommend Spellbinding to potential readers.(less)

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Mar 29, 2013 Krystal rated it 2 of 5 stars

Let me start off by saying that Spellbinding is considered a YA book, and it shows. In fact, it would probably be something that girls as young as twelve would really enjoy. And being that I'm not twelve... I had a hard time getting into it.

The plot was very predictable, the characters more or less cookie cutter versions of other characters, and the ending was dreadful. Don't get me wrong, the book did have potential, it just didn't manage to get there.

There were times in this book that I just...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Leanne Kale sparks rated it 3 of 5 stars

There is no better review of a paranormal YA than from someone who reads them all the time, so I employed my teenage daughter to assist in the read and review. We both agreed it had a great storyline. Abby discovering she is a witch is cool enough, but then to discover she is a descendant of a hanged Salem witch? Awesome premise! We also both appreciated and were intrigued by the good versus evil edge among the long-deceased, wrongly accused and persecuted witches. What if the witches did not go...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Cherie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Do you remember that movie Teen Witch? The one from back in 1989? Lots of you probably don't so here's the trailer and the blurb from IMDB:

Louise is not very popular at her highschool. Then she learns that she's descended from the witches of Salem and has inherited their powers. At first she uses them to get back at the girls and teachers who teased her and to win the heart of the handsome footballer's captain. But soon she has doubts if it's right to 'cheat' her way to popularity.

Spellbinding i...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Jan Crow rated it 3 of 5 stars

Abby Silva, Junior at Ipswich High School, the frizzy blonde haired kid that was always in the background of pictures. Geek. Member of National Honor Society, Science Fair Silver medalist. Not just a geek, but a real geek. Jealous of the girls that get the guys. Just wants to make it through the day and get back home. Invisible is how she describes herself. But this is a big year for her. She’s turned 16 and can now get a driver’s license. She can work. She can go out on dates. Except, all the...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Cheryl Ann Roberts rated it 4 of 5 stars

Even as a little girl I've always had a fascination with witches. My mom made a witch costume, including cape, which I wore for several Halloweens. The Witch of Blackbird Pond was a favorite book, as was The Crucible. I come by this fascination honestly. I was born in Massachusetts. I've been to Salem several times, visiting the Salem Witch Museum and shops full of all things witchy. Salem is one of my favorite places.

As such, I completely understand the draw Salem has for Abby Silva. Of course...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Annabell rated it 2 of 5 stars

Warning: There are some spoilers.

Side Note: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review: There aren’t many books that leave me thinking my time would have been better spent slamming my head against a wall repeatedly instead of reading that darn book, but Spellbinding sure did make me want to! If there was ever a book completely made of clichés that you’re brain hurts from the lack of originality, this book would be it.

There is not ONE SINGLE ELEMENT to this book t...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Sophie Riggsby rated it 4 of 5 stars

*Review posted on Page Turners on April 1, 2013*

I love stories about Salem, Massachusetts maybe because I still remember my class field trips there. Sure I remember the touristy parts of it, but I also recall the museum and the history it explained. Witch trials are fascinating because, even in our modern times, they still occur. With a setting like salem, you may be expecting a dark urban fantasy story, which you won’t find here. But, if you’re in the mood for a story about an invisible (social...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-challenge

It's been awhile since I've had the time to sit and read a book. When I finally had some free time I checked what was next on my TBR pile and picked up this book. I was instantly hooked. Gold did a great job at connecting her story to traditional Salem Witch Trial lore and it was fun to read. I so wanted to love this book from start to finish, but there a few little things that let me down in the end.

First the good:

Gold creates a great main character in Abby. She's relate able and it was very...more

It's been awhile since I've had the time to sit and read a book. When I finally had some free time I checked what was next on my TBR pile and picked up this book. I was instantly hooked. Gold did a great job at connecting her story to traditional Salem Witch Trial lore and it was fun to read. I so wanted to love this book from start to finish, but there a few little things that let me down in the end.

First the good:

Gold creates a great main character in Abby. She's relate able and it was very easy to get attached to her. I think everyone can remember being in High School and feeling like the outcast. In Abby's case she just feels invisible, and not just at school, but at home too. It's just her, her brother and her father and her brother and father are thick as thieves, they even look alike. Abby is kind of adrift and is not only dealing with normal teenage stuff, but also with recurring nightmares. I very quickly was hooked on Abby's story, especially as we began to learn not only more about Abby and her family history, but also the history of Salem and the witch trials.

Gold also gives us some great secondary characters. Despite often feeling alone, Abby does have a pretty decent support system. Her brother and father are maybe not interested in what she has going on, but neither are they absentee or abusive. She has two good friends in Rachel and Kate, who, despite not always agree with her actions, stay relatively firmly in Abby's corner. Of course, since we are talking YA here, there are boys. Two pretty great boys as a matter of fact, in Travis and Rem. Travis is the schools golden boy, and he's also been an acquaintance of Abby's for years. They aren't really friends, but they are friendly, and Abby has a major crush on him. Rem is the new guy, the one she feels a mysterious pull towards. In the end it all works out as it should, and I really enjoyed reading this love triangle.

The best part of this story was the magic. Who doesn't want to believe in magic, to believe that they might have a little bit of power in them? I really, really enjoyed watching Abby figure out who she is and what she is capable of. I loved seeing her try to find that balance between what she can do and what she should do. I especially liked watching her as realize that she has the power to decide, to become the person she wants to be. I thought that Gold did a phenomenal job weaving the lore and magic into present day Salem. She did a great job making it believable that these things can be there, brewing just underneath the surface, and no one is the wiser.

Gold has a great line in the book that I think pretty much says it all in terms of why I personally love books like this, that mesh reality with magic and tie in history. Gold says "How much goes on in the world that not written in the History books, that we can't understand" That's pretty much it for me. I love history, but part of the fun is that you know that not everything is there in black and white. That there is always the potential for new information to surface that would flip everything we know on it's head. Usually it's something small, like the person who wrote a book that was critical of the Union Soldiers during the Civil War is actually a descendant of some Confederate General, which renders everything he writes as biased (I made that example up by the way). Still, there is always the chance for something bigger. What if there are witches, not just those that practice Wicca, or dabble in spells and incantations, but actually familial lines that have been honing their craft, one that was genetically part of their makeup, for hundreds of years? What if they had a hand in some of the biggest events in history? What if they live and work with you and have an impact on seemingly mundane events everyday? I find that stuff fascinating, and I think Gold did a fantastic job in writing a story that is at once totally outrageous and completely believable.

What was the bad then? Well, it really was a few little things. First, there were the mean girls and their treatment of Abby. It was ridiculous the level of bullying that went on. Not that this doesn't happen in real life, it does. What irked me was that it wasn't dealt with. Yes, Abby uses her new found power to challenge the mean girls, but at no point does anyone ever mention how not okay their behavior is. She never tells a teacher or parent and the fact that her friends don't don't mention it leads me to believe that their behavior is supposed to be a common one. It bugged me the entire time. The second thing that got me was that there was so much build up in this book. I felt like I was really invested in a lot of the characters and I was looking forward to a big showdown of some sort. There was a showdown of sorts, but, for me, it all wrapped up too quickly and too nicely. I like where everyone ended up, I just wish there was more to how they got there. To be honest I felt a little gipped. I tore through this book in about 4 hours and I was so excited for the final action and then it was just kind of over. The kicker is that I even liked how Abby made her choice and the actions she took, but it felt too neat and tidy for my liking. It was a bit of a let down after such an exciting ride.

So where does that leave me? Well, it leaves me with a very good book that could have been great. I struggle for the exact words, but I can sum it up by saying that I just wanted more. Still, I wouldn't write this book off. If your like me and you love History and you love supernatural tones then I'd pick this one up and give it a test drive. You might find that it's a perfect fit!(less)

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Mar 01, 2013 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc

It begins with a nightmare….Abby is always dreaming about a past life. One in which she is being drowned for being a witch. These nightmares have plagued her since she turned sixteen. They also have fueled Abby’s fears of swimming and traveling over bridges and large bodies of water. Not so typical for a teenage.

Abby considers herself ‘plain’…the type of girl that goes unnoticed. Like most teenagers, she has a crush. This crush began in grade school, when Travis taught her how to tie her shoe....more

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Feb 25, 2013 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-bridget

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: This was a cute easy read. I enjoyed it but I would recommend it for a younger age group.

Opening Sentence: The girls shriek and writhe on the floor of the meetinghouse, tearing their hair, their white aprons.

The Review:

Abby Silva recently discovered that she is descended from the famous Sarah Good. Sarah Good was accused of witchcraft in Salem in the 1600′s and she was later hung. Abbey has always been a little different and weird things st...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Corinne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Abby's world was getting more bizarre by the day. Terribly real nightmares, strange coincidences - and when she figures out her own family's link to Salem, Massachusetts, she really begins to wonder if magic might be real after all. Set in Salem and the surrounding New England towns, Spellbinding is the story of a girl who is more than she knows, who has to figure out how to not only harness what she can do, but also decide upon the code of ethics for her suddenly very real abilities.

There are...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Sophia rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: net-galley, ya

The first 25% of the book I'm thinking to myself, "this is deja vu" it was like a cookie cutter 16 year old coming of age witch book. Reminiscence of what I used to read a la Teen Witch or other really stupid teen books I devoured in the early 90’s. I mean really it’s the same recipe for all those books.
Girl wakes up one day and discovers she has powers, she’s a nerd/ invisible to the hot Jock boy she’s been lusting after all her life. The whole 16 years of it. And decides to try out this quirk...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Jessica(WonderlandReviews) rated it 3 of 5 stars

I am not completely head over heals when it comes to this book. It isn't poorly written, nor does it grab my by the heart strings and keep me invested right up until the finish.

I enjoyed the information that was given about the Salem Witch Trials, and how the girl was pushed into a certain direction because of a homework project that set everything into motion, it deffinetly puts it into focus about how fate can work and if one string is plucked the rest can trickle into places.joc

The witch aspe...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Suzanne Lilly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-paranormal

Maya Gold has created a spellbinding tale for young adults with this story of a teen caught between her present life at Ipswich High School and past memories of a life in Salem, Massachusetts during the witch hunting mania. Abigail Silva thinks she is the invisible girl on campus. She has nothing special that people remember about her. But when she finds out she has special powers, and begins practicing with them, she learns that they have unintended consequences. She gains the attention of a bo...more

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May 07, 2013 Kelly Hager rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I was a kid, I loved Scholastic's Point imprint. They published books by R.L. Stine (Fear Street, not Goosebumps) and Diane Hoh and Richie Tankersley Cusick, plus someone named Christopher Pike. Not sure if you've heard of him.

But I read so many of those books and loved them all. So when I learned that Scholastic was reviving the imprint? YES.

Spellbinding is the first one to be released, and there were a couple more this month. (I will get to them soon; thank you Scholastic and Netgalley!)

T...more

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