The Magnolia League (Magnolia League, #1)

May 09, 2011 Vinaya rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-hated, jeez-they-ll-publish-anything, fluff-fluffy-fluffest, the-nightmare-hasnt-ended, ya-fantasy, dont-read-if-you-value-your-sanity

No. Just no. If CoFA hadn't come along strutting its stuff, The Magnolia League might quite possibly have ended up on my Absolute Worst Book of 2011 list. Trust me on this one, Sane = Staying the Hell away from this book.

In all fairness, the book got off to a fairly good start. Perhaps even *gasp!* unique. Alexandria Lee, who prefers to be called Alex, has just come to live with her grandmother Dorothy, after her mother dies in a car accident. Dorothy is the head of a bunch of what Alex conside...more

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Sep 26, 2011 Wendy Darling marked it as will-never-read

Shelves: young-adult

Read this article about this book, which includes a pretty condescending attitude towards YA readers, and see if you'd be interested in supporting it. http://www.slate.com/id/2296056/

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Oct 22, 2011 Ashleigh Paige rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-arc-via-netgalley, arc, the-shameful-shelf-of-get-rid-of-it

Also appears on The Screaming Nitpicker. My copy was provided to me by the publisher through NetGalley and I thank them for that.

After her mother's death, sixteen-year-old Alexandria "Alex" Lee is forced to pack up her things and move from her Mendocino, California commune to Savannah, Georgia. If all goes according to her grandmother Miss Lee's plans, Alex will become a proper Magnolia girl and take over the League's reins when Miss Lee retires or dies or something. To help Alex get caught up,...more Also appears on The Screaming Nitpicker. My copy was provided to me by the publisher through NetGalley and I thank them for that.

After her mother's death, sixteen-year-old Alexandria "Alex" Lee is forced to pack up her things and move from her Mendocino, California commune to Savannah, Georgia. If all goes according to her grandmother Miss Lee's plans, Alex will become a proper Magnolia girl and take over the League's reins when Miss Lee retires or dies or something. To help Alex get caught up, Hayes Anderson and Madison Telfair, two fellow Magnolia girls, will help her. As she settles into her new high-class life, Alex notices how the Magnolias have so much money, beauty, and power that it seems supernatural. And it is--the Magnolias use hoodoo to keep themselves rich and beautiful, but that power comes with a price.

The book's opening passage, a diatribe against sweet tea that made me laugh for all the right reasons, seems to promise a good book ahead, one with a heroine who's going to fight tooth and nail against her grandmother's silly society group. If only that were what it actually promised. The novel's closing line ("The White Glove War has begun.") was cool too. The material between that wonderful opening passage and that final line could have used some more work.

I've been to the city of Savannah before, though it was when I was eleven or twelve and my memory is foggy, and most of my knowledge of Savannah comes from a book about the city's many famous ghosts. Crouch manages to really bring the city to life in her descriptions and make me feel like my trip to Savannah happened just last week. The descriptions of the city are vivid and for the most part, but then the descriptions of the people get repetitive. Almost everything Miss Lee does seems to be tagged with "patiently" and I'm amazed at whoever can forget that Thaddeus is hot and snobby.

Despite slow pacing that suddenly explodes at the end of the novel, The Magnolia League flew by as I read it. My interest in Madison, Hayes, Alex, and hoodoo's part in the Magnolia League kept me reading through annoyances both big (you shall see later) and small (many predictions I made came true). The present tense point-of-view got on my nerves at times, but that's just my personal pet peeve. What little we saw of the other characters through the small pieces that were in third person made me wish we spent more time with them instead of in Alex's head. Hopefully, future novels in the series will shed a little more light on Madison and Miss Lee, the two characters who had the most potential for true depth.

At the beginning of the novel, I liked Alex. She didn't care about designer labels and would rather spend her money on a charity that helps people in impoverished nations than on a new purse. As time went on, I began to like her less and less. Most of the Magnolia girls are unbearably shallow and and care far more about their appearances than anything. Alex, healthier than her friends (as we are constantly reminded by people calling her names or Alex herself pointing it out) and wearing dreadlocks, was a great contrast. Then Alex is informed of all the hoodoo and it gets worse from there. Alex goes from the unique, interesting person she is to the same sort of shallow girl she criticized Hayes and Madison as being.

There are all sorts of underlying messages there, but I'll talk about just one. Hayes and Madison use hoodoo to replace Alex's dreads with normal hair and give Alex a talis (bracelet) that will make her skinny. Shortly after this makeover, her love interest Thaddeus finally takes the plunge and asks her out. It was obvious before the makeover that they both liked each other, so why couldn't they have admitted their feelings beforehand, when Alex was still fat and had dreads? A comment from Madison in the middle of this event about how Alex looks great now, combined with the timing of this event, implied an anger-worthy message to me and could do the same for a lot of people. Anti-fat books aren't entertaining, and I'm glad I directed a friend who is very insescure about her weight away from this book.

Alex gets called out at least twice for how she's gone from being the unique girl from California who refused to be a Magnolia girl to the same shallow girl her friends are. She reflects so little on this that it's infuriating and did little to make my experience with the novel any better. I really thought she would be better than using hoodoo to change herself and so easily becoming what she detested, but it looks like I was wrong. She had touches of naivety, but not enough of them for some of her actions to seem in-character. It surprised me when only one person took serious notice of Alex's rapid changes and had a feeling something was wrong. So much about Alex changed so quickly that I find it implausible that only one person had serious suspicion something other than hard work was at... well, work.

Coverwise, that blurring effect on the bottom half of the cover kills me. I like the part of it that's crisp and clear, but hate that they did the blurring thing. Ruins the cover for me. Her facial expression also strikes me wrong. Naturally, my impression of the cover did not affect the book's rating--I just love examining book covers when I can and wanted to mention what I thought of it this time.

Starting out strong, The Magnolia League started going downhill shortly after all the hoodoo hoopla was revealed. It gained some strength back at the end when Alex got called out by multiple people for what she was doing, but it wasn't enough to save it completely. I'm definitely picking up The White Glove War when it comes out next year because I want to see where it can go from here. Will Alex take a look at what she's become and change or will she continue with her hoodoo use? We shall see.

Pretend the line I scratched out never happened. Thanks to an article written by the author(s), I will not buy a copy of this book for myself or read the sequel. If they don't feel like they need to put forth any work or effort when writing YA, why should I give them my money?(less)

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Mar 03, 2013 Lexie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, chick-lit, fiction, mystery, magic, series, supernatural, tbs, young-adult, giant-disappointment

Edit: Had I known about this author's condescending Slated article, I would have passed over this and any future work. Her attitude towards YA books can be boiled down to 'throw it together, let marketing build the hype and then smugly simper at fan girls', that for some reason YA readers do not require books that are well written simply because they are YA. According to Ms Crouch, we are less worthy of good writing.

As a hopeful YA writer and a YA reader, my thoughts on this are pretty much unp...more Edit: Had I known about this author's condescending Slated article, I would have passed over this and any future work. Her attitude towards YA books can be boiled down to 'throw it together, let marketing build the hype and then smugly simper at fan girls', that for some reason YA readers do not require books that are well written simply because they are YA. According to Ms Crouch, we are less worthy of good writing.

As a hopeful YA writer and a YA reader, my thoughts on this are pretty much unpublishable.

Of course, in a moment of perfect karma, this is exactly why TML suffers.

The Magnolia League. It's popped into my line of sight a couple of times in the last few months and every time I've put off reading it. Honestly? YA is suffering from a really irritating trend at the moment - the Put A Bird On It trend. Except it's Put Magic In It. According to the YA world, everything is better with the supernatural, hooray!

Except, it's not. I thought this book sounded intriguing - Southern debutantes are about as far away from me as you can get - until I hit the supernatural bit. But when this book and it's sequel crossed the threshold of the local second hand book store, I figured I'd give them a shot.

The technical problems are fairly standard in YA - there is way too much telling rather than showing. TML suffers from a near-fatal case of info-dumping. The book could have been far more engaging if Crouch had decided to start ... (view spoiler)

Overall, this is froth. It's like Mean Girls meets Charmed without any of the funny or atmosphere. The characters seem to go through the motions and it felt like a chore to read. I think Ms Crouch had something potentially interesting here, if she had taken her time and constructed this book with the care and consideration that all literature deserves, despite the age of the reader. It would have been a much longer but more enjoyable book, and that would have rolled over to the sequel. Instead, we get something that can join the ranks of The Selection - flat, bland and monotonous.

(less)

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Jul 12, 2011 Cara rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, paranormal

Why did I finish this book? I keep asking myself this. In the beginning I seriously thought of chucking it, but my interest got peaked in the middle but gosh it just didn't cut it. This book should have been a sure hit. I mean the premise is just too enticing to pass up. I love southern settings and there is the element of southern magic. There are secrets that need to be uncovered and our heroine isn't your run of the mill girl. But it still fell flat to me. I'm actually a little sad really tha...more Why did I finish this book? I keep asking myself this. In the beginning I seriously thought of chucking it, but my interest got peaked in the middle but gosh it just didn't cut it. This book should have been a sure hit. I mean the premise is just too enticing to pass up. I love southern settings and there is the element of southern magic. There are secrets that need to be uncovered and our heroine isn't your run of the mill girl. But it still fell flat to me. I'm actually a little sad really that I didn't like it more; as conceded as this may sound it just didn't live up to it's potential.

Alex has been living on a communal farm in California and feels like this is her real home, even with her mom gone. Well Alex is ripped from her comfort zone when her grandmother who lives in Savannah basically forces Alex to come live with her. Alex immediately feels out of place. She's a hippy like, chubby California girl placed into the southern belle circle. Before she knows it she starts discovering just how powerful the Magnolia League is and the important role she will play. The question is will she be able hold on to who she is, or will she also succumb to the Magnolia League ways?

I'm not going to say the magic wasn't interesting because it was. The setup between the Magnolia League and the Buzzards has its own morbid fascination to it too. What the story's major downfall for me were the characters to be honest. Alex always used LOTS of acronyms, which got on my nerves fairly quickly. We see her in the beginning smoking a joint, and supposedly she is just so smart. Really? She’s already looking kind of dim to me already. Oh gosh, then she says she doesn’t use the word awesome lightly because she knows the power of words because she likes to read (here’s a ploy by trying to hook the reader because as readers we like to read about people who like to read too. Didn’t work in this case) and then she commences to use the word fairly often for anything of interest. Then there is this whole thing about her not being like the crowd, but in reality by trying to go against the grain she is just like everyone else. Outwardly she's not, but she wants the same things like other girls. Then the whole thing with Thaddeus (the love interest) didn't pan out as well as I hoped. Even though the story was told in basic chronological order (didn't that remind you of school right then, when they told us to line up that way?) the plot felt sporadic to me. It felt like there were holes missing that could have helped with character development.

When I was explaining the story to someone they told me that it sounded like a cool premise. And it really does, but nope. The ending is a cliff-hanger, but I'm not sure I'll be reading the sequel. This is a bad sign because I’m usually a person who has to see how a series ends, but I’m not sure if I care enough for this one. *shakes head* I feel like a teacher who is disappointed in a brilliant student who murmurs to herself," It's a shame, all that wasted potential."

Update: Through a goodreads friend I found this article. I don't think the author's intention was to put down the reader, but now I understand why I didn't love the book. I'm kind of sad really that this is what the author said about the YA genre, and its readers. It probably does have some truth to it, but I don't think that should interfere with producing a quality story. I'm fairly certain the article is not to be taken too seriously, and is suppose to be funny but it feels like a joke that crossed the line. (less)

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Apr 12, 2011 Kara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: net-galley, young-adult, ghosts, magic, paranormal, priority-to-acquire, georgia

I had some really low expectations for this book. I thought this book was going to be kind of ridiculous. I thought that I would have to suspend my disbelief to unrivaled proportions. Wrong! What I thought would be corny, was so very awesome! This book was probably the most fun I've had so far this year. Once I got started I couldn't stop. I just couldn't put it down! Everything else took a backseat and that is what reading should be!

I loved the main character Alexandria. Even though she was a b...more I had some really low expectations for this book. I thought this book was going to be kind of ridiculous. I thought that I would have to suspend my disbelief to unrivaled proportions. Wrong! What I thought would be corny, was so very awesome! This book was probably the most fun I've had so far this year. Once I got started I couldn't stop. I just couldn't put it down! Everything else took a backseat and that is what reading should be!

I loved the main character Alexandria. Even though she was a bit whiny in the beginning and kind of unlikeable, she was so much fun to read. Hayes and Madison were so funny! Southern belles to a T. The Buzzards (hoodoo family) were super creepy as well. Basically I loved every character, good or bad. That hardly ever happens to me. Well except Reggie. He was a douchebag. And I'm not spoiling anything. You'll see it coming when you read.

Let's talk about the settings for a second. I'm starting to learn that I may hate living in the south, but I sure love reading books set in it. Especially Savannah and New Orleans. My two favorite settings to read about. They are just so atmospheric. And the author definitely knew how to use the setting to her advantage. It's like she weaved this amazing story from the setting alone. She drew her inspiration from everything around her and I know she lives in Charleston so it totally makes sense. I probably have this romantic view now of a Savannah that doesn't really exist, but that's okay by me.

For once I am glad to find out that a book I've read is being turned into a series. I want more! I would've been stupidly sad if this was a stand-alone novel. I am seriously addicted to these characters and where this story is going. It's hard for me to reveal anything of the plot without spoiling, so let me just say this. It's about a southern sisterhood, hoodoo, and a cast of really creepy and hilarious characters. Parts of this book had me laughing out loud. It just had everything I love: a great plot, amazing characters, a magnificent setting, and laugh-out-loud funny moments. Plus, I love learning things from books. Things I now know from reading this novel: how to put in and take out dreadlocks, how hoodoo works and how it's very different from voodoo, how the streets are laid out in Savannah,and how southern debutante balls work. Stop laughing at me. You'll love it. Pick this one up.

I'm hoping the next book comes out soon or I will be suffering. Oh..and I'm so buying myself a copy of this next month. It's one I will definitely re-read. Loved it!!!(less)

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Jul 02, 2012 Lyn (The Heartless) marked it as no

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/cu...

YA readers are "excited to judge" the authors.
YA readers don't give a damn about details, just the story.
YA is mindlessly slopping together a story.

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May 09, 2011 Shannon (aka Readergirl) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own-arc

I was very surprised by this book, as I wasn't sure what to expect when I went into it. The basic story idea was interesting, and although it wasn't terribly unique, the author brought something new to it. I've read books before where the story takes place within a secret society of some sort, but the idea of mixing a group of Georgia ladies with a family that practices hoodoo was completely new for me. The author gave what was, to me, a very believable reason why these two groups would end up w...more

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Jan 08, 2012 Beth Flynn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sunshy-read, netgalley, kindle

Release date: May 3rd 2011!
Review copy received from NetGalley.

The Magnolia League is an unexpected joy – “orgasmic” as Alex Lee, the grew-up-in-a-commune-in-California heroine of the tale, might say. A slightly awkward but still somehow smile inducing way to begin a review? Perhaps. Totally in keeping with this book? Oh hell yeah! Judging by my indecent lack of subtlety here, you might have guessed that I loved this book. But why?

As a southern English girl, I do love reading about southern Amer...more

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Dec 28, 2012 Phoebe rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-high-school, paranormal-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 17, 2012 Manda rated it 3 of 5 stars

I’ve read a bunch of reviews of this book and I even read a couple BEFORE reading the book. When I first received this book, it sounded interesting enough, but I had other things I wanted to read first. Everyone seemed really into this book, but I just didn’t feel the same way. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t a bad book, it just wasn’t my favorite.

I didn’t mind the character of Alex. As a character, she was a pretty strong person and was great to read about. You all know how I feel about strong fe...more I’ve read a bunch of reviews of this book and I even read a couple BEFORE reading the book. When I first received this book, it sounded interesting enough, but I had other things I wanted to read first. Everyone seemed really into this book, but I just didn’t feel the same way. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t a bad book, it just wasn’t my favorite.

I didn’t mind the character of Alex. As a character, she was a pretty strong person and was great to read about. You all know how I feel about strong female leads, so I was very pleased with how she handled herself. That was in the beginning though and during some points throughout the book.

I didn’t like how things played out in this novel. Everything was very random and jumpy to me. I felt like things were happening that didn’t make a whole lot of sense and didn’t really fit into the flow of the book. I also didn’t like how Alex just goes along with things at a point even though she fought them so much. I also didn’t like the time lapses. I felt like time went by so fast and so much detail was left out of those time gaps.

I also didn’t feel like the secondary characters were developed enough. Thaddeus could have had a lot more depth to him. He just seemed like he was there to fill the “male” role and not really anything else.

I enjoyed the plot though. I like the concept of a debutante “secret” society of women. I also liked the mixed in stuff with the hoodoo. I wish that the Buzzard family was brought in and explained a bit more. There was just too many gaps and unexplained things going on for me to be really drawn in.

I plan on giving Katie Crouch a second chance and reading the next book in the series. If it’s as mixed up and random as this one though, I won’t be reading on. All in all there was a great opportunity here and a great plot line, but there was just to many holes for me and too many “why” moments. I hope to see things explained and a more even flow in the rest of the series.(less)

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Apr 18, 2012 Lily K rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: ahhh... um. ya i can't think of anyone.

Recommended to Lily by: Kit

Shelves: okay-books, romance, witchy-things, ya-books

Okay. The Magnolia League was an interesting and new YA topic to read about. I like the originality of it but didn't get that much information on Hoo Doo. It mostly was a book about a fat, pot-smoking hippie who doesn't have a positive bone in her body. The first page of the book was Alex (the fat, pot-smoking hippie) moaning and groaning about how she was forced to go live with her grandmother after her mother died. (Yeah, complain that the one person who is left in your family cares about you...more Okay. The Magnolia League was an interesting and new YA topic to read about. I like the originality of it but didn't get that much information on Hoo Doo. It mostly was a book about a fat, pot-smoking hippie who doesn't have a positive bone in her body. The first page of the book was Alex (the fat, pot-smoking hippie) moaning and groaning about how she was forced to go live with her grandmother after her mother died. (Yeah, complain that the one person who is left in your family cares about you enough to let you live with her. Sounds painful.)Then when Alex moves from her Cali commune to Savannah, Georgia she prides herself on her independence and originality. Okay, first off she was not original, all she did was criticize the girls from the debutante society (called the Magnolia League)about how they were hurting the environment and quoted hippie and save the planet bumper stickers. Alex says that she will never change for the Mag League but then you see her wearing some fat removing bracelet so she becomes the anorexic size of zero. After she becomes that anorexic size she still thinks that she is fat and is always thinking that boys won't like her because shes fat... um size zero isn't fat, shut the fuck up. Soon she is casting love spells on one of her good Mag League friends brother that she is dating after he told her he wouldn't accept that type of stuff. He wanted their relationship to be real and not produced from a spell. Makes sense right? But she decided that it was the right thing to do, forcing someone to lover her. So, yeah basically this book was a pity party for a fat hippie ingrate who only thinks about herself.

Now the first sentence of the book:
"You know what I hate? Sweet tea. (then a bunch of mindless crap about how its all syrupy sugar)"
First line of second paragraph:
"Other things that aren't so great? Georgia summers. Georgia boys. My grandmother's rules. My entire new freakin' life in Georgia.

Isn't she just a giant happy ball of sunshine?

My response to that last quote:
Georgia summers: No Duh. Its Georgia. Its going to be hot. GET OVER IT!
Georgia boys: way to stereotype
My grandmother's rules: normally your guardian has some set of rules to follow...
My entire new freakin' life in Georgia: well it was this or living on the streets in California.

Just don't read this book.(less)

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Apr 02, 2012 Mimi rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

I guess this book is my "punishment" for all of the other interesting books I've read recently. I thought this book was going to be interesting. It takes place in the South (Savannah), which I don't know much about it. And the main story line involves hoo doo, which I also don't know very much about. Side story lines involve growing up on a commune in California, again, something I haven't read much about. So, I was all excited about entering a world that I haven't before and learning some new t...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Anna rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, ya

Admittedly, I came to this book with certain expectations, and those are going to colour my perception of the book. The promise of hoodoo was one of the things that lured me in, but it's virtually non-existent in the book itself. While a lot of the "perfection" of the women in the Magnolia League are explained by hoodoo magic and Alex even participates in some of the rituals, it's really not explored. It's a great chance to do some worldbuilding and delve into something that isn't already overus...more Admittedly, I came to this book with certain expectations, and those are going to colour my perception of the book. The promise of hoodoo was one of the things that lured me in, but it's virtually non-existent in the book itself. While a lot of the "perfection" of the women in the Magnolia League are explained by hoodoo magic and Alex even participates in some of the rituals, it's really not explored. It's a great chance to do some worldbuilding and delve into something that isn't already overused in paranormal YA, but it's used more as a plot device than anything else.

I did enjoy Alex, who I thought was pretty well fleshed out. As one of the Georgian characters points out, she's a bit of a California cliché, but the point is to have her contrast as much as possible from the prim and proper society ladies, and it works well. Her slow transformation is believable, too, and she's motivated from a real place. When it comes to dealing with boys, she made me want to smack my head more than once, but let's face it, I have friends my own age who do the same thing.

While most of the story was first person present, from Alex's point of view, there were a few passages written in third person from other perspectives. The thing is, I'm not sure they were necessary, and as a general rule I'm not keen on jumping from first to third in that way. At least one of the third-party passages was shrouded in mystery so the reader wasn't quite sure what was going on, and while I'm sure this was intended to amp up the tension, all it really served was to frustrate me. Why am I reading outside of Alex's perspective if I'm not even learning important new details? Grr.

There's also a cliffhanger ending involved. I appreciate that the stakes have been raised to a whole new level there, but cliffhangers make me growly. Yes, I'm aware this is a quirk of personal taste, but it's not an ususual one, and so this goes as fair warning to anyone interested in the book. Beware of cliffhanger ending.

I debated for some time over whether I wanted to classify The Magnolia League as fantasy or horror. It's not very strongly either one, in spite of its dark edges and paranormal aspects. The thing that tipped the balance was the explanation of the buzzard's stone, which was so cruel and horrifying it made me nauseous. (Your mileage may vary on this; it does dip into territory I'm already a bit sensitive about.) So I've categorized it as horror here, although it's really more about the emotional journey of a teenage girl trying to balance fitting in without losing her sense of self. And while there's nothing wrong with that type of story, I liked it better in the form of a teen comedy movie (Mean Girls).(less)

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Dec 27, 2011 Christina (Reading Thru The Night) rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, paranormal, serious-about-series, ya-love

The Short of It

Southern gris-gris makes for fulfilled debutantes.

The Long of It

Alex ‘s life took a tumultuous turn when her mother dies in an unexpected car crash causing her to leave the commune that she has loves and the boy that she’s been involved with to the slow Southern culture of Savannah. And as if that isn’t bad enough, her wealthy grandmother who expects her to refer to her as Miss Lee, expects her to carry on the family legacy and become a Magnolia. The Magnolias are the most desired...more

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Dec 26, 2011 drey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, ya

drey’s thoughts:
Alexandra Lee is sixteen years old and orphaned when her mother’s van goes off a cliff. Two months later, she is moved to Savannah, Georgia, to live with her grandmother. Going from hippy to southern belle is a culture shock to say the least, and she doesn’t intend to acquire any of the seemingly-effortless gentility that her grandmother expects of her.

Then she finds out that not everything that glitters is gold, and all the gentility in the world doesn’t hide the fact that her...more

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Dec 07, 2011 Hira rated it 3 of 5 stars

"The Magnolia League" by Katie Crouch received this three-star rating from me for being a fairly fast-paced, somewhat thrilling book, that makes for some good and mindless entertainment. Also, because I felt like the author had done a pretty good job of researching "hoodoo" practices, and representing them well in her novel.

That being said, I also found the novel to be slightly superficial, rife with stereotypes, and incredibly hedonistic. In what world is it okay for underage children to be dri...more "The Magnolia League" by Katie Crouch received this three-star rating from me for being a fairly fast-paced, somewhat thrilling book, that makes for some good and mindless entertainment. Also, because I felt like the author had done a pretty good job of researching "hoodoo" practices, and representing them well in her novel.

That being said, I also found the novel to be slightly superficial, rife with stereotypes, and incredibly hedonistic. In what world is it okay for underage children to be drinking, and driving, and indulging in frivolous sexual acts? And why is the consumption (and growing!) of marijuana handled with such nonchalance in this storyline? The only consolation that the author provides is that the main character refrains from it all, therefore, it must be okay. I find that quite perturbing. And the lifestyle of the South, with its ritualistic practices of hoodoo, and the heathen and indulgent lifestyle of Californians are both extremely stereotypical. I suppose for the purposes of this story, these stereotypes may have turned out to be convenient, however, they also made the character and her history predictable and boring. Also, the constant need for the Magnolias to be ostentatious at all times, was extremely superficial. It seems largely unbelievable that a group of women who never want for money, are always keen to flaunt it and shove it in everyone's face, especially when they are trying to be discreet about where their wealth comes from.

I feel like I have bad-mouthed this novel, although it has provided me entertainment. I read it pretty quickly, but it was mainly because I was not very invested in the characters, and never stopped to really ponder anything. This novel does not have very meaty characters, but if you're looking for an exciting novel that moves fast, and has a bunch of twists and turns - this might be the novel for you. Also, I absolutely loved the ending of the novel - the timing, the abruptness, and the wonderful twist were all remarkable, so there's that. All in all, a pretty good read. (less)

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Oct 14, 2011 Katie Joiner added it

Contrary to several reviews, I found this book interesting.
As has been said, the skinny-charm/pretty-charm halfway through the book was degrading towards larger, different women, but it certianly did not ruin the novel for me. However, that being said, the pretty-hoodoo was what Alex wanted. She was unhappy with herself. It taught her something that I think will come in use later: beauty is fleeting, and obtaining beauty in a herb-jar comes with a price. Through her sudden attractiveness, Alexa...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Emily Brown (TheBrownReviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reads-of-2011

Concept/Ideas: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Storyline/Plot: 3.5/5
Overall rating: 4/5 stars

So I'm completely torn. When I first thought of what I was going to rate this book, I was thinking a 3/5. But, as I really began to think about it... it more deserves a 4/5. What happened with me, is that honestly, I'm not a fan of books with magic in it, blah, spells, potions, blah (Except for Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins). But other than that, it wasn't too bad. They kept the magic at a good medium, and it wasn't craz...more

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Oct 04, 2011 Cindy Hudson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Alexandria Lee has had a rather unconventional upbringing. Raised on a commune in northern California by her mother, she has learned to work hard, live simply, and use herbs to cure her ailments. But when her mother dies in an automobile accident, Alex leaves her refuge to live with her grandmother in Savannah, Georgia.

As head of the Magnolia League, Mrs. Lee is a powerful figure in her southern town, and she wants Alex to learn proper manners and take her place as a member of the league. She’s...more

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Oct 03, 2011 Hylary Locsin rated it 2 of 5 stars

Originally posted on my blog: http://libraryladyhylary.blogspot.com ! Check it out for more reviews!

Sixteen-year-old Alex Lee has always lived on a communal farm in the mountainous woods of Mendocino, California with her mother. The farm values community and togetherness, and Alex and her mother help support the other residents by selling herbal tinctures her mother concocts. One terrible day, however, Alex's mother is killed in a car accident. Alex soon finds out that she is being sent to live...more Originally posted on my blog: http://libraryladyhylary.blogspot.com ! Check it out for more reviews!

Sixteen-year-old Alex Lee has always lived on a communal farm in the mountainous woods of Mendocino, California with her mother. The farm values community and togetherness, and Alex and her mother help support the other residents by selling herbal tinctures her mother concocts. One terrible day, however, Alex's mother is killed in a car accident. Alex soon finds out that she is being sent to live with the grandmother she has never met in Savannah, Georgia. After arriving in Savannah, Alex realizes she couldn't fit it any less with her dreadlocks and grungy clothes. It appears that Alex's grandmother, Miss Lee, is the head of an elite social group known as the Magnolia League. The Magnolias rule Savannah, and two of the league members Alex's age, Hayes and Madison, are quickly forced to befriend the new girl despite their better judgment. Miss Lee tries hard to help Alex adjust to her new surroundings: buying her expensive clothes and teaching her the rules of being a debutante. As hard as her grandmother tries, however, it seems that Alex will never fit in. Soon, however, Alex becomes intrigued by the Magnolia League, not because of the fancy clothes or popularity, but when she learns that another Savannah family, the Buzzards, have helped to give the Magnolias their power through the use of hoodoo. Alex begins to wonder if the hoodoo spells could help her achieve beauty and popularity like the other Magnolias.

This first novel in Crouch's new series (according to Crouch's website, the sequel is being written), introduces an interesting back-story that, unfortunately, is hampered by a weak cast of characters and several unnecessary plot elements. The biggest problem with the story is the protagonist. Although Alex is a likable character, her upbringing and behavior are far from believable. Her constant references to the communal "pot farm" she grew up on in Mendocino and how her biggest talent lies in growing organic produce gets old quickly. Alex's "hippiness" could have been downplayed more to be less cheesy and still have been effective. The second problem is Alex's "friends," Hayes and Madison. It's clear that these two characters do not particularly want to be friends with Alex, but the trio spend a lot of time together anyway being mutually unpleasant. Alex's constant second-guessing and unpleasantness make their loyalty hard to believe, even with the Magnolia League as an excuse. There are also some sexual references in the story that are unnecessary and out of place as well. That being said, Crouch does create some interesting plot elements that still manage to intrigue the reader. The back-story of the relationship between the Magnolia League and the Buzzards, as well as all of the references to hoodoo, are very interesting. The novel closes with a very effective cliffhanger that sets the stage for the next novel. Overall, I would not give this novel a high recommendation, but hope the series improves as more installments are published.

This book was a mixed bag for me. There were parts of the story I really liked and parts that I thought were either really silly or unnecessary. I will probably pick up the sequel regardless, because Crouch has managed to create an interesting story despite the downsides.

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Sep 26, 2011 Marya rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-fantasy

Thrilling! I found a YA fantasy books for girls that WAS NOT about vampires, werewolves, or necromancers!! Instead, it was about Southern Debutantes, California hippies, and Gullah-speaking hoodoo practitioners. That fact alone netted it one star on principle.
Alex, the heroine, was raised by mother, a true herbalist, in a hippie commune with strong community values. Her mother's death forces her to re-evaluate the commune, and she realizes that the commune's leadership is much more interested i...more

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Jul 28, 2011 Jennifer Rinehart added it

What happens when you take a dreadlocked, vegetarian, California girl from a communal farm and plop her down in an antebellum southern mansion in Savannah, Georgia?

Apparently, hoodoo is the answer.

I'll talk more about hoodoo (no that isn't a typo for voodoo, I really did mean to type hoodoo).

Alex is your typical hippie raised on a communal farm by her sweet single mother. The farm grows tomatoes, herbs and marijuana. Alex has never been to school and she's never bought new clothes, she picks out...more

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Jul 26, 2011 D. rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have to admit, this book disappointed me a lot. I had seen it and read the inside flap, and I was very excited to read it. When I actually did, however, it was a let-down. I could not relate to the characters at all. It wasn't that the situation was something that I could never imagine happening in real life; the new girl in a small town story is very common. However, the main character was very boring. She was characterized interestingly; the person inside of her seemed really cool. However,...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Arthistorychick rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

I always thought I would very much enjoy living in the Deep South but Katie Crouch’s The Magnolia League pretty much changed my mind. This young adult novel opens on a communal farm in California where we find sixteen-year-old Alexandria Lee happily living the hippie life. As far as Alexandria is concerned life is perfect and she has everything she needs including an adoring mother, a working knowledge of herbs and organic vegetables, and an awesome collection of vintage t-shirts. Fate of course...more I always thought I would very much enjoy living in the Deep South but Katie Crouch’s The Magnolia League pretty much changed my mind. This young adult novel opens on a communal farm in California where we find sixteen-year-old Alexandria Lee happily living the hippie life. As far as Alexandria is concerned life is perfect and she has everything she needs including an adoring mother, a working knowledge of herbs and organic vegetables, and an awesome collection of vintage t-shirts. Fate of course has other ideas and turns Alexandria’s world upside down beginning with the untimely death of her mother.

In the weeks and months that follow Alexandria tries desperately to cope with the loss of her mother but this is made more difficult when she is uprooted from the only family she knows and moved to Savannah, Georgia to the home (ahem, mansion) of her maternal grandmother, Miss Lee. Needless to say the dreadlock-wearing Alexandria has more than a few problems fitting in among the Savannah society circle, known as the Magnolia League that revolves around her grandmother. It takes about a nanosecond for Miss Lee to inform her wayward granddaughter that she will become a member of the Magnolia League and by December she will be ready to come out to society at the debutante ball. Aiding Alexandria in her transition from hippie chick to trend setter are fellow junior Magnolia Leaguer’s Hayes and Madison.

Hayes and Madison are two of the highlights of this novel and Crouch spends an incredible amount of time developing their characters. On Miss Lee’s order’s, Hayes and Madison are tasked with transforming Alexandria into an acceptable Savannah socialite. Hayes is a perfect example of the ideal Magnolia League member: she is beautiful to the point of perfection, skinny, smart, and wealthy – in short, the envy of nearly every other girl in Savannah. Madison on the other hand is beautiful to the point of perfection, skinny, smart, and wealthy but she also has a sharp wit that is frequently on display. Unlike Hayes who is delighted to be a Magnolia League girl, Madison has resigned herself to the hand fate has dealt her. Hayes and Madison have their work cut out for them as Alexandria is, at first, completely opposed to the idea of transformation. Alexandria soon realizes that her opposition is completely pointless for Miss Lee, Hayes, and Madison are women who will not be denied.

Alexandria also soon discovers that the Magnolia League has a very dirty little secret that they are willing to go to any lengths to protect. All the beauty, all the wealth, and all the perfection that each and every member of the Magnolia League has is bought and paid for with blood and magic. Until the arrival of Alexandria this arrangement had worked almost flawlessly for generations and for a time, Alexandria falls in line and allows herself to be sucked into the superficial world of the Magnolia’s. That is until the night of the debutante ball when Alexandria finds out the ugly truth about her mother’s death and her family’s even uglier history. It is at this point that Alexandria understands how truly twisted the Magnolia League is and that she must find a way to destroy the very thing that has defined her family and Savannah society for generations. The novel ends on a rather unpleasant note: Alexandria finds that her mother’s ghost has been trapped within the family mansion, her super-hot boyfriend believes she is a liar and a cheat, and her only ally in what she now calls the White Glove War is one of the magic workers sworn to aid the Magnolia League.

The bottom line: The writing style is fine, the plot is easy to follow with very few surprises, and the characters are all at least moderately interesting. But that’s just it, everything about this novel is only OK. I didn’t find anything truly new or terribly exciting about this novel but I didn’t dislike it either. I would call The Magnolia League a solid read but not something you need to jump on right away.(less)

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Jul 26, 2011 Teen Department Homewood Library rated it 3 of 5 stars

Review of audiobook:
Newly orphaned Alexandria "Alex" Lee moves from the Rain Catcher Farms commune in California, where she and her mother were herbalists, to her grandmother's mansion in Savannah, Georgia. The transplant is difficult. Alex is out of touch with modern culture and is very vocally against the money and power of the Magnolia League, her grandmother's social set. Alex would rather spend time working for others, giving money to charity, etc. But over time she starts to fall in line w...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Kaylyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

I almost stopped reading this book after chapter 1, basically because it opened up with the main character complaining to you about how much she hates sweet tea, and then about a page later, you learn that she's smoking pot. Yeah, not the best way to start a story. But here's what it's really about:

Sixteen year old Alexandria (Alex) Lee is forced to leave her home, an organic farm commune in California, after her mother dies in a tragic car accident. She moves in with her grandmother, who reside...more I almost stopped reading this book after chapter 1, basically because it opened up with the main character complaining to you about how much she hates sweet tea, and then about a page later, you learn that she's smoking pot. Yeah, not the best way to start a story. But here's what it's really about:

Sixteen year old Alexandria (Alex) Lee is forced to leave her home, an organic farm commune in California, after her mother dies in a tragic car accident. She moves in with her grandmother, who resides in Savannah, Georgia. Sadly for this chunky, dreadlock-dawning hippie, Alex's grandmother is the leader of the town's most prestigious debutante society, the Magnolia League. And the wealthy woman expects Alex to swap her Birkenstocks for Prada heels and give up her boho ways and adapt to the high-class social lifestyle of the women in the Magnolia League. Alex's grandmother lets two young Magnolia girls, the freakishly pretty and privileged Madison and Hayes assist her transformation.

But Alex will soon discover that the Magnolia League is no ordinary stuffy debutante society. It's members have attained their wealth, youth, beauty, and social status by black magic concocted by local hoodoo family the Buzzards. The Magnolia's pay for the spells that put them on top of the social ladder. Before she realizes it, Alex finds herself entangled in the mysterious and magical Magnolia League, but she's about to find out that all the endless glamour comes with a dangerous and deadly price.

I mentioned before that I almost stopped reading, because I found the opening very poorly done. We meet a bitter, pot-smoking Alex and her snuffy grandmother, and then the next chapter is about the strange Magnolia League having a meeting. But I kept pushing on, and it did get better once Alex's past is exposed and we meet Madison and Hayes, who work on her makeover. And peppered in with all the drama going on in Alex's life are hints that the town of Savannah and the Magnolia League aren't quite normal, and that there is something paranormal going on within both. It was interesting learning about the Buzzard family, and how they use old African hoodoo rituals as a family business, selling their spells. I enjoyed Alex's voice narrating the story, and I enjoyed her reactions to the snotty ways of the South, which I doubt was portrayed accurately in this book.

One thing I found annoying was how while some chapters were narrated by Alex, others were narrated by some unknown person when there were scenes where Alex wasn't present. It left me wondering why the author chose to do this.

On the side of praise, I think the author certainly did her homework when looking up hoodoo rituals and botany. Reading about the bizarre spells is tons of fun, I'm not sure if they are legitimate rituals or not, but if not, Crouch was certainly creative making them up. And the elements of food, fashion, romance, and parties make it lots of fun. All this falls a bit flat though with the sad ending. But once you got into it, it's a gripping story.

Long review is long.(less)

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Jul 19, 2011 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

There is something about novels set in the south that hook me. Maybe it's the southern charm, the slow drawl, the heat, the history, or the drinking but I'm magically drawn to it like a fly to honey. So not only did this novel have the perfect setting but there was also Hoodoo. What is Hoodoo you ask (don't worry I had to look it up too)?

According to Merriam-Webster it is "a body of practices of sympathetic magic traditional especially among blacks in the southern United States." I apparently t...more

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Jun 29, 2011 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book has all the ingredients to push my reading buttons - Savannah, one of my all time favorite cities, hoodoo/magic, a hippie chick for the main character- I love all these details. Somehow though, I didn't love this book. I really wanted to though.

This book somewhat reminded me of A Great and Terrible Beauty- secret societies, magic, popular girls bordering on mean girls. I think that Beauty had better character development and was overall done better, but both books had similar themes,...more
This book has all the ingredients to push my reading buttons - Savannah, one of my all time favorite cities, hoodoo/magic, a hippie chick for the main character- I love all these details. Somehow though, I didn't love this book. I really wanted to though.

This book somewhat reminded me of A Great and Terrible Beauty- secret societies, magic, popular girls bordering on mean girls. I think that Beauty had better character development and was overall done better, but both books had similar themes, including a magical mother who died without telling her daughter anything about what they may be inheriting.

If Alexandria had been my friend, she would have been a really annoying, preachy friend. I am a vegetarian, I believe in being environmentally conscious, but I don't insult people who don't believe the same way. I think I make my opinions known in a way that is less aggressive than Alex. I do like how she was very stick to her guns, and made friends with Dexter, even though he wasn't one of the kids who was near the realm of a Magnolia. I was very disappointed in Crouch perpetuating the idea of beauty only belonging to those who are thin. I was disturbed by all the times that Alex was called Piggy, or Pudgy, and just let it happen to her. She hated being overweight, and had the easy transformation to thin perfection through hoodoo. And her character made no bones about the fact that she never wanted to be chubby again. I think this sends the wrong message about weight to an age group that already struggles with this concept. Body image is something even adult women struggle with, and I believe is particularly damaging for a young girl.

I am looking forward to the next book in the series though, believe it or not- there were a few characters that I actually liked. Hayes, Alex's friend, who seemed genuine and intelligent; Sam and Sina Buzzard, I just want to know more of their story; and Alex's grandmother, I feel we have just tapped the surface of this hoodoo matriarch of the Magnolias. I want to see what else she can do, I guess.

As a YA book, I liked this book more than Twilight, less than Hunger Games and A Great and Terrible Beauty. For me, it fell somewhere in the middle. I have hopes the next one will be better.
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Jun 11, 2011 Miranda rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: No one.

Recommended to Miranda by: No one.

I wanted to LOVE this book.
When I saw this book on the shelf of my local Barnes & Noble, I got incredibly happy.
I was happy that there was a book that was going to be focusing on hoodoo.

The book isn't bad, but I wouldn't say it was that great either.

I didn't feel any connection to Alex or to any of the characters.
I didn't care about the storyline.
Also, what the hell is up with these stereotypical Southern characters?
I live an hour away from Savannah. I don't act like that and I know alot of...more

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The Magnolia League (Magnolia League #1)

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