Erin Channing desperately wants to be one of the students in her high school who is chosen to study art in Italy over the summer and with her GPA she thinks she has a pretty good chance. Still, she’s trying to make sure she does nothing to jeopardize her chances of going. All of that changes, however, when her favorite Aunt, Kiki, dies and leaves her a pink crystal ball and a cryptic set of instructions. The crystal ball seems to be able to predict the future and soon the lives of Erin and her friends Lindsay and Samantha are changed – forever.

“The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball” is a delightful book for young adults. It is almost as if author Risa Green put several ingredients – high school life, best friends, crushes, teenage angst, bullying, sadness, magic, riddles, art, and more – into a magic 8-ball, err, a pink crystal ball, shook it up, reached in, and came up with a book that is fun to read from start to finish. The book is written in the first person from Erin’s point of view and Green does a great job with Erin’s character – she tends to think inside the box, has a crush on Jesse Cooper, gets very good grades in school, is a loyal friend, and really wants to go to Italy. Green does an equally good job with Lindsay who is bullied because of something she did years ago and who thinks she can find a way to beat the bullying by shopping at Ye Olde Metaphysical Shoppe. Samantha is the daughter of rich parents, a bit blasé, but insecure in her looks even though she is beautiful. While some of Aunt Kiki’s friends seem stereotypical, by the end of the book she and her best friend Roni are anything but stereotypical. While there is sadness because of Aunt Kiki’s death, and the typical angst of high school especially with a first love, and some serious bullying, there is also a wonderful sense of humor throughout the book. As for the magic of the pink crystal ball – is it real or not – well, that’s up to you to decide.

“The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball” is an enjoyable book for young adults.