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Mitzie's review

Girl's Guide to Witchcraft (Jane Madison, Book 1)
by Mindy Klasky

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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/248583.Girl_s_Guide_to_Witchcraft?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Girl's Guide to Witchcraft (Jane Madison, Book 1)" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173121081m/248583.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/248583.Girl_s_Guide_to_Witchcraft?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">Girl's Guide to Witchcraft</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/145294.Mindy_Klasky">Mindy Klasky</a> 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/16931129?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
 rating: 2 of 5 stars I love reading 'chicklit', but the problem with the genre is that the more you read them, the harder it is to find the good ones as opposed to those who were just capitalising on the genre's popularity the last couple of years.
 
 I first became interested to read Girl's Guide to Witchcraft because Amazon recommended it to me in conjunction with my interest in Harry Potter and chicklit. It was years ago, and even though I've been meaning to read it, it's always just sitting on my wishlist for years. Until now.
 
 As interesting as the premise is, the book doesn't deliver for me. The lack of direction in the plot makes it feel rather winding. It feels like 3/4 of it is just an attempt to balance introduction to the wonders of witchcraft, the bittersweet sometimes-fun-sometimes-lonely life of a single girl, and the drone of daily activities inserted with a little bit of humour. Things only started happening as it neared the end, and it wasn't much of a plot climax or denouement. Overall, it all reads like a long narrative that builds up towards nowhere, and that was the point that disappointed me. 
 
 Even if I should look at it as a 'fun mindless read' chicklit book, the characters aren't strong enough for the readers to be attached to, and in my case, makes it put-down-able. 
 
 My review may sound harsh, but I think just because it's chicklit doesn't mean that it can get away with just frivolously narrating the joys and pain of the witty single girl. I still expect a good plot with endearing characters that I care about. Maybe not in an award-winning scale, but a scale where it doesn't make me wish I could get my time back. 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/249558?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

Mitzie's review
rating:
bookshelves: chick-lit, read-in-2008
recommended for: those who just started reading chick-lit

I love reading 'chicklit', but the problem with the genre is that the more you read them, the harder it is to find the good ones as opposed to those who were just capitalising on the genre's popularity the last couple of years.

I first became interested to read Girl's Guide to Witchcraft because Amazon recommended it to me in conjunction with my interest in Harry Potter and chicklit. It was years ago, and even though I've been meaning to read it, it's always just sitting on my wishlist for years. Until now.

As interesting as the premise is, the book doesn't deliver for me. The lack of direction in the plot makes it feel rather winding. It feels like 3/4 of it is just an attempt to balance introduction to the wonders of witchcraft, the bittersweet sometimes-fun-sometimes-lonely life of a single girl, and the drone of daily activities inserted with a little bit of humour. Things only started happening as it neared the end, and it wasn't much of a plot climax or denouement. Overal...more

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message 1: by L

07/12/2008 10:26PM

Amen.