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Xyzs of Being Wicked #1
The XYZs of Being Wicked by Chapman, Lara (2014) Paperback
When a young witch goes off to boarding school, she discovers powers that leave her with a challenging choice.Eleven-year-old Hallie is more thrilled than you might think to be shipping off to boarding school. After seeing how horrible "normal" kids can be - kids like her former BFF, Kendall Scott - Hallie figures The Dowling Academy School of Witchcraft will be a welcome fresh start. Plus, it's a chance to make her dad proud that she's continuing family traditions and becoming the best kind of witch, just like her legendary great-great-grandmother.But when Hallie arrives at Dowling, she's dismayed to discover her roommate will be none other than awful Kendall. And when Hallie's witching talents take a turn for the dark side, she must determine whether it's abilities or choices that distinguish the good from the wicked.
Paperback
First published July 22, 2014
6 people are currently reading
400 people want to read
About the author
Lara Chapman
10 books76 followersI admit it. I've always wanted to be flawless... you know what I'm talking about. That girl that always has it together - her clothes are perfect, jewelry just right, life perfectly organized and operating according to "the plan" she scribbled in her diary at the wise old age of 13. But the truth is, I'm most at home in jeans and a t-shirt. If I'm wearing jewelry, I can't promise it'll match or make any sense. Honestly, if I had a dime for every time I've walked out of the house with one earring on.... As for "the plan," I've realized life isn't as predictable as we want it to be. And I'll tell you a little secret... life's a lot more fun when you don't plan it down to the very last detail.
I grew up loving school. I loved school so much, in fact, I tried to make a career out of it. After eleven years in college (hey, I was busy!) Dad announced I couldn’t be a professional student, so I finally declared a major and graduated with my teaching certificate, reluctantly leaping into the scary waters of adulthood. Since then, I’ve taught everything from 2nd grade to high school juniors. I love my job and the kids I get to spend my days with! If you follow me on Twitter, you'll see some posts about how much I love my job. Guaranteed.
Wouldn’t it be cool if I was one of those people who said they’d always wanted to write and this was all I’d ever done? Yeah, well... that didn't happen. I’ve been an avid reader since I was in the third grade and discovered Judy Blume, but it wasn’t until I read Janet Evanovich’s “How I Write” that I actually considered writing. I surrounded myself with stellar writers and the rest, as they say, is history. After several years, I was offered representation by the one and only, 100% magnificent Holly Root with Waxman Literary Agency. To read the story on how I managed to secure such heavenly representation, check out my interview with fellow author and friend, Vicky Dreiling.
I have the very best big family EVER. I am so blessed by every single one of my many nieces and nephews. I love being their aunt. And my sisters are my lifeline. I couldn't make it through a day without either one of them.
I live with my family in Central Texas, where I read and write daily. I’m rarely – if ever – found without my laptop, iPhone, and iPad. I have a life-long love affair with animals, especially dachshunds, and always have an animal or two snuggled close when writing.
I grew up loving school. I loved school so much, in fact, I tried to make a career out of it. After eleven years in college (hey, I was busy!) Dad announced I couldn’t be a professional student, so I finally declared a major and graduated with my teaching certificate, reluctantly leaping into the scary waters of adulthood. Since then, I’ve taught everything from 2nd grade to high school juniors. I love my job and the kids I get to spend my days with! If you follow me on Twitter, you'll see some posts about how much I love my job. Guaranteed.
Wouldn’t it be cool if I was one of those people who said they’d always wanted to write and this was all I’d ever done? Yeah, well... that didn't happen. I’ve been an avid reader since I was in the third grade and discovered Judy Blume, but it wasn’t until I read Janet Evanovich’s “How I Write” that I actually considered writing. I surrounded myself with stellar writers and the rest, as they say, is history. After several years, I was offered representation by the one and only, 100% magnificent Holly Root with Waxman Literary Agency. To read the story on how I managed to secure such heavenly representation, check out my interview with fellow author and friend, Vicky Dreiling.
I have the very best big family EVER. I am so blessed by every single one of my many nieces and nephews. I love being their aunt. And my sisters are my lifeline. I couldn't make it through a day without either one of them.
I live with my family in Central Texas, where I read and write daily. I’m rarely – if ever – found without my laptop, iPhone, and iPad. I have a life-long love affair with animals, especially dachshunds, and always have an animal or two snuggled close when writing.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 12, 2018
What a cute book! I hadn't originally picked this book to read for my reading challenge, but I am glad I did. The category was a book with X,Y,Z in the title, but I wasn't sure if It just needed one of those letters or all of them, so this fit the category perfectly.
The book is about an 11 year old girl going to an all girl witch school. It may have been inspired some by Harry Potter, but definitely has a different spin on things. It seems mainly geared for young female teen readers, perhaps younger, but I really enjoyed it, too. Very fun.
By the end, I was ready to read the next book, as it is part of a series.
The book is about an 11 year old girl going to an all girl witch school. It may have been inspired some by Harry Potter, but definitely has a different spin on things. It seems mainly geared for young female teen readers, perhaps younger, but I really enjoyed it, too. Very fun.
By the end, I was ready to read the next book, as it is part of a series.
May 24, 2016
This entire thing reminded me of Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Wizards of Waverley Place and those are two of my favourite shows. I couldn't find one flaw with this one. I liked that it felt that Hallie wasn't 11, she felt and acted older. I loved imagining what Dowling Academy would look like when I read it. Those dungeons sure sounded interesting.
I feel like this would make a great Disney Channel movie or series. I'm just so happy it had a sequel so I get another book in this world.
I feel like this would make a great Disney Channel movie or series. I'm just so happy it had a sequel so I get another book in this world.
October 31, 2015
I won The XYZs of Being Wicked on Goodreads.
A book about boarding school for young witches? Sign me up! I was thrilled to win this book and ever since I received it I’ve had it in mind for Scaretober. Although there’s nothing scary about it, it sort of fits the theme, right?
There are similarities to Harry Potter that you can’t ignore, with eleven year olds with a family heritage of being witches are starting school at a boarding school for witchcraft being the most obvious. But that’s just setup. This book isn’t trying to be Harry Potter. The world of Harry Potter and Hogwarts is epic and dark, while The XYZs of Being Wicked takes a more light-hearted approach. Even when Hallie’s rival/roommate Kendall and her new BFF Zena (who happens to be the daughter of Dowling’s headmistress) are scheming, Hallie’s life is never in danger. After all, dark magic is strictly forbidden at Dowling. How much trouble can they possibly create magically?
The XYZs of Being Wicked mixes normal middle school drama over friends and boys (there’s a boys’ school nearby — and dances!) with life as a witch. Hallie and Kendall were best friends a long time ago until about third grade when Kendall turned mean towards Hallie. There’s really no reason given for this, but I’d guess it was because Kendall wanted to be more popular and Hallie was holding her back. That usually doesn’t happen until around sixth grade, but since the girls are in sixth grade in this book, it had to happen earlier for this story to work.
Hallie has a new best friend, too. Ivy is Zena’s roommate and the four girls share all the same classes, which gives them a lot of opportunities for conflicts. Each girl in the school has a special gift. Discovering it and honing it is a focal point of the first year at Dowling. Hallie has a few missteps before she finds hers, and when she does, everyone is surprised to find out that she might not be following as closely in her great-great grandmother’s footsteps after all.
I’m looking forward to reading Accidentally Evil, the next book in the series (and I hope there will be more). The elements of witchcraft and boarding school add a nice touch to the usual middle school stories I love to read.
A book about boarding school for young witches? Sign me up! I was thrilled to win this book and ever since I received it I’ve had it in mind for Scaretober. Although there’s nothing scary about it, it sort of fits the theme, right?
There are similarities to Harry Potter that you can’t ignore, with eleven year olds with a family heritage of being witches are starting school at a boarding school for witchcraft being the most obvious. But that’s just setup. This book isn’t trying to be Harry Potter. The world of Harry Potter and Hogwarts is epic and dark, while The XYZs of Being Wicked takes a more light-hearted approach. Even when Hallie’s rival/roommate Kendall and her new BFF Zena (who happens to be the daughter of Dowling’s headmistress) are scheming, Hallie’s life is never in danger. After all, dark magic is strictly forbidden at Dowling. How much trouble can they possibly create magically?
The XYZs of Being Wicked mixes normal middle school drama over friends and boys (there’s a boys’ school nearby — and dances!) with life as a witch. Hallie and Kendall were best friends a long time ago until about third grade when Kendall turned mean towards Hallie. There’s really no reason given for this, but I’d guess it was because Kendall wanted to be more popular and Hallie was holding her back. That usually doesn’t happen until around sixth grade, but since the girls are in sixth grade in this book, it had to happen earlier for this story to work.
Hallie has a new best friend, too. Ivy is Zena’s roommate and the four girls share all the same classes, which gives them a lot of opportunities for conflicts. Each girl in the school has a special gift. Discovering it and honing it is a focal point of the first year at Dowling. Hallie has a few missteps before she finds hers, and when she does, everyone is surprised to find out that she might not be following as closely in her great-great grandmother’s footsteps after all.
I’m looking forward to reading Accidentally Evil, the next book in the series (and I hope there will be more). The elements of witchcraft and boarding school add a nice touch to the usual middle school stories I love to read.
October 20, 2014
Kid witch Hallie Simon was very excited when she got accepted into the Dowling Academy School of Witchcraft. After all, her great-grandmother was a very famous hedge-witch! Hallie is determined to be as friendly as possible to the other students at the academy (Hallie didn’t have much luck being friends with “normal” kids). Hallie’s excitement gets ruined when she gets her roommate – Kendall Scott. Kendall used to be Hallie’s best friend, until Kendall turned on a sour note, and started tormenting Hallie. Now Hallie is roommates with her! Between Kendall and some weird things going on with Hailey’s powers, can life at Dowling get any worse? Um… Well, yeah they can.
This was a great book. The cover really drew me in. Hallie is such a great main character. I like how she perseveres through it all, and even makes a wonderful friend in the process. The use of magic is very cool, although I’m not sure if I like or don’t like the fact that in the story, magic doesn’t exhaust you (take all your strength to use it). I think I’d like a little more about the magic and history of the witches in the story, but that’s just my taste. You may think this book is like Harry Potter plot, but it’s not. First off, Dowling is a school for girls (they have a brother school for boys), and there is no monster fighting, evil ghosts/spirits, etc. It’s actually pretty cool plot idea and very different from other magic type stories I’ve been reading lately. There is a lot of “girl drama” in the story – being popular – the “in” crowd etc, but the characters are middle-school-aged and (trust me) the stuff goes on so I think it makes the characters more real (if witches can be real ;) ). Overall it is a very fun read.
*NOTE* I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
This was a great book. The cover really drew me in. Hallie is such a great main character. I like how she perseveres through it all, and even makes a wonderful friend in the process. The use of magic is very cool, although I’m not sure if I like or don’t like the fact that in the story, magic doesn’t exhaust you (take all your strength to use it). I think I’d like a little more about the magic and history of the witches in the story, but that’s just my taste. You may think this book is like Harry Potter plot, but it’s not. First off, Dowling is a school for girls (they have a brother school for boys), and there is no monster fighting, evil ghosts/spirits, etc. It’s actually pretty cool plot idea and very different from other magic type stories I’ve been reading lately. There is a lot of “girl drama” in the story – being popular – the “in” crowd etc, but the characters are middle-school-aged and (trust me) the stuff goes on so I think it makes the characters more real (if witches can be real ;) ). Overall it is a very fun read.
*NOTE* I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
April 1, 2015
Hallie Simon is excited and nervous about attending the Dowling Academy School of Witchcraft. She is the first witch in five generations in her family to be able to do so, and she is looking forward to starting over at a new school. Unfortunately, her roommate is none other than Kendall Scott, who has been making her life miserable since third grade. As Hallie tries to avoid becoming a misfit again, she finds that witch school is very different than regular school. As she and her friends learn their powers and begin casting spells, she realizes that this is going to be a very exciting first year. A fun fantasy, kind of Harry Potter/Mean Girls mix. Recommended for grades 4-7.
October 20, 2014
I love supernatural stories and this is story incorporates all of the things I love about M!x books with that. Hallie is a character young girls can relate to, even though she has the gift of magic. Her real struggles with making friends and feeling like she doesn't fit in is something every young girl deals with at one time or another. I highly recommend this book for readers of all ages!
February 21, 2014
Totally adorable- tween girls will eat this up! Getting revenge on the mean girl with a well-placed spell? The best!
September 15, 2014
Super cute tween book. I really enjoyed it, and I want to read the sequels.
December 18, 2014
4.25 stars
March 22, 2015
I picked this up on a whim and it drew me in. I want the next book right now!!
March 24, 2015
Darling story, great for elementary age girls.
December 27, 2019
This was a book that tries to stand out among the Hey-I-Turned-Eleven-And-Got-Invited-To-Attend-A-Magic-School throng, but it didn't really do that for me. I didn't really get to know the characters enough to truly care about them. The mean girls were a bit one-sided and I didn't see a reason for them to act that way. I also didn't get how the In spite of some plot holes and general lack of details, I was entertained. A young reader who enjoys magical realism will enjoy it.
I think we have all been here before after a parent embarrasses us in front of the cool kids:
And upon finding out her gift wasn't quite what she hoped for or expected, a teacher tells Hallie:
That is good for us all to remember. When something about us can't be changed, we must learn to embrace it!
I think we have all been here before after a parent embarrasses us in front of the cool kids:
I roll my eyes, wishing I knew the spell to make myself invisible. Or make him mute.
And upon finding out her gift wasn't quite what she hoped for or expected, a teacher tells Hallie:
You can't change who you were meant to be.
That is good for us all to remember. When something about us can't be changed, we must learn to embrace it!
August 18, 2023
The XYZs of Being Wicked was a cute and easy read. I liked how the main character, 11yr old Hallie was introduced. The pace of the beginning of the book flowed nicely (some books are so slow, boring, or drag everything out). The characters were great. I loved the variations and personalities of everyone. Miss A sounded like an awesome dorm mom and was a nice addition, as well as the few teachers that had active appearances in the book. The author introduced everything well throughout the book. My only issue was there were parts of the book that jumped from one scene to another very quick, which caught me off guard a few times and I had to make sure I did not skip a page. The last couple of chapters is where I felt a lot of the action was as well as things being explained. Overall, it was a fun read. The ending was interesting but also left me wanting just a little more of the story before it ended. Nice book for a tween, a quick read, or something fun in between other books.
September 25, 2017
For being a super easy middle grade read, I loved this cute story! The writing was seamless, and creative.
January 14, 2022
Move over, Hermione Granger! Eleven-year-old Hallie Simon is the new witch in town, and she has some serious mojo... Even if she doesn't quite know how to control it yet.
Really cute!
Really cute!
November 4, 2022
I read this book years ago when I was much younger, and absolutely loved it. I loved this series so much and I remember just waiting for the next books to come out!
November 26, 2020
You can see all my reviews here: Books Are The New Black
I purchased this to fit the X prompt for AtoZ challenge this year. I know, crazy. I am determined to get all the letters and X is so hard. I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did!
This was such a cute story. It’s about Hallie finding out that she’s a descendant of a witch and has to go to a witch school. She’s a nobody at her school and is excited to start over. Turns out, her roommate is her nemesis from her current high school.
I really was interested in the idea of a boarding school for witches. School drama and magic seem to go hand in hand, haha. I really liked the world that Chapman creates in this book. There’s a lot of cool magic going on but we don’t really know how or why. I wish we got a little more into it. I think that might be something for the next book? It was interesting how these girl learned about their gifts too.
At the end of this book, we get a glimpse into the school for boys. I’m so intrigued by that too! There was definitely some foreshadowing that I hope we will see in the second book.
I really loved the friendships that Hallie makes in this book. I loved Ivy so, so much! I really wish that every girl had a change to have a best friend like Ivy.
This was a cute and fun witch book about middle schoolers. If you want a quick read for a challenge or a fun book overall, this is a good one! I will be reading the next one! 🙂
I purchased this to fit the X prompt for AtoZ challenge this year. I know, crazy. I am determined to get all the letters and X is so hard. I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did!
This was such a cute story. It’s about Hallie finding out that she’s a descendant of a witch and has to go to a witch school. She’s a nobody at her school and is excited to start over. Turns out, her roommate is her nemesis from her current high school.
I really was interested in the idea of a boarding school for witches. School drama and magic seem to go hand in hand, haha. I really liked the world that Chapman creates in this book. There’s a lot of cool magic going on but we don’t really know how or why. I wish we got a little more into it. I think that might be something for the next book? It was interesting how these girl learned about their gifts too.
At the end of this book, we get a glimpse into the school for boys. I’m so intrigued by that too! There was definitely some foreshadowing that I hope we will see in the second book.
I really loved the friendships that Hallie makes in this book. I loved Ivy so, so much! I really wish that every girl had a change to have a best friend like Ivy.
This was a cute and fun witch book about middle schoolers. If you want a quick read for a challenge or a fun book overall, this is a good one! I will be reading the next one! 🙂
February 27, 2015
Reviewed in the May 1st, 2014 edition of School Library Journal.
Gr 4–7: Hallie Simon is shocked when she is invited to enroll in the Dowling Academy School of Witchcraft. This is the first she has heard of her magical abilities, and she is excited to have a fresh start at a new school. For years, she has been plagued by Kendall, her once-best friend now turned mortal enemy, and the opportunity to leave home is irresistible. Unfortunately, she soon discovers that the beautiful and malicious Kendall is her roommate at Dowling. When strange things begin happening to Hallie, events that seem impossible to explain, she must turn to her friends for help in understanding her newfound powers. Full of repetitive phrasing and an extremely weak backstory, this novel leaves readers wanting more. The sixth graders come across as too old for their years, and the plot is focused more on describing their hair and skin types than it is on the magic. Suggest Michael Buckley's "The Sisters Grimm" (Abrams) or John Stephen's "Books of Beginning" (Knopf) series to fantasy fans, and for those looking for tales about acceptance and fashion advice, suggest Candice Ransom's Rebel McKenzie (Hyperion, 2012).—Amy Nolan, St. Joseph Public Library, St. Joseph, MI
Gr 4–7: Hallie Simon is shocked when she is invited to enroll in the Dowling Academy School of Witchcraft. This is the first she has heard of her magical abilities, and she is excited to have a fresh start at a new school. For years, she has been plagued by Kendall, her once-best friend now turned mortal enemy, and the opportunity to leave home is irresistible. Unfortunately, she soon discovers that the beautiful and malicious Kendall is her roommate at Dowling. When strange things begin happening to Hallie, events that seem impossible to explain, she must turn to her friends for help in understanding her newfound powers. Full of repetitive phrasing and an extremely weak backstory, this novel leaves readers wanting more. The sixth graders come across as too old for their years, and the plot is focused more on describing their hair and skin types than it is on the magic. Suggest Michael Buckley's "The Sisters Grimm" (Abrams) or John Stephen's "Books of Beginning" (Knopf) series to fantasy fans, and for those looking for tales about acceptance and fashion advice, suggest Candice Ransom's Rebel McKenzie (Hyperion, 2012).—Amy Nolan, St. Joseph Public Library, St. Joseph, MI
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews