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Magic & Mayhem #1
Halloween Magic & Mayhem
How on earth did I end up here? I was supposed to be at a party kissing the boy of my dreams, instead I’m dancing naked on the town common, on Halloween, with a Coven of strange women who might be witches, a bunch of zombies that I have to return to their graves, a talking crow, and my pet ghost thrown in for good measure. Just yesterday I was an ordinary teenager…
On her sixteenth birthday Emily Rand discovers that she is a witch. Unable to control her spells she unwittingly raises zombies, and corporealizes the ghost haunting her house. She finds herself in a race against time to put everything right if she has any hope of getting to a certain Halloween party and seeing a certain boy again.
On her sixteenth birthday Emily Rand discovers that she is a witch. Unable to control her spells she unwittingly raises zombies, and corporealizes the ghost haunting her house. She finds herself in a race against time to put everything right if she has any hope of getting to a certain Halloween party and seeing a certain boy again.
63 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 2, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
October 31, 2016
I had kind of sworn off YA for a while because I needed something just a bit more adult than the teen angst that seemed to be such a big part of some in the genre. Glad I took the time to read this one because I enjoyed it completely from start to finish. The characters who were introduced were all interesting, even the ghost, who could have been just a shadow form. The story while not original was told in a witty way that made it fun to read.
Emily Rand lived alone with her father until a few years ago when his girlfriend and her son moved in disrupting her life. She is about to turn 16 years old and while she is not happy about the intruders in her home she can be happy about other things. Emily has finally met a boy who seems to like her as much as she likes him. But before any of that can happen she is asked to visit her aunt, her mothers sister, who has something very important to tell her. What happens when a 16 year old finds out that she is a witch with actual powers? Chaos ensues!
Definitely recommended!
Emily Rand lived alone with her father until a few years ago when his girlfriend and her son moved in disrupting her life. She is about to turn 16 years old and while she is not happy about the intruders in her home she can be happy about other things. Emily has finally met a boy who seems to like her as much as she likes him. But before any of that can happen she is asked to visit her aunt, her mothers sister, who has something very important to tell her. What happens when a 16 year old finds out that she is a witch with actual powers? Chaos ensues!
Definitely recommended!
June 28, 2015
I loved this. Short, action, funny, really really funny. Best shortie ever :D
November 6, 2014
l really enjoyed this fun Halloween tale, I'll definitely be looking for the next installment in the Magic & Mayhem series. Really fun Ya suitable book.
INITIAL THOUGHTS
Being totally truthful I don't usually "celebrate" Halloween, but when I saw this novella I couldn't resist, I'd found a relatively easy way to join in the "Halloween Fun", I'd read and review the novella! There are two covers listed on Goodreads for this one, I have chosen the brightest more Halloween themed one....... So what am I expecting? A fun simple read that introduces me to a potentially great series to continue reading.
MY REVIEW
I downloaded this one free from Amazon UK with the intention of having a fun read for Halloween. I totally admit I do love most things pagan. I actually have a car sticker with the "Witches Rede" on it. Paganism is really fascinating.
As I said in "Initial Thoughts" there are two covers for this book, One is more serious, mystical looking featuring a female in a cloak under a full moon. The one I have chosen to feature with my review (pictured above) is brighter coloured and is more amusing and enjoyable to look at, especially at this special time of year.
Would the cover make me pick the book up from a book store shelf, yes, it's certainly a bright coloured appealing cover. The silhouette of a female that I's guess is Emily, a newly powered witch, with her broom stick. It is quite a dramatic effect on the cover, the orange tinted sky, the tree profile and the bright white of the full moon. I really like the cover and the fonts of the book title, series name and authors name too. I also love the little "logo" between the book name and authors name. It just adds to the "old fashioned" "carried down through the ages" feel that features within the book.
So the main female character in this book is Emily, a young girl who's sweet sixteen birthday is on Halloween. Emily lives with her dad, and stepmum, and her step brother Duncan. Emily kind of keeps herself to herself and doesn't really associate much with Duncan. Emily has her best friends Bryony and Kate and they are all super excited to be invited to Tamsin's Halloween Party. Emily is eager for the party as the boy she has a crush on,Sean Carrey, is going to the party and has already asked party organiser Tamsin if Emily will be there. Normally for her birthday, Emily would have dinner with her family but she manages to Coerce her dad into postponing the usual birthday celebration meal until the day after. The only relative on Emily's maternal side of the family is Aunt Iris. Aunt Iris is considered slightly eccentric as she is the owner of a Pagan ritual & supplies store. When Emily visits her aunt, she is told that she is a witch and will receive her powers on her sixteenth birthday. At first Emily believes that her aunt Iris is making a joke, but her mood soon becomes serious when her aunt hands her the wand and grimoire that her mother had left with Iris to pass onto Emily when she was ready to receive her own powers.
There are many different types of witches, kitchen, hedge, etc etc only time will tell what type of witche Emily is and what her powers will be. Aunt Iris advises Emily to be very careful and suggests she attends the coven meeting on Halloween. However that meeting clashes with the party Emily just has to attend.
The morning of Emily's sweet sixteenth, she wakes up and gets a shock when she discovers one of her "witchy gifts" is to be able to see ghosts. So witchy problem number one is, Can Emily help the ghost pass over? Then Emily meets her witches familiar also in a shocking yet comical way.
Further into the tale, Emily begins trying out spells etc, with disastrous results. Emily quickly realises she is somewhat out of her depth when she has managed to revive the ghost who is now as "real" as she is. Even more potentially ruinous is the fact she has re-animated the buried corpses of the local cemtery! Everything is turning more and more unpleasant and Emily's situation is dire. Help arrives in the form of Aunt Iris, but she alone isn't powerful enough to tidy up the mess that Emily has conjoured. It seems that Emily is destined to miss Tamsin's party and her budding romance with Sean Carrey.
I really enjoyed this book, it may be short but it is packed with action.
Did I enjoy the book? Yes it is well written, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book.
Would I recommend the book? I would especially as a fun Halloween read.
Would I want to read more in this series? Yes!
Would I want to read other books by Stella Wilkinson? Yes, I will definitely be checking out other books by this author.
INITIAL THOUGHTS
Being totally truthful I don't usually "celebrate" Halloween, but when I saw this novella I couldn't resist, I'd found a relatively easy way to join in the "Halloween Fun", I'd read and review the novella! There are two covers listed on Goodreads for this one, I have chosen the brightest more Halloween themed one....... So what am I expecting? A fun simple read that introduces me to a potentially great series to continue reading.
MY REVIEW
I downloaded this one free from Amazon UK with the intention of having a fun read for Halloween. I totally admit I do love most things pagan. I actually have a car sticker with the "Witches Rede" on it. Paganism is really fascinating.
As I said in "Initial Thoughts" there are two covers for this book, One is more serious, mystical looking featuring a female in a cloak under a full moon. The one I have chosen to feature with my review (pictured above) is brighter coloured and is more amusing and enjoyable to look at, especially at this special time of year.
Would the cover make me pick the book up from a book store shelf, yes, it's certainly a bright coloured appealing cover. The silhouette of a female that I's guess is Emily, a newly powered witch, with her broom stick. It is quite a dramatic effect on the cover, the orange tinted sky, the tree profile and the bright white of the full moon. I really like the cover and the fonts of the book title, series name and authors name too. I also love the little "logo" between the book name and authors name. It just adds to the "old fashioned" "carried down through the ages" feel that features within the book.
So the main female character in this book is Emily, a young girl who's sweet sixteen birthday is on Halloween. Emily lives with her dad, and stepmum, and her step brother Duncan. Emily kind of keeps herself to herself and doesn't really associate much with Duncan. Emily has her best friends Bryony and Kate and they are all super excited to be invited to Tamsin's Halloween Party. Emily is eager for the party as the boy she has a crush on,Sean Carrey, is going to the party and has already asked party organiser Tamsin if Emily will be there. Normally for her birthday, Emily would have dinner with her family but she manages to Coerce her dad into postponing the usual birthday celebration meal until the day after. The only relative on Emily's maternal side of the family is Aunt Iris. Aunt Iris is considered slightly eccentric as she is the owner of a Pagan ritual & supplies store. When Emily visits her aunt, she is told that she is a witch and will receive her powers on her sixteenth birthday. At first Emily believes that her aunt Iris is making a joke, but her mood soon becomes serious when her aunt hands her the wand and grimoire that her mother had left with Iris to pass onto Emily when she was ready to receive her own powers.
There are many different types of witches, kitchen, hedge, etc etc only time will tell what type of witche Emily is and what her powers will be. Aunt Iris advises Emily to be very careful and suggests she attends the coven meeting on Halloween. However that meeting clashes with the party Emily just has to attend.
The morning of Emily's sweet sixteenth, she wakes up and gets a shock when she discovers one of her "witchy gifts" is to be able to see ghosts. So witchy problem number one is, Can Emily help the ghost pass over? Then Emily meets her witches familiar also in a shocking yet comical way.
Further into the tale, Emily begins trying out spells etc, with disastrous results. Emily quickly realises she is somewhat out of her depth when she has managed to revive the ghost who is now as "real" as she is. Even more potentially ruinous is the fact she has re-animated the buried corpses of the local cemtery! Everything is turning more and more unpleasant and Emily's situation is dire. Help arrives in the form of Aunt Iris, but she alone isn't powerful enough to tidy up the mess that Emily has conjoured. It seems that Emily is destined to miss Tamsin's party and her budding romance with Sean Carrey.
I really enjoyed this book, it may be short but it is packed with action.
Did I enjoy the book? Yes it is well written, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book.
Would I recommend the book? I would especially as a fun Halloween read.
Would I want to read more in this series? Yes!
Would I want to read other books by Stella Wilkinson? Yes, I will definitely be checking out other books by this author.
February 6, 2017
It's Emily's birthday, she's going to turn the big sixteen on Halloween and little did she know that on her birthday she will become a witch. Just like her grandmother, Mom and aunt but the real question is what kind of witch she will become. At midnight on her birthday things start to change, she finds that a ghost lives in her house, that she now has a familiar a crow and she really is a witch. Even though she has a party to attend she now has the chance to help the ghost boy who's been living in her house since before TV cross over and she has to at least try.
I like Emily she accepts being a which fairly easy accepting when she sees and talks to ghosts and crows. I like her as a character after all she picked a crow based on his recommendation of himself. She was willing to skip her party to help her ghost friend. I'm curious to see more of Emily, alone with her new familiar Bob the crow as well as her new coven.
I read Halloween Magic & Mayhem in one sitting a cute story that shares Emily's awakening as a new witch. The characters are easy to connect with you can't help liking Emily. Who doesn't love a little mystery mixed with paranormal elements and smelly zombies. I really enjoyed the author's writing style it's easy to get lost in the story and hard to put down. i look forward to seeing how Emily evolves in future books as she starts to get the hang of being a witch.
I like Emily she accepts being a which fairly easy accepting when she sees and talks to ghosts and crows. I like her as a character after all she picked a crow based on his recommendation of himself. She was willing to skip her party to help her ghost friend. I'm curious to see more of Emily, alone with her new familiar Bob the crow as well as her new coven.
I read Halloween Magic & Mayhem in one sitting a cute story that shares Emily's awakening as a new witch. The characters are easy to connect with you can't help liking Emily. Who doesn't love a little mystery mixed with paranormal elements and smelly zombies. I really enjoyed the author's writing style it's easy to get lost in the story and hard to put down. i look forward to seeing how Emily evolves in future books as she starts to get the hang of being a witch.
October 12, 2017
A quick fun read!
March 5, 2015
I got this novella as part of the Riot Girls box set. The premise of that set was "Teen girls who don't need a hero", and while that's technically true of this story, it's only true because the main character is rescued by a woman (her aunt) rather than a man. She's not really a protagonist, and doesn't solve her own problems.
I assume that any book I'm interested enough to read starts out at four stars. I took half a star off for poor copy editing (including "its" for "it's") and generally mediocre writing. I took another half star off for lack of protagonism, and I took a whole star off for the fact that the story doesn't have a middle.
Beginning: main character is introduced, gets into trouble.
End: her aunt turns up and saves her, everything is fixed, she ends up getting everything she wanted.
Normally, there would be a middle, in which the situation develops, the main character tries and fails to solve it, she has a realisation or change of perspective that forms the pivot of the plot, she tries and fails some more, and finally she earns an insight that enables her to reach the solution. That middle is missing, or is so brief I missed it, which is part of why this story is so short.
I assume that any book I'm interested enough to read starts out at four stars. I took half a star off for poor copy editing (including "its" for "it's") and generally mediocre writing. I took another half star off for lack of protagonism, and I took a whole star off for the fact that the story doesn't have a middle.
Beginning: main character is introduced, gets into trouble.
End: her aunt turns up and saves her, everything is fixed, she ends up getting everything she wanted.
Normally, there would be a middle, in which the situation develops, the main character tries and fails to solve it, she has a realisation or change of perspective that forms the pivot of the plot, she tries and fails some more, and finally she earns an insight that enables her to reach the solution. That middle is missing, or is so brief I missed it, which is part of why this story is so short.
October 24, 2015
This was a cute novella about a teenager who learns that when she turns sixteen she will be a witch. At first she didn’t think she was a very good witch cause she couldn’t do anything though everyone told her they thought she would be powerful.
Then she accidentally knocks her dad’s girlfriends son out and panics and tries a revive spell and not only revives him but turns a ghost back into a boy and ends up waking the dead for miles…lol
Emily was a lot of fun cause she seemed real, she acted like she was sixteen. She wanted to spend time at a dance with the boy she was crushing on not dancing naked with witches…lol.
I think it will be a fun series to continue as this little taste of what the author has to offer was fun and if you like paranormal YA books with humor then you might find this cute as well.
Then she accidentally knocks her dad’s girlfriends son out and panics and tries a revive spell and not only revives him but turns a ghost back into a boy and ends up waking the dead for miles…lol
Emily was a lot of fun cause she seemed real, she acted like she was sixteen. She wanted to spend time at a dance with the boy she was crushing on not dancing naked with witches…lol.
I think it will be a fun series to continue as this little taste of what the author has to offer was fun and if you like paranormal YA books with humor then you might find this cute as well.
April 29, 2017
This book was very much a book of firsts for me - I don't often read books set in the first person, nor do I usually read books on Halloween/ traditional style witchery.
And this is also the first Novella I have read.. But I loved it!
I thought that the book would be too childish for me, but it absolutely wasn't, it was humorous with adult overtones, and for a novella, the main character was quite well developed and likeable.
The book had a clear beginning, middle and end that I didnt expect from such a short story, and as well as this, it had elements that everyone could enjoy; magic, romance, family, and friendship.
The only possible flaw for this book is that it isn't a full sized story, in a series!
I love the writing style and was left wishing for more, will be looking up this author and reading more of their work!
And this is also the first Novella I have read.. But I loved it!
I thought that the book would be too childish for me, but it absolutely wasn't, it was humorous with adult overtones, and for a novella, the main character was quite well developed and likeable.
The book had a clear beginning, middle and end that I didnt expect from such a short story, and as well as this, it had elements that everyone could enjoy; magic, romance, family, and friendship.
The only possible flaw for this book is that it isn't a full sized story, in a series!
I love the writing style and was left wishing for more, will be looking up this author and reading more of their work!
November 14, 2015
I 'picked up' this book at Amazon for free when I saw a familiar author (thanks, kboards). I thought I'd read a shorter story for a change, and the season is just right. It was a pretty simple story, but I still found it entertaining and read it in an hour or so. The writing style is probably more suitable for a younger audience, as is the main character and her adventures. But I would still easily recommend this series to all fans of witches and magic)))
October 22, 2016
This was a quick read. Only 50 pages. I found it to be cute. Emily found out , the day before her 16th birthday, that she is a witch like her mother was. She will get her powers at midnight of Halloween. All she wanted was to turn 16, got to a Halloween party and kiss a boy.She finds out she has had a ghost living in her house and then accidently raised zombies and now has to get them back in their graves. This is the first book of a series and at sometime I would like to read the rest.
November 12, 2016
Super cute super short read about a teenager finding out she's a witch on her 16th birthday and the trouble caused by wayward spells. Zombies, ghosts, witch coven, compassion and confidences all rise in this cute short Halloween read.
October 28, 2016
Dreadful. Adults who try to write in teenspeak can create the most dreadful reading experiences.
October 31, 2016
A short, fun and "teensy" read for the halloween season!
November 5, 2016
A cute little Halloween read.
December 20, 2017
I've not tried young adult paranormal fiction before! It was great. I wish Peter had stuck around and Bob is a fun addition to the familiar world.
October 28, 2015
Halloween Magic & Mayhem by Stella Wilkinson was a cute, easy read about a girl becoming a witch. When the clock strikes midnight on Emily Rand’s 16th birthday, she discovers that her aunt was right. She’s a witch and there’s a ghost in her bedroom. So begins her hilarious first day.
So this book was just okay for me. Definitely not a favorite, but it did have it’s perks. Emily is a funny adolescent. She’s a self-centered, as most are, and totally clueless about her heritage. She makes many mistakes in this short novella but she was refreshing none-the-less.
Peter is her ghost. He’s been trapped in her house longer than he can remember and he asks for her help to cross over. He’s funny, a bit odd, and kinda has a Casper moment with Emily.
Besides Peter however the other characters were bland and 2-dimensional. There was no depth to them and they really didn’t add to the story. Even Emily’s crush is just labeled as hot and oh he smiled at her. Really?!
Overall the novella was cute, but again there wasn’t much depth, hardly any world-building, and besides Emily and Peter no one else stood out, except for maybe Bob her familiar. Honestly if this book wasn’t free on Kindle I probably wouldn’t have read it. If you enjoy clean, young adult, urban fantasy than you may like it. If you read it, let me know what you thought!
So this book was just okay for me. Definitely not a favorite, but it did have it’s perks. Emily is a funny adolescent. She’s a self-centered, as most are, and totally clueless about her heritage. She makes many mistakes in this short novella but she was refreshing none-the-less.
Peter is her ghost. He’s been trapped in her house longer than he can remember and he asks for her help to cross over. He’s funny, a bit odd, and kinda has a Casper moment with Emily.
Besides Peter however the other characters were bland and 2-dimensional. There was no depth to them and they really didn’t add to the story. Even Emily’s crush is just labeled as hot and oh he smiled at her. Really?!
Overall the novella was cute, but again there wasn’t much depth, hardly any world-building, and besides Emily and Peter no one else stood out, except for maybe Bob her familiar. Honestly if this book wasn’t free on Kindle I probably wouldn’t have read it. If you enjoy clean, young adult, urban fantasy than you may like it. If you read it, let me know what you thought!
October 10, 2022
Halloween Magic & Mayhem by Stella Wilkinson is the first in the "Magical Misadventures of Emily Rand" series.
It's an exciting time for Emily. Halloween is nigh, she's on the verge of turning 16, and she's invited to a party that will also be attended by her crush, Sean. On the eve of Halloween, Emily's Aunt Iris tells her she is a witch and will come into her power once she turns 16. Emily is skeptical at first, but Iris bequeaths her a wand and a Grimoire that belonged to Emily's mother.
Fascinated, Emily takes the items home and begins reading the grimoire. At midnight, a ghost appears in her room. She learns that Peter has always been there, but only now can she see him. By the time the Halloween is over, Emily will have inadvertently raised zombies, met Iris' coven, and danced naked with them under the full moon in an attempt to undo her out of control spell. All Emily wanted was to go to the party in hopes of kissing Sean.
As this was intended for young adults, there wasn't much substance to it, but it was a light, entertaining read. Emily is relatable as a teenage protagonist, and her familiar, a crow named Bob, was a fun side-kick.
Giving it 4 stars.
It's an exciting time for Emily. Halloween is nigh, she's on the verge of turning 16, and she's invited to a party that will also be attended by her crush, Sean. On the eve of Halloween, Emily's Aunt Iris tells her she is a witch and will come into her power once she turns 16. Emily is skeptical at first, but Iris bequeaths her a wand and a Grimoire that belonged to Emily's mother.
Fascinated, Emily takes the items home and begins reading the grimoire. At midnight, a ghost appears in her room. She learns that Peter has always been there, but only now can she see him. By the time the Halloween is over, Emily will have inadvertently raised zombies, met Iris' coven, and danced naked with them under the full moon in an attempt to undo her out of control spell. All Emily wanted was to go to the party in hopes of kissing Sean.
As this was intended for young adults, there wasn't much substance to it, but it was a light, entertaining read. Emily is relatable as a teenage protagonist, and her familiar, a crow named Bob, was a fun side-kick.
Giving it 4 stars.
November 2, 2015
I found this a perfect short read for halloween, which is exactly what I purchased it for.
I sat in front of the fire on halloween night and read this in 35 minuets.
It's a great short read full of fun and witchy shenanigans.
Emily comes into her powers when she turns 16, naturally she creates magic and mayhem! She raises the dead with a spell to revive her step brother after an accident. She brings back peter her ghost who she couldn't see until she actually turned 16, but he had been there all her life silently watching her sitting in her bedroom most nights. Peter is such a cool character and I felt it very moving at the end where Emily has to reverse the spell to send all the Zombies back to their Graves, which in turn allows peter to move on to the other side. Emily's & Peters short connection was amusing and fun.
This book made me smile and laugh ( even at the end get a little emotional )
It totally live up to its title "Halloween Magic & Mayhem"
I will certainly be reading Stella Wilkinson's other Books.
I sat in front of the fire on halloween night and read this in 35 minuets.
It's a great short read full of fun and witchy shenanigans.
Emily comes into her powers when she turns 16, naturally she creates magic and mayhem! She raises the dead with a spell to revive her step brother after an accident. She brings back peter her ghost who she couldn't see until she actually turned 16, but he had been there all her life silently watching her sitting in her bedroom most nights. Peter is such a cool character and I felt it very moving at the end where Emily has to reverse the spell to send all the Zombies back to their Graves, which in turn allows peter to move on to the other side. Emily's & Peters short connection was amusing and fun.
This book made me smile and laugh ( even at the end get a little emotional )
It totally live up to its title "Halloween Magic & Mayhem"
I will certainly be reading Stella Wilkinson's other Books.
January 8, 2016
I always enjoy a good magic inspired book and this one was an enjoyable read with a great cast of characters.
In every book there's always that one character that seems to stand out a little more than the others. In most books that is the main character but not always and in this one, for me, in this book, it was Bob. A very creative character with tons of potential.
Written for the young adult crowd it contains all the items you would expect for that age group but still will appeal to older readers of the genre like myself.
A relatively short book that I would have liked to see longer to have more detailed story line and characters.
Emily's sixteenth birthday is something she'll never forget, it maybe a day that the world never forgets if she doesn't figure out how to clean up all the messes she makes, especially emptying all the surrounding grave yard of their buried residents.
Fans of the genre will enjoy this book and is sure to become a favorite series for many. I would recommend the book to magic genre fans.
In every book there's always that one character that seems to stand out a little more than the others. In most books that is the main character but not always and in this one, for me, in this book, it was Bob. A very creative character with tons of potential.
Written for the young adult crowd it contains all the items you would expect for that age group but still will appeal to older readers of the genre like myself.
A relatively short book that I would have liked to see longer to have more detailed story line and characters.
Emily's sixteenth birthday is something she'll never forget, it maybe a day that the world never forgets if she doesn't figure out how to clean up all the messes she makes, especially emptying all the surrounding grave yard of their buried residents.
Fans of the genre will enjoy this book and is sure to become a favorite series for many. I would recommend the book to magic genre fans.
October 24, 2016
This was a very cute, fast, and enjoyable Halloween read. Perfect for the season. This is about a young girl who on her 16th birthday finds out she is a witch. She was born on Halloween so that makes her a powerful witch. The night before her birthday her aunt sits her down and tries to teach her a few things she is going to need....the next day when she wakes up she sees a boy sitting in her room. She can now talk to ghosts she learns. This ghost needs Emily's help to pass over. Emily while trying to learn her craft and send Peter to the other side wakes up zombies. Follow her as she tries to help Peter, send the zombies back and go to a party where a boy she really likes is waiting. I received this free and am freely giving my review of it. I totally enjoyed it....its cute holiday read.
October 9, 2017
Emily Rand is turning 16 and can't wait for thee party on Halloween. There she will see the boy of her dreams. But as fate would have it, she heads over to her aunt's store, a known "witch" in the area.
There her aunt tells her that when she turns 16, Emily will come into her powers. Emily is shocked and doesn't believe it--she didn't know her own mother (who died sometime ago) was also a witch. Emily's aunt tells her not to do anything foolish on Halloween since she is a new witch and no one knows what kind of powers she really has.
But, all hell breaks loose in one form or another. Will Emily be able to fix what she has done?
This is a young adult paranormal romance (not much romance in this one) and is humorous in spots and not scary. In a sense, it's a coming of age for witches. A great short read for Halloween.
There her aunt tells her that when she turns 16, Emily will come into her powers. Emily is shocked and doesn't believe it--she didn't know her own mother (who died sometime ago) was also a witch. Emily's aunt tells her not to do anything foolish on Halloween since she is a new witch and no one knows what kind of powers she really has.
But, all hell breaks loose in one form or another. Will Emily be able to fix what she has done?
This is a young adult paranormal romance (not much romance in this one) and is humorous in spots and not scary. In a sense, it's a coming of age for witches. A great short read for Halloween.
February 2, 2018
Just the right amount of mayhem
Emily is about to turn 16. Until now, she's lived a fairly normal life. So she can be excused for rolling her eyes when her aunt dramatically informs her the night before her birthday that she's about to become a very powerful witch. She scoffs right up until midnight, when she can suddenly see Peter, the ghost that's been living in her house this whole time, and hear the crow who knocks on her window to ask for a job. Emily still isn't sure the dire warnings everyone has been sharing with her are needed until a passel of dead people make their move. Now the supernatural has Emily's attention.
This is a quick, fun read. The author promises this is but an introduction to longer noves in the series. Longer would be better, I feel I was just starting to really like Emily as the story was wrapping up.
Emily is about to turn 16. Until now, she's lived a fairly normal life. So she can be excused for rolling her eyes when her aunt dramatically informs her the night before her birthday that she's about to become a very powerful witch. She scoffs right up until midnight, when she can suddenly see Peter, the ghost that's been living in her house this whole time, and hear the crow who knocks on her window to ask for a job. Emily still isn't sure the dire warnings everyone has been sharing with her are needed until a passel of dead people make their move. Now the supernatural has Emily's attention.
This is a quick, fun read. The author promises this is but an introduction to longer noves in the series. Longer would be better, I feel I was just starting to really like Emily as the story was wrapping up.
October 24, 2015
Ok. So I read this book as a part of a Halloween challenge. I liked the premise a lot.
However I had a problem with the way the story was written. Because of that I just couldn't get into it as much as I thought I would.
The narrative was very choppy and the main character seemed overly self-involved. There was little explanations given for why she didn't like her step-mother or step-brother other than the fact that they weren't related to her.
I appreciated the fact that we got to see her grow from the unconfident, self-obsessed teen into a more confident and aware person, so kudos for that.
However I had a problem with the way the story was written. Because of that I just couldn't get into it as much as I thought I would.
The narrative was very choppy and the main character seemed overly self-involved. There was little explanations given for why she didn't like her step-mother or step-brother other than the fact that they weren't related to her.
I appreciated the fact that we got to see her grow from the unconfident, self-obsessed teen into a more confident and aware person, so kudos for that.
November 29, 2015
What a great short story. I wish it would have continued!! When Emily turns 16, she finds out that she is a witch. Since her mom had passed years ago, and her father never talked about it, she never knew that on her 16th birthday, she would come into her powers.
Before that day, she was a normal girl, crushing on a boy for the first time and having to deal with her family. Now she has to deal with the fact that she can see ghosts, animals talk to her, oh yeah and she can raise the dead.
I definitely suggest this novella to anyone that loves paranormal and Halloween reads. Especially with a hint of romance! Definitely a five star read for me
Before that day, she was a normal girl, crushing on a boy for the first time and having to deal with her family. Now she has to deal with the fact that she can see ghosts, animals talk to her, oh yeah and she can raise the dead.
I definitely suggest this novella to anyone that loves paranormal and Halloween reads. Especially with a hint of romance! Definitely a five star read for me
November 18, 2016
Supernatural Touch Anthology
I didn't really like this one. Emily finds out she is going to turn into a witch at midnight. Being the daughter and granddaughter of witches and being born on Halloween menas she has to be extra careful because she will probably be powerful and Halloween is a magical day anyway. So with all of that you would think her aunt would have given her a little more warning than a few hours. Also, I just can't stand how dimwitted Emily was about trying to cast a spell on her own, I get she is 16 and immature but I just couldn't stop my eye rolls.
I didn't really like this one. Emily finds out she is going to turn into a witch at midnight. Being the daughter and granddaughter of witches and being born on Halloween menas she has to be extra careful because she will probably be powerful and Halloween is a magical day anyway. So with all of that you would think her aunt would have given her a little more warning than a few hours. Also, I just can't stand how dimwitted Emily was about trying to cast a spell on her own, I get she is 16 and immature but I just couldn't stop my eye rolls.
November 20, 2015
I don't normally like short stories. I've read a few and they didn't feel complete, more like a section of a story. This wasn't like that. It was simple, funny, a little silly and complete. It made me care about the characters. I adored Peter and even Emily after a bumpy start grew on me. I don't think I would have liked this as a full novel, Emily would drive me nuts and it would lose its quirky cool.
August 20, 2015
This was a really cute story. Definitely interested in reading more in this series.
Questions/Comments:
1. Why did Emily resent her father when he started dating again, 2 years prior? I mean her mother died when she was 5, I think it was? So he started dating when she was 14....Get over yourself Emily.
2. Why did her parents give her a black cloak for her b-day? I just found that kinda cheesy considering she had just found out she was a witch.
Questions/Comments:
1. Why did Emily resent her father when he started dating again, 2 years prior? I mean her mother died when she was 5, I think it was? So he started dating when she was 14....Get over yourself Emily.
2. Why did her parents give her a black cloak for her b-day? I just found that kinda cheesy considering she had just found out she was a witch.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2015
I like to read a book or two around the season and I thought this was a light read with a funny overtone about a young girl finding out she is a witch on her sixteenth birthday and of course trying a spell and you can imagine what could happen with a ghost and zombies. A great way to start the Magic & Mayhem YA series. I really enjoyed it even though it was short and I finished it in one sitting which is fine. Reading short stories don't hurt nothing once in a while.
October 19, 2015
Cute beginning to a series
The storyline was catchy, but the story was so short that the characters were never fully realized. I liked the banter and feel we could have learned more if the characters weren't rushed through the scenes. I see potential for the characters and would buy another of her books.
The storyline was catchy, but the story was so short that the characters were never fully realized. I liked the banter and feel we could have learned more if the characters weren't rushed through the scenes. I see potential for the characters and would buy another of her books.
October 27, 2015
This is a cute quick read about a young woman who came into her witchy powers on her 16th birthday. As you can imagine she has a few mistakes, and of course continues to try to correct them. I thought the story line was entertaining, I wish the author would have changed up the spells a little bit, they sounded identical to The House of Nights.
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