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Sabrina the Teenage Witch #2
Showdown at the Mall
Which witch wins?
Sabrina is determined to make it on mortal terms in the Teen Work Weekend project at the mall...even if she does use a little magic to land a job at the Too Chic Boutique. But Libby and her friends, Jo and Cici, are out to make Sabrina look like a fool and suddenly her magic isn't working!
Sabrina soon learns the reason: her newfound cousin Tanya, a full witch who swears she'll prove that her magic is stronger than Sabrina's. Even if it means threatening Sabrina's job and casting a spell over Harvey, too. But every time Sabrina tries to strike back, her spells boomerang and she's in worse shape than before. Her aunts say her must learn how to protect herself. This time she's on her own....
Sabrina is determined to make it on mortal terms in the Teen Work Weekend project at the mall...even if she does use a little magic to land a job at the Too Chic Boutique. But Libby and her friends, Jo and Cici, are out to make Sabrina look like a fool and suddenly her magic isn't working!
Sabrina soon learns the reason: her newfound cousin Tanya, a full witch who swears she'll prove that her magic is stronger than Sabrina's. Even if it means threatening Sabrina's job and casting a spell over Harvey, too. But every time Sabrina tries to strike back, her spells boomerang and she's in worse shape than before. Her aunts say her must learn how to protect herself. This time she's on her own....
160 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1997
5 people are currently reading
297 people want to read
About the author
Diana G. Gallagher
156 books54 followersDiana G. Gallagher was an American author who wrote books for children and young adults. She also wrote the space opera The Alien Dark (1990), but was best known for her tie-in work for television properties including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Charmed, Star Trek and The Secret World of Alex Mack, among others.
She was also a prolific filk creator, winning Pegasus Awards in 1986 and ’94. Gallagher won a Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist in 1988 under the name Diana Gallagher Wu. She sometimes also wrote under the name Diana Burke.
Born in 1946, in Paterson, New Jersey, she lived in Florida with her husband, the writer Martin R. Burke, who predeceased her in 2011. Gallagher was married four times; her third marriage was to author William F. Wu (divorced 1990).
Gallagher died December 2, 2021 of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at 75 years of age.
She was also a prolific filk creator, winning Pegasus Awards in 1986 and ’94. Gallagher won a Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist in 1988 under the name Diana Gallagher Wu. She sometimes also wrote under the name Diana Burke.
Born in 1946, in Paterson, New Jersey, she lived in Florida with her husband, the writer Martin R. Burke, who predeceased her in 2011. Gallagher was married four times; her third marriage was to author William F. Wu (divorced 1990).
Gallagher died December 2, 2021 of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at 75 years of age.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
August 23, 2023
Sabrina’s class has to work for a few days at the mall. Popular girl Libby tried to cheat to get the best job for herself at the trendy clothing shop “Too Chic.” Sabrina however used a little bit of magic to do the exact same thing. Libby is fuming and thirsting for vengeance. Sabrina then seems to have some very bad luck. Too many things go wrong to be a coincidence. And Sabrina realizes that her cruel visiting cousin Tanya might be behind all this. But Tanya is a much stronger witch than she is, so how could Sabrina possibly stop her?
A solid nostalgic read. Tanya is a pretty cool antagonist, and her teaming up with Libby is the icing on the cake. This would have been a fun TV episode, which is what these books really should be striving for. So no complaints from me. This book does exactly what it needed to do.
A solid nostalgic read. Tanya is a pretty cool antagonist, and her teaming up with Libby is the icing on the cake. This would have been a fun TV episode, which is what these books really should be striving for. So no complaints from me. This book does exactly what it needed to do.
October 4, 2020
Så mycket bättre när hela boken handlar om samma sak och inte små korta berättelser. Har även börjat se om på serien och jag känner mig som 15 igen (utan alla jobbiga känslor).
March 28, 2024
Picked this up because I thought it was the one in which Sabrina and her aunts get trapped in a magical mall (and I have nostalgic, if vague, feelings about that book), but...nope. Maybe that's book three. (Will have to read further; how sad.)
In Showdown at the Mall, Sabrina and her classmates are given weekend work assignments. Sabrina lucks out and gets her first-choice assignment at a chic store with hilariously awful-sounding clothing, but luck does not stay on her side—among other things, a random cousin of hers is in town and determined to create chaos. It's a test of...well, not epic proportions, but as it turns out, Sabrina has to prove her worth as a witch with a conscience (as opposed to a witch who is happy to wreak havoc in the mortal world, just for the fun of it). Never mind that her cousin, who wants nothing more than to wreak all the havoc and then leave the mortal realms and all the chaos she's created behind, doesn't seem to be held to the same standards...
Anyway, the plot itself is a bit silly and not much to write home about, but the clothing descriptions! It disturbs me that I remember all of this sounding very fashionable when I read it in the 90s/early aughts:
Jenny tugged on her multicolored paisley vest and smoothed her short skirt. (12)
Sabrina sifted through a rack of velour tunic tops and pulled out one in sea-foam green. "This is perfect for you. Especially if you coordinate it with those." Turning abruptly, Sabrina moved down the aisle to get a pair of dark green pants made of a tight stretch knit fabric. (27)
Inspired by the fashions depicted in a recent teen magazine, she had wished up a short, light-brown flared skirt, laced brown shoes with stubby two-inch heels, and a sky-blue Shaker sweater worn over a white knit shirt. (85)
The manager was looking fashionably hot in belted, dark brown, flared pants and a long-sleeved, light green blouse with a dramatically tapered collar. A scarf with a swirling pattern in shades of the same colors was loosely knotted around her neck, and brown platform shoes easily added three inches to her height. (95)
The cheerleader was wearing a stunning, loosely knit beige vest over a stylish light blue blouse tucked into a short, dark blue skirt. (114)
Never mind the plot, that's what I came here for.
In Showdown at the Mall, Sabrina and her classmates are given weekend work assignments. Sabrina lucks out and gets her first-choice assignment at a chic store with hilariously awful-sounding clothing, but luck does not stay on her side—among other things, a random cousin of hers is in town and determined to create chaos. It's a test of...well, not epic proportions, but as it turns out, Sabrina has to prove her worth as a witch with a conscience (as opposed to a witch who is happy to wreak havoc in the mortal world, just for the fun of it). Never mind that her cousin, who wants nothing more than to wreak all the havoc and then leave the mortal realms and all the chaos she's created behind, doesn't seem to be held to the same standards...
Anyway, the plot itself is a bit silly and not much to write home about, but the clothing descriptions! It disturbs me that I remember all of this sounding very fashionable when I read it in the 90s/early aughts:
Jenny tugged on her multicolored paisley vest and smoothed her short skirt. (12)
Sabrina sifted through a rack of velour tunic tops and pulled out one in sea-foam green. "This is perfect for you. Especially if you coordinate it with those." Turning abruptly, Sabrina moved down the aisle to get a pair of dark green pants made of a tight stretch knit fabric. (27)
Inspired by the fashions depicted in a recent teen magazine, she had wished up a short, light-brown flared skirt, laced brown shoes with stubby two-inch heels, and a sky-blue Shaker sweater worn over a white knit shirt. (85)
The manager was looking fashionably hot in belted, dark brown, flared pants and a long-sleeved, light green blouse with a dramatically tapered collar. A scarf with a swirling pattern in shades of the same colors was loosely knotted around her neck, and brown platform shoes easily added three inches to her height. (95)
The cheerleader was wearing a stunning, loosely knit beige vest over a stylish light blue blouse tucked into a short, dark blue skirt. (114)
Never mind the plot, that's what I came here for.
January 21, 2025
This tome was funny. I could see myself in Sabrina's shoes, bickering with my cousins in wizard duels.
Ce tome était comique. Je me voyais très bien à place de Sabrina à me chamailler avec mes cousines dans des duels de sorcier.
Ce tome était comique. Je me voyais très bien à place de Sabrina à me chamailler avec mes cousines dans des duels de sorcier.
July 18, 2022
4 stars - Dutch paperback
Review follows later
Review follows later
September 21, 2019
À semelhança do primeiro livro da série também gostei muito deste. A Tanya, prima da Sabrina, é realmente horrenda. Em muitos momentos dá vontade de lhe dar uma boa lição, penso que isso só mostra que a personagem foi bem feita pois o objetivo era efetivamente ser insuportável.
A Sabrina como sempre, apesar de jovem e inexperiente, mostrou que tem um bom coração.
A Sabrina como sempre, apesar de jovem e inexperiente, mostrou que tem um bom coração.
September 30, 2021
This is sort of an unusual book in the series. There's going to be a Teen Weekend Work Project where the students will pick a job from a job and work at the store for one weekend. They will have to have an interview to give them experience about those.
As expected Libby cheats because she wants a job at a fancy clothing store but Sabrina stops that and she ends up with the job, making Libby absolutely furious.
Her first day doesn't go well and when she gets home there's a strange girl in the house. Hilda and Zelda seem to be hiding something from Sabrina and the girl turns out to be about as nasty as a teenage girl can be. Then she teams up with Libby to make matters even worse for Sabrina.
Nothing seems to be beyond Tanya, the new girl, neither things nor people. This is where things get a little unbelievable as the damage is explained away with very, very thin reasons. Anyhow, Sabrina has to figure out how to stop the terrible duo, how to handle her second day of work at the clothing store, find out just why Tanya seems to absolutely hate Sabrina and find out just why this girl seems to have been pitted against her. (A vague reason is given but there are no details and it seems rather odd the way it stands.)
Not as good as the usual books in the series because of that.
As expected Libby cheats because she wants a job at a fancy clothing store but Sabrina stops that and she ends up with the job, making Libby absolutely furious.
Her first day doesn't go well and when she gets home there's a strange girl in the house. Hilda and Zelda seem to be hiding something from Sabrina and the girl turns out to be about as nasty as a teenage girl can be. Then she teams up with Libby to make matters even worse for Sabrina.
Nothing seems to be beyond Tanya, the new girl, neither things nor people. This is where things get a little unbelievable as the damage is explained away with very, very thin reasons. Anyhow, Sabrina has to figure out how to stop the terrible duo, how to handle her second day of work at the clothing store, find out just why Tanya seems to absolutely hate Sabrina and find out just why this girl seems to have been pitted against her. (A vague reason is given but there are no details and it seems rather odd the way it stands.)
Not as good as the usual books in the series because of that.
October 6, 2022
When Sabrina and her classmates have to work at the mall over the weekend in a work experience programme, Sabrina tells herself she can handle it. Until her cousin, full witch Tanya turns up.
Tanya takes a dislike to Sabrina and vows to prove to her she is a better witch, even if it means mortals get hurt in the crossfire between them.
This was a really fun read. It matched the tone and style of the TV series really well, which some TV themed novels don't do that well.
As it was a shorter read it definitely felt like it could have been another episode so I had a good time reading this one.
Tanya takes a dislike to Sabrina and vows to prove to her she is a better witch, even if it means mortals get hurt in the crossfire between them.
This was a really fun read. It matched the tone and style of the TV series really well, which some TV themed novels don't do that well.
As it was a shorter read it definitely felt like it could have been another episode so I had a good time reading this one.
November 25, 2025
I liked this story. It is different from the tv series (not matching a specific episode but taking inspiration from the show). Quite a few tv series characters are in this book as well as some new ones. I'm not the biggest fan of how the book series is written by different authors since their writing styles are so different, but this one was written quite well.
November 27, 2017
I first read this as a teenager when it was first released in 1997. Loved it then, I just finished reread it in a day 20 years later. it brings back fond memories. The story is well written and a easy and quick read.
September 12, 2019
rated mostly for nostalgic reasons but won't be in any rush to read more. not that i remember any of reading this as a kid. read most of them, i think. not as good as i remember. but still a quick, breezy read. just far fetched imo.
April 3, 2020
I read this book as a teen, and wanted to re-read it to see if I still enjoyed it at all. If you were a fan of the Sabrina the Teenage Witch TV show, then you will enjoy the books. This particular book was very nostalgic with the 90s mall culture woven into the plot. A light, fluffy read.
August 18, 2020
The villain did not have compelling motivation and the stakes of the conflict did not match the reality of the situation. All that trouble for a weekend. Also does not positive body image or perceptions of old age.
July 9, 2018
This was enjoyable. It felt like a bonus episode from the tv series.
August 22, 2023
A fun quick read
October 16, 2023
Bit of fun and nostalgia
May 5, 2024
Very good
July 24, 2025
It really deserves two stars (it was beyond nonsensical), but I am being generous because of my perpetual 90s nostalgia. You're welcome, Ms. Gallagher.
February 8, 2025
Another fun Sabrina story. Unsure if this has a correlating tv episode.
December 7, 2016
I found this book in the "free bin" at my favorite used book store. Having been a fan of the TV show, how could I say no. This novel proves to be an enjoyable read. The basic plot is that a distant cousin of Sabrina arrives in town because she needs to learn how to deal with mortals. Meanwhile, Sabrina and the gang have to each work for the week-end at different stores in the mall. It's a life lesson sponsored by the school. Between Libby (Sabrina's arch enemy)and the distant cousin making Sabrina's life miserable, things don't go well. The title of the book refers to the final showdown between Sabrina and her cousin. This novel is listed as young adult, and seems to tilt more to the young side then the adult side. It's a fun, quick read.
November 15, 2013
This was a cute read. It was like "seeing" an episode of Sabrina from the first season that I'd never seen. I love that Jenny is in these books because I always liked her way more than Val.
That being said, the plot of this one wasn't strong enough to carry the book. If this had been a TV episode, it would have definitely needed some sort of subplot with the aunts or Salem to round it out. I still enjoyed it for what it was, though.
Hopefully I can keep getting these through Interlibrary Loan since I'd really like to read the whole series. I wish I had known these existed when I was a kid!
That being said, the plot of this one wasn't strong enough to carry the book. If this had been a TV episode, it would have definitely needed some sort of subplot with the aunts or Salem to round it out. I still enjoyed it for what it was, though.
Hopefully I can keep getting these through Interlibrary Loan since I'd really like to read the whole series. I wish I had known these existed when I was a kid!
October 18, 2013
This is such a small book but it took me FOREVER to get through. I don't feel like the episodic storyform needed an entire book. I much preferred the first one that was broken into three small stories. The story itself wasn't bad, but it had a hard time keeping my interest and did not need to be that long-winded. Also, I feel as if over half of the book was setup and maybe the last chapter or so failed to resolve EVERYTHING.
** 2 STARS **
** 2 STARS **
April 27, 2012
I loved all of the Sabrina tales full of magic. Every story was a different adventure and some new and exciting challenge to overcome. These books made me want to have magical powers too but the ending results were hilarious.
June 16, 2016
Sabrina is a great character - a girl with magical powers! Who lives with her aunts and a talking cat. The stories with Jenny were by far the best - she was an unequalled companion to Sabrina, by far.
Fun story you will like, I recommend it.
Fun story you will like, I recommend it.
February 23, 2008
I used to love this T.V. show, along with the books.. now I don't care for both much anymore.
May 14, 2021
Ibland är det skönt att läsa lite gamla böcker från barndomen, nostalgi på hög nivå! Lustigt nog minndes jag det här boken ganska bra till skillnad från många andra jag läste som liten.
June 4, 2020
Honestly? This book was kinda lame. I love the series, but this book definitely wasn't one of my faves.
October 22, 2013
This book was okay... if you hadn't watched the tv show, it would have made no sense at all, but sense I have, the book was very fun and entertaining.
August 9, 2016
Awesome! Childhood memories learning how to read and watching this tv show as a faithful fan!!!! :)
June 2, 2014
One of my favorite Sabrina book as a kid! I also loved the scene when she invokes the shield.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews