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Magnolia League #2
The White Glove War
Every society has its secrets.
The members of Savannah's Magnolia League have it all: money, beauty, power, and love. Some may call them lucky, but we know better. Spells, potions, and conjures are a girl's best friends, and thanks to the Buzzards -- a legendary hoodoo family -- the Magnolias never run out of friends.
Golden girl Hayes Anderson would never dream of leaving the League or Savannah, where there's no problem that can't be fixed with a cup of Swamp Brew tea -- served in a bone china cup, of course -- and no boy who can't be won over with a Conjure Up a New Love spell.
But when danger lurks and family secrets are unearthed, Hayes discovers that her life may not be charmed after all.
Don't miss the second novel in Katie Crouch's enchanting and mysterious Magnolia League series.
The members of Savannah's Magnolia League have it all: money, beauty, power, and love. Some may call them lucky, but we know better. Spells, potions, and conjures are a girl's best friends, and thanks to the Buzzards -- a legendary hoodoo family -- the Magnolias never run out of friends.
Golden girl Hayes Anderson would never dream of leaving the League or Savannah, where there's no problem that can't be fixed with a cup of Swamp Brew tea -- served in a bone china cup, of course -- and no boy who can't be won over with a Conjure Up a New Love spell.
But when danger lurks and family secrets are unearthed, Hayes discovers that her life may not be charmed after all.
Don't miss the second novel in Katie Crouch's enchanting and mysterious Magnolia League series.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published July 3, 2012
48 people are currently reading
1814 people want to read
About the author
Katie Crouch
9 books430 followersKatie Crouch is the New York Times bestselling author of Girls in Trucks, Men and Dogs, and Abroad. Embassy Wife was optioned and is currently in development with 20th Television for series. She has also written essays for The New York Times, Slate, Salon, and Tin House. A former resident of Namibia and San Francisco, Crouch now lives in Vermont with her family and teaches creative writing at Dartmouth College.
Follow her on Instagram at @katiecrouchwrites.
Follow her on Instagram at @katiecrouchwrites.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
December 30, 2016
Really 1.5 stars
To see full review click here: http://yalbookbriefs.blogspot.com/201...
I read the first one and God was it awful. Which surprised me since Crouch was known for writing literary fiction. So she must know how to write, right? Well, let me say I was shocked and appalled a few months later when this little article came out: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/cu...
Ms. Crouch let me just give you some friendly marketing advice, don't insult your readers. YA fiction is one of the only fiction markets that's actually making money now these days and tons of people read them not just love triangle hungry hormonal teenagers like you think. Quality matters. Meaning, I don't want to read a book about a selfish little brat who thinks being a size six is fat (I kid you not, Alex in the Magnolia League thought being a size six was fat) and constantly moans about no longer being allowed to live on the pot commune that she grew up on.
Actual Review:
So I think I'm going to put my review in context to the Slate Article. While the article was apparently written as satire a la Twain. I couldn't help but think of it when I read the book and shook my head and certain points of the story. Were some of these mistakes done on purposes. Let's see:
I pulled out these two quotes from the Slate Article because I think they're relevant to analyzing the work as a whole. I should mention that like Crouch and Hendrix I have a degree in Creative Writing. And I've seen the whole literature vs genre writing debate in action. And yes, there are people who actually talk like this for real, so even though it's said to be in jest. The paranoid me can't help but wonder....
Anyway, their intentions are not relevant now. What's relevant is the problems I found in The White Glove War and how they apply to these quotes.
Let's first talk about the first quote. So essentially the jist of the quote is after that a rather unfunny joke about sex in YA (which I'll get to more of in a minute) they then discuss how writing the these scenes were hilarious and cringe worthy.
Well, they're right. Not about the sex scenes per say-becuase there was no sex in the book- but the writing was very cringe worthy. It's like they're either trying to speak teen, or info dumping, or using bad fake dialect . Writing dialogue isn't really a difficult task. Just be natural. If you think the lines sound cheesy more than likely they do. And boy were there some cheesy lines in The White Glove War. Here are just a few little gems:
Um, who actually talks this way? Save for Janice on the Muppets. And what does jonesing mean...oh, thank God for Urban Dictionary. That's all I can say. And it's not an isolated incident....
Seriously, is everybody in this book on the set of Wayne's World. And yet it continues....
This is their attempt to be regional. Rather, it just flops in my opinion. Look, I live in the South. I have heard various forms of Southern dialect. People do not talk like this. At least no one I know.
I hate to say this but the unnaturalness of the dialogue carried on to the rest of the book. Characters weren't developed. They all seemed flat, dispensable, and the same went with the relationships. Honestly, I didn't get the love between Thaddeus and Alex that supposedly willed her to go come back to life. And for that matter, I found Thaddeus to be a bit annoying. He claimed to love Alex before her hoodoo induced makeover. But I specifically remember in the first book he didn't even look her way until she had dropped fifteen pounds and had perfect hair.
Maybe the lack of relationships is their way of keeping the book chaste. Honestly, I think if that's the case they'd be better just leaving out the romance all together. Plus, if that was really the case you know there are some pretty good YA romances out there without sex.
As for the second quote, I get that YA books come out faster than other books, but it's really about how you pace your workload. Plus, I know that there are some authors who delay publication of their book and things work out for the better.
Look, I'm not judging them. I get that writing is a tough business. But I'm just saying, if you time manage your work it's not as difficult as it's made out to be. Plus, literary books are usually a lot longer than YA books are and the publishing contracts differ as well.
That being said, I could definitely see why Crouch and Hendrix wanted more time on this book. It was a mess. Pacing and structure wise that is. The book opens with this weird prologue that is really sort of jarring if you consider the cliffhanger form the other book. In general, the whole book seems choppy. I did like the fact that they included Hayes here but she was only a bit character in the first book and the introduction to her....oh dear. It reminded me heavily of one of those old Babysitters Club books where the first chapter is spent explaining what happened in the last installment and describing the characters. However, the heavy exposition wasn't the most grating thing about the structure of the book I think it was the shifts from first to third. I don't know but I can handle shifting point of views when it's in the same person, but when you go from first to third it just seems really fan fiction like. The plot was jarring as well. A lot of times I got lost in the pacing of it and just didn't know what to make of it. Though despite these problems, somehow I was able to get through it pretty quickly (or maybe that was because I had a headache this evening and just wanted to do something that didn't involve me researching Aviation Law).
Best Feature: Hayes. I actually have to give the books pointers from introducing Hayes. She's the only reason I got through it as fast as I did and she provides some much needed sanity to this series. And she's a real character. Though I do feel like people walk on her a wee bit too much because of stupid Alex. But whatever.
Worst Feature: Body Image: I really don't know what Crouch and Hendrix are thinking, but a size six isn't fat. And for that matter it's not puppy fat either. Did you know the average American woman wears a size fourteen? Saying that a six is fat and for that matter alluding to the fact that being a zero is sort of chubby (yep, they allude to that) just pisses me off. In fact, I ate a big bowl of ice cream just to show my spite for this book. Look, people's bodies differ. Not everyone is meant to be a size zero. And what is this, like third grade? Body image is already a huge problem in several areas of the world. Especially when it concerns teenage girls. People die because of these issues. And having this magical fix where you can instantly lose weight while eating a ton of food, you want to know what it sounds like to me...bulimia.
Yep, magical bulimia.
I freaking kid you not. I don't think this was what the authors intended (I would at least hope not), but it just rubbed me the wrong way.
You know, as much as I had issues with Size 12 and Ready to Rock I have to applaud Meg Cabot on how she handled the whole body image thing. Heather makes a girl any size feel good about themselves (especially in the early books), Alex not so much.
Appropriateness: Ha! With lessons like it's okay to change your own appearance, and essentially magical eating disorders. I hardly would want any impressionable teenage girl reading this. Plus, there are some pretty macabre scenes as well. Oh, and teen drinking too.
To see full review click here: http://yalbookbriefs.blogspot.com/201...
I read the first one and God was it awful. Which surprised me since Crouch was known for writing literary fiction. So she must know how to write, right? Well, let me say I was shocked and appalled a few months later when this little article came out: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/cu...
Ms. Crouch let me just give you some friendly marketing advice, don't insult your readers. YA fiction is one of the only fiction markets that's actually making money now these days and tons of people read them not just love triangle hungry hormonal teenagers like you think. Quality matters. Meaning, I don't want to read a book about a selfish little brat who thinks being a size six is fat (I kid you not, Alex in the Magnolia League thought being a size six was fat) and constantly moans about no longer being allowed to live on the pot commune that she grew up on.
Actual Review:
So I think I'm going to put my review in context to the Slate Article. While the article was apparently written as satire a la Twain. I couldn't help but think of it when I read the book and shook my head and certain points of the story. Were some of these mistakes done on purposes. Let's see:
"It would be creepy if we included explicit sex scenes with glistening young skin and heaving young bosoms, but we keep it on the clean side. This isn't Twilight. No slutty werewolves here. Mostly we pass the rare sex scenes in outline form back and forth between us like a ticking time bomb until one of us bites the bullet and puts it on paper. When it's completed, the other one innocently asks to make a pass "for editing" and then reads it aloud in a mocking voice and turns the most embarrassing lines into an email signature."
"What neither of us was prepared for was the insane pace. There's a reason that so many Y.A. series are written by collaborators: The timetable is crazy. Katie, having come out of an M.F.A. background where the rule was that good writing requires rumination, pain, and the slow loss of your best years, fought the craziness at first. But readers in Y.A. don't care about rumination. They don't want you to pore over your sentences trying to find the perfect turn of phrase that evokes the exact color of the shag carpeting in your living room when your dad walked out on your mom one autumn afternoon in 1973. They want you to tell a story. In Y.A. you write two or three drafts of a chapter, not eight. When kids like one book, they want the next one. Now. You need to deliver."
I pulled out these two quotes from the Slate Article because I think they're relevant to analyzing the work as a whole. I should mention that like Crouch and Hendrix I have a degree in Creative Writing. And I've seen the whole literature vs genre writing debate in action. And yes, there are people who actually talk like this for real, so even though it's said to be in jest. The paranoid me can't help but wonder....
Anyway, their intentions are not relevant now. What's relevant is the problems I found in The White Glove War and how they apply to these quotes.
Let's first talk about the first quote. So essentially the jist of the quote is after that a rather unfunny joke about sex in YA (which I'll get to more of in a minute) they then discuss how writing the these scenes were hilarious and cringe worthy.
Well, they're right. Not about the sex scenes per say-becuase there was no sex in the book- but the writing was very cringe worthy. It's like they're either trying to speak teen, or info dumping, or using bad fake dialect . Writing dialogue isn't really a difficult task. Just be natural. If you think the lines sound cheesy more than likely they do. And boy were there some cheesy lines in The White Glove War. Here are just a few little gems:
" 'Hi,' Alex says. She hesitates, then hugs me. 'Oh, dude. I've missed hanging out! We've hardly talked since the Christmas Ball, except for that meeting, and that barely counts. I've been jonesing for a download.' " (Crouch and Hendrix, 57).
Um, who actually talks this way? Save for Janice on the Muppets. And what does jonesing mean...oh, thank God for Urban Dictionary. That's all I can say. And it's not an isolated incident....
" 'Dude, you've been totally MIA,' he says. 'Plus the Baby Maggots are all over your butt, man. And not in a good way. It's like you pepper-sprayed their Hanky Pankys or something." (82).
Seriously, is everybody in this book on the set of Wayne's World. And yet it continues....
"'We live near Doc' cause he's old and he needs us, you little crab. Eat your stew. You're such a skinny little shrimp that even a hungry shrimp would throw you back.'"
This is their attempt to be regional. Rather, it just flops in my opinion. Look, I live in the South. I have heard various forms of Southern dialect. People do not talk like this. At least no one I know.
I hate to say this but the unnaturalness of the dialogue carried on to the rest of the book. Characters weren't developed. They all seemed flat, dispensable, and the same went with the relationships. Honestly, I didn't get the love between Thaddeus and Alex that supposedly willed her to go come back to life. And for that matter, I found Thaddeus to be a bit annoying. He claimed to love Alex before her hoodoo induced makeover. But I specifically remember in the first book he didn't even look her way until she had dropped fifteen pounds and had perfect hair.
Maybe the lack of relationships is their way of keeping the book chaste. Honestly, I think if that's the case they'd be better just leaving out the romance all together. Plus, if that was really the case you know there are some pretty good YA romances out there without sex.
As for the second quote, I get that YA books come out faster than other books, but it's really about how you pace your workload. Plus, I know that there are some authors who delay publication of their book and things work out for the better.
Look, I'm not judging them. I get that writing is a tough business. But I'm just saying, if you time manage your work it's not as difficult as it's made out to be. Plus, literary books are usually a lot longer than YA books are and the publishing contracts differ as well.
That being said, I could definitely see why Crouch and Hendrix wanted more time on this book. It was a mess. Pacing and structure wise that is. The book opens with this weird prologue that is really sort of jarring if you consider the cliffhanger form the other book. In general, the whole book seems choppy. I did like the fact that they included Hayes here but she was only a bit character in the first book and the introduction to her....oh dear. It reminded me heavily of one of those old Babysitters Club books where the first chapter is spent explaining what happened in the last installment and describing the characters. However, the heavy exposition wasn't the most grating thing about the structure of the book I think it was the shifts from first to third. I don't know but I can handle shifting point of views when it's in the same person, but when you go from first to third it just seems really fan fiction like. The plot was jarring as well. A lot of times I got lost in the pacing of it and just didn't know what to make of it. Though despite these problems, somehow I was able to get through it pretty quickly (or maybe that was because I had a headache this evening and just wanted to do something that didn't involve me researching Aviation Law).
Best Feature: Hayes. I actually have to give the books pointers from introducing Hayes. She's the only reason I got through it as fast as I did and she provides some much needed sanity to this series. And she's a real character. Though I do feel like people walk on her a wee bit too much because of stupid Alex. But whatever.
Worst Feature: Body Image: I really don't know what Crouch and Hendrix are thinking, but a size six isn't fat. And for that matter it's not puppy fat either. Did you know the average American woman wears a size fourteen? Saying that a six is fat and for that matter alluding to the fact that being a zero is sort of chubby (yep, they allude to that) just pisses me off. In fact, I ate a big bowl of ice cream just to show my spite for this book. Look, people's bodies differ. Not everyone is meant to be a size zero. And what is this, like third grade? Body image is already a huge problem in several areas of the world. Especially when it concerns teenage girls. People die because of these issues. And having this magical fix where you can instantly lose weight while eating a ton of food, you want to know what it sounds like to me...bulimia.
Yep, magical bulimia.
I freaking kid you not. I don't think this was what the authors intended (I would at least hope not), but it just rubbed me the wrong way.
You know, as much as I had issues with Size 12 and Ready to Rock I have to applaud Meg Cabot on how she handled the whole body image thing. Heather makes a girl any size feel good about themselves (especially in the early books), Alex not so much.
Appropriateness: Ha! With lessons like it's okay to change your own appearance, and essentially magical eating disorders. I hardly would want any impressionable teenage girl reading this. Plus, there are some pretty macabre scenes as well. Oh, and teen drinking too.
June 13, 2012
Review for the White Glove War, Magnolia League, by Katie Crouch and Grady Hendrix:
*This copy is an ARC received from Goodreads First Reads for free, (won) Thank you!
I have to say: I am genuinely intrigued by this series. I don’t normally like books with an alternating POV between two characters unless it’s really-really-really good, and I have to admit that I actually enjoyed this one. The world of hoodoo magic is beautifully crafted and well written.
Let’s start with the characters. I found some of them intriguing, but a bit catty at times. Alex and Hayes are both dealing with their own set of issues, but they have one thing in common: it’s their overbearing grandmothers. Those two were bundles of absolute craziness at some points in the book. Then there’s Thaddeus, Hayes brother. I can’t help but feel a little bad for him, but I won’t say why—too many spoilers there.
The plot is well thought out. The story kept me guessing the entire time, and I couldn’t figure out who had done what until the very last second. The whole concept of a league of women using charms and tricks to keep their beauty, their money, and their status in society is just plain freaking brilliant! I can’t wait to see where the next book takes this series. I’m definitely giving it five stars.
*This copy is an ARC received from Goodreads First Reads for free, (won) Thank you!
I have to say: I am genuinely intrigued by this series. I don’t normally like books with an alternating POV between two characters unless it’s really-really-really good, and I have to admit that I actually enjoyed this one. The world of hoodoo magic is beautifully crafted and well written.
Let’s start with the characters. I found some of them intriguing, but a bit catty at times. Alex and Hayes are both dealing with their own set of issues, but they have one thing in common: it’s their overbearing grandmothers. Those two were bundles of absolute craziness at some points in the book. Then there’s Thaddeus, Hayes brother. I can’t help but feel a little bad for him, but I won’t say why—too many spoilers there.
The plot is well thought out. The story kept me guessing the entire time, and I couldn’t figure out who had done what until the very last second. The whole concept of a league of women using charms and tricks to keep their beauty, their money, and their status in society is just plain freaking brilliant! I can’t wait to see where the next book takes this series. I’m definitely giving it five stars.
May 3, 2012
Oh yeah, this is a great one too! (Am I allowed to do this??)
June 20, 2012
I love the idea behind this series, where you have the power (through hoodoo) to completely transform your life and that the ease of having the perfect life without necessarily having to work for it could corrupt you. I think it would require an incredibly strong person to be able to have that kind of power without abusing it or being changed by it. The characters in these books are not incredibly strong people.
I'm not sure what it says about me that I enjoy stories about people being corrupted. (I also enjoy redemption stories, and I'm pretty sure that's what the next book in this series will be.)
There will be at least one more novel and I do look forward to reading it. These are total guilty pleasures. There was an interview with the author last year where she said (and I'm paraphrasing) that it's easy to write YA because you just do action and not worry about nuance. You can definitely tell that is her opinion in these books (Hayes and Alexandria's narratives both sound similar and sometimes I had to flip to see who was talking) but it's definitely entertaining. I wouldn't expect a lifechanging story but it'll give you a fun few hours.
I'm not sure what it says about me that I enjoy stories about people being corrupted. (I also enjoy redemption stories, and I'm pretty sure that's what the next book in this series will be.)
There will be at least one more novel and I do look forward to reading it. These are total guilty pleasures. There was an interview with the author last year where she said (and I'm paraphrasing) that it's easy to write YA because you just do action and not worry about nuance. You can definitely tell that is her opinion in these books (Hayes and Alexandria's narratives both sound similar and sometimes I had to flip to see who was talking) but it's definitely entertaining. I wouldn't expect a lifechanging story but it'll give you a fun few hours.
June 21, 2020
I would rank this book higher, because I did like it a lot. Crouch did an amazing job making sure we weren't just following a repeat of the last story. But I cant bring myself to give it higher than a 2 because of Crouch's attitude towards her readers. I loved these stories, but she refused to write the next because she didn't have a bigger fan base. She has now belittled the importance of her current fan base. Maybe I wouldn't be as salty if she hadn't left us with such a cliff hanger.
February 22, 2019
Just upset the third book doesn’t seem to be happening and we are left with a non ending
June 15, 2012
Read the review on my blog:
http://thaliasbooks.tumblr.com/post/2...
http://thaliasbooks.tumblr.com/post/2...
March 27, 2019
There isn't a sequel...there's still loose ends! 😕
December 29, 2022
May not have read the book that preceded this one. A clan of "southern belles" use witchcraft to entice romantic entanglements and glamorize their appearance. As expected, competition for status and beaus leads to using the dark arts against one another with dire consequences.
August 1, 2012
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Power is a privilege and the Magnolia League is about to learn the true meaning of friends, family, and loyalty.
Opening Sentence: There is life and there is death, but on the border, where one shades into the other, there is the In Between.
The Review:
Katie Crouch teamed up with Grady Hendrix for the second book in the Magnolia League series, The White Glove War. I was excited to see what was up next for the proper ladies of Savannah. From the end of The Magnolia League, a lot has happened to our Alexandria “Alex” Lee. She has become a Magnolia, the epitome of prestige high society, along with the expectations and proper etiquette that you could imagine. Alex has struggled to accept the changes and many secrets that have been revealed to her. But in the end, she has learned to accept them, all for the sake of her mom and the one person she truly loved.
The White Glove War picks up about a couple of months after the end of The Magnolia League. Alex has fully immersed herself as her grandmother’s protégé and future leader of The Magnolias. She has since then stayed by her grandmother’s side, reflecting the perfect image of a Magnolia, fulfilling every expectation that her grandmother has.
Alex has definitely changed in The White Glove War. Regardless of her intentions, she has become a woman who has come into her own. Even with or without her grandmother’s guidance, Alex has become determined to achieve her goals. Personally, I think Alex has gone beyond the point of reasoning, forgetting about who she was, all to bring back her mom. Her strength grows, and I think it is a testament of the character that she has become and the authors’ abilities to develop her as one. But I will say, her strength also becomes her downfall, changing her priorities and hurting so many.
Hayes was a breath of fresh air, really. While I questioned her part in The White Glove War, I quickly fell in love with her and her world. It was nice to see another life affected by the Magnolias, another person who is ruled by the expectations and rules set by other women. I understand loyalty between families and friends, and I also understand not wanting to disappoint family, but I sympathized for Hayes, being an obedient daughter and granddaughter.
The White Glove War has a slightly different world than The Magnolia League. There was a lot going on, especially with two points of view, but there was also a lot in general. From the main plot to the sub-plots, I felt a little distracted, not completely sure where to train my focus. From the happenings in Savannah to the Buzzards’ home, and to the unknowns that you will read later, I felt the story was just trying to fill in gaps. But you’ll see when you read it.
In The Magnolia League, Crouch has teamed with Hendrix to write an alternating point-of-view story, between Alex and Hayes. There are many fascinating contrasts and similarities between the two ladies, from their inner thoughts and their surroundings. As the reader, we see the inside secrets that haunt them both. I’m assuming since there are two authors, it was the cause for the darkness of the story. Both Crouch and Hendrix brought the dark and deep secrets of Hoodoo out, and while the series has a fondness for magic that shouldn’t be trifled with, The Magnolia League surely adds to the vivid imagery to haunt your dreams.
I didn’t enjoy this as much as I was expecting to. I absolutely loved The Magnolia League, but I didn’t as much for The White Glove War. I felt that there were tiny gaps within the story, the characters, and just everywhere else. I felt like the writing wasn’t as amazing as with the first book, and maybe that’s due to the change of author and writing styles, or even the alternating POVs. Oh, I have to add, this wasn’t written in first-person either. Some chapters switched to third-person. But, I will say this, I am still curious enough to read the follow up.
Notable Scene:
He’s there, of course. So close. And he’s horrible. Furious. He tries to move forward but literally can’t. After two more attempts, he lets out the worst, most guttural scream I’ve ever heard. This is what hell would sound like if it were a person.
I pray he’s going to stop now, but no. He keeps bellowing, making his awful, furious, yawping howl, turnning my blood to ice. I put my head down on my knees and squeeze my eyes shut so hard I see spots. Please please please, I chant. Please please please. For now, the words are all I know. All I remember.
FTC Advisory: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers provided me with a copy of The White Glove War. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Power is a privilege and the Magnolia League is about to learn the true meaning of friends, family, and loyalty.
Opening Sentence: There is life and there is death, but on the border, where one shades into the other, there is the In Between.
The Review:
Katie Crouch teamed up with Grady Hendrix for the second book in the Magnolia League series, The White Glove War. I was excited to see what was up next for the proper ladies of Savannah. From the end of The Magnolia League, a lot has happened to our Alexandria “Alex” Lee. She has become a Magnolia, the epitome of prestige high society, along with the expectations and proper etiquette that you could imagine. Alex has struggled to accept the changes and many secrets that have been revealed to her. But in the end, she has learned to accept them, all for the sake of her mom and the one person she truly loved.
The White Glove War picks up about a couple of months after the end of The Magnolia League. Alex has fully immersed herself as her grandmother’s protégé and future leader of The Magnolias. She has since then stayed by her grandmother’s side, reflecting the perfect image of a Magnolia, fulfilling every expectation that her grandmother has.
Alex has definitely changed in The White Glove War. Regardless of her intentions, she has become a woman who has come into her own. Even with or without her grandmother’s guidance, Alex has become determined to achieve her goals. Personally, I think Alex has gone beyond the point of reasoning, forgetting about who she was, all to bring back her mom. Her strength grows, and I think it is a testament of the character that she has become and the authors’ abilities to develop her as one. But I will say, her strength also becomes her downfall, changing her priorities and hurting so many.
Hayes was a breath of fresh air, really. While I questioned her part in The White Glove War, I quickly fell in love with her and her world. It was nice to see another life affected by the Magnolias, another person who is ruled by the expectations and rules set by other women. I understand loyalty between families and friends, and I also understand not wanting to disappoint family, but I sympathized for Hayes, being an obedient daughter and granddaughter.
The White Glove War has a slightly different world than The Magnolia League. There was a lot going on, especially with two points of view, but there was also a lot in general. From the main plot to the sub-plots, I felt a little distracted, not completely sure where to train my focus. From the happenings in Savannah to the Buzzards’ home, and to the unknowns that you will read later, I felt the story was just trying to fill in gaps. But you’ll see when you read it.
In The Magnolia League, Crouch has teamed with Hendrix to write an alternating point-of-view story, between Alex and Hayes. There are many fascinating contrasts and similarities between the two ladies, from their inner thoughts and their surroundings. As the reader, we see the inside secrets that haunt them both. I’m assuming since there are two authors, it was the cause for the darkness of the story. Both Crouch and Hendrix brought the dark and deep secrets of Hoodoo out, and while the series has a fondness for magic that shouldn’t be trifled with, The Magnolia League surely adds to the vivid imagery to haunt your dreams.
I didn’t enjoy this as much as I was expecting to. I absolutely loved The Magnolia League, but I didn’t as much for The White Glove War. I felt that there were tiny gaps within the story, the characters, and just everywhere else. I felt like the writing wasn’t as amazing as with the first book, and maybe that’s due to the change of author and writing styles, or even the alternating POVs. Oh, I have to add, this wasn’t written in first-person either. Some chapters switched to third-person. But, I will say this, I am still curious enough to read the follow up.
Notable Scene:
He’s there, of course. So close. And he’s horrible. Furious. He tries to move forward but literally can’t. After two more attempts, he lets out the worst, most guttural scream I’ve ever heard. This is what hell would sound like if it were a person.
I pray he’s going to stop now, but no. He keeps bellowing, making his awful, furious, yawping howl, turnning my blood to ice. I put my head down on my knees and squeeze my eyes shut so hard I see spots. Please please please, I chant. Please please please. For now, the words are all I know. All I remember.
FTC Advisory: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers provided me with a copy of The White Glove War. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
December 31, 2015
While I personally enjoyed this series, I realized after reading the books that a lot of people on Goodreads did not enjoy it at all. In fact, the first few reviews I stumbled upon gave it a 1 star. I honestly found that surprisingly. Though it certainly does not warrant a 5 star for either books, I did not find the books to be appalling. In fact, I found them both quite enjoyable with a few exceptions, of course. Also, I’m fairly certain there is supposed to be a third book because the second book left a lot of questions unanswered and honestly, it was a cliffhanger but since the book was published in 2012, it’s been 3 years and there is no news about a third book so perhaps not. It really does leave the readers wondering about a few certain key things, though.
The beginning of the book definitely had an interesting premise. The main character, Alex, just lost her mother from a car accident and was forced to move to Savannah, Georgia where her grandmother resided rather than stay at the nature/pot/hippie farm in California. She certainly had a lot of attitude and wasn’t afraid to speak her mind about saving the environment, and other related topics. She didn’t understand the use of expensive clothes when everything she owned were hand-me-downs. The one thing that kept circling was Alex’s size – I guess she was fat but it was never really detailed on how fat she was which I honestly thought was strange because she barely ate any sweets, ate super healthy since she grew up on a hippie farm, yet was somehow fat? So either she wasn’t really “fat” or had some sort of genetic disorder that caused her to gain weight like no other. I wished the author went into detail because it would’ve helped me in picturing her in my head. After all of the hoodoo/magic spells that were going on, she lost a ton of weight and became like a normal Magnolia girl – less snarky, more pretentious, more bimbo-like and significantly less brain cells. While this was unfortunate, I still felt that deep down, she was still the same but more cynical on life.
Hayes and Madison came across as the typical bitches you would find in a high school and it wasn’t until the second half of the book that their southern sweetness came shining through. I felt that the transition between the awkward friendship between them and Alex and the sisterhood of the Magnolia league was a bit odd since it was clear they didn’t like each other and was in fact forced to hang out with her but then somehow, towards the second half, they became super close friends and Alex would trust them with her life. I just wish the transition was a bit smoother.
The romance between Alex and Thaddeus was also a bit bland. I didn’t see any interest from Thaddeus’ side until after Alex turned skinny whereas from Alex, she found him incredibly attractive but that was it. There weren’t any deep interest between the two of them – in fact, I got the impression that they liked each other because Alex found him attractive and after she lost weight from the magic spells, he liked how she looked. It just seemed very shallow but somehow they were in love by the second book so I was a little confused by that. I wish the romance was portrayed in a better way.
Overall, I still enjoyed both books but I wish the ending of the second book was more conclusive rather than leaving it incredibly open-ended. Otherwise, I guess I would recommend to those who are interested in magic in a southern setting.
The beginning of the book definitely had an interesting premise. The main character, Alex, just lost her mother from a car accident and was forced to move to Savannah, Georgia where her grandmother resided rather than stay at the nature/pot/hippie farm in California. She certainly had a lot of attitude and wasn’t afraid to speak her mind about saving the environment, and other related topics. She didn’t understand the use of expensive clothes when everything she owned were hand-me-downs. The one thing that kept circling was Alex’s size – I guess she was fat but it was never really detailed on how fat she was which I honestly thought was strange because she barely ate any sweets, ate super healthy since she grew up on a hippie farm, yet was somehow fat? So either she wasn’t really “fat” or had some sort of genetic disorder that caused her to gain weight like no other. I wished the author went into detail because it would’ve helped me in picturing her in my head. After all of the hoodoo/magic spells that were going on, she lost a ton of weight and became like a normal Magnolia girl – less snarky, more pretentious, more bimbo-like and significantly less brain cells. While this was unfortunate, I still felt that deep down, she was still the same but more cynical on life.
Hayes and Madison came across as the typical bitches you would find in a high school and it wasn’t until the second half of the book that their southern sweetness came shining through. I felt that the transition between the awkward friendship between them and Alex and the sisterhood of the Magnolia league was a bit odd since it was clear they didn’t like each other and was in fact forced to hang out with her but then somehow, towards the second half, they became super close friends and Alex would trust them with her life. I just wish the transition was a bit smoother.
The romance between Alex and Thaddeus was also a bit bland. I didn’t see any interest from Thaddeus’ side until after Alex turned skinny whereas from Alex, she found him incredibly attractive but that was it. There weren’t any deep interest between the two of them – in fact, I got the impression that they liked each other because Alex found him attractive and after she lost weight from the magic spells, he liked how she looked. It just seemed very shallow but somehow they were in love by the second book so I was a little confused by that. I wish the romance was portrayed in a better way.
Overall, I still enjoyed both books but I wish the ending of the second book was more conclusive rather than leaving it incredibly open-ended. Otherwise, I guess I would recommend to those who are interested in magic in a southern setting.
July 19, 2017
This series confounded me. On the one hand, the premise was great, just really fantastic, and some of the writing was borderline inspired (especially in the first book). There were parts of the writing that honestly reminded me of the Beautiful Creatures books which I think are beautifully written (higher praise from me is nearly impossible to garner). The Garcia books do a spectacular job of transporting you straight back in time with their gothic old world feel and southern charm which can only be found in a precious few southern cities and towns in America. Unfortunately, that was where the praise ends.
Despite having one of the more interesting and unique storylines I'd read in awhile, it was poorly executed. While the narration was well written and almost poetic at times, the dialog was asinine and the characters had no depth. It was seriously like literary fiction on one page and then idiotic conversation from shallow characters behaving inanely for no apparent reason on the next. It could have been so much better than it was.
The only reason I even picked up the second book was because of that writing ability I glimpsed in the first book. I had high hopes that Crouch might redeem herself in the second book and make her characters come alive like she had made the scene come alive. To see if she'd learned to write a dialogue that didn't seem superficial and awkward and to create a character that the reader could actually care about! I wanted it to be good, and it had the ability to be good, but it fell so far short.
That being said, the story was ok and I didn't have to force myself to read it for the few hours it took. As a sidenote, I was slightly annoyed by the fact that they didn't really wrap up the story very well since it appears that there will be no third book. It's been several years since the last one was published and I couldn't find anything indicating that a 3rd was in the works. I can only assume that the publisher probably gave up too, realizing that no matter how great the premise and setting were, Crouch wasn't going to be able to reach an audience with the one dimensional characters she'd created.
October 1, 2014
I'm so confused!
At the end of the last book, which ended with the Christmas Ball, Hayes hates Alex. Apparently no time has passed and no explanation is given, but at the beginning of this book Hayes is still calling Alex her friend and is defending her.
Also, there are references to "late winter" and several weeks passing, but then the memorial service is held on New Year's Eve. Wait -- what? Christmas is only six days before New Year's Eve. Even if the Christmas Ball was held on the first of December (which wouldn't work out in the first book), that is still only one month, and New Year's Day is EARLY winter.
Obviously, the continuity editor was on holiday -- that one between Christmas and New Year. There were fewer typos in this book, but it makes no sense.
Oh, and Coachwhip snakes are NOT venomous, although they will bite 'ambitiously' if provoked. I'm not a big fan of snakes, but I would hate for a beneficial variety (they eat other snakes, including Pygmy rattlers) to be hunted to extinction based on the sloppy telling of a myth. The myth was they would check for breath with their tails and then whip the victim repeatedly -- they don't do that, either.
At the end of the last book, which ended with the Christmas Ball, Hayes hates Alex. Apparently no time has passed and no explanation is given, but at the beginning of this book Hayes is still calling Alex her friend and is defending her.
Also, there are references to "late winter" and several weeks passing, but then the memorial service is held on New Year's Eve. Wait -- what? Christmas is only six days before New Year's Eve. Even if the Christmas Ball was held on the first of December (which wouldn't work out in the first book), that is still only one month, and New Year's Day is EARLY winter.
Obviously, the continuity editor was on holiday -- that one between Christmas and New Year. There were fewer typos in this book, but it makes no sense.
Oh, and Coachwhip snakes are NOT venomous, although they will bite 'ambitiously' if provoked. I'm not a big fan of snakes, but I would hate for a beneficial variety (they eat other snakes, including Pygmy rattlers) to be hunted to extinction based on the sloppy telling of a myth. The myth was they would check for breath with their tails and then whip the victim repeatedly -- they don't do that, either.
January 11, 2013
I really fell in love with the original Magnolia League because I thought Alexandria was an amazing girl who had suffered so much, and now you pile on a secret society with rituals and freaky spells. It made for the perfect mix of mystery and supernatural in my opinion. The White Glove War is still a very worthy successor. The White Glove War lets us see the action from both Alex and Hayes, which is a nice change from The Magnolia League which was only from Alex's view. This also makes it not as gripping as the first book, and I feel like there are things missing along the way. But I still loved the hoodoo and wild freaky dark magic that flows throughout the book. What was really interesting was seeing just how much the grandmothers in the League are so embroiled in their own crazy feuds that they risk not only their own lives, but those of their granddaughters as well. More than once I wanted to shake them around and make them sit in a corner!! Still, its a quick read and the spooky events will burrow their way into your dreams at night(like they have mine), so its best not to read this at home. Alone. In a dark room. With a storm going on outside.
September 18, 2013
Why was this book so freakin' awesome?!?!?! Absolutely loved it!! I am glad that Alex and Thad were able to reconnect I thought they were perfect for each other. Seriously though why would a mother to something like Hayes' mother did to anyone?!?! To pretty much sale your daughter's soul to the devil jut to get her ahead is crazy to me. Hayes and Alex's friendship almost ends because of what Hayes'mother does and thanks to their friend Madison, Hayes sees that it is not Alex that is out to get her but her own mother. Everybody breaks the rules from time to time but all the rule breaking going on is this book makes it worth the read. There is one thing I could have done without...Sina Buzzard!! I hope that little sneak gets what is coming to her!!! Alex put her trust in Sina to help her free her mother and Sina used it to her advantage. Alex's mother is free but Alex almost dies. You will not want to put this book down once you start it. I cannot wait for book three!!!
September 28, 2019
This book was a ride of secrets. It makes you wish the series wasn’t cancelled. It definitely leads into a third book, and we know a trilogy was set. It’s a good read if you want to just read without feeling bad or getting bogged down. It was satisfying to me with the drama and the resolution of relationship tension. There’s a sinister feeling about Sina, and I wanted a third book to elaborate on that and how Sam told his end of the story. She wasn’t innocent, and I really wanted justice on that. I love the actual publication inserts at the end of these books, too. The research that went into these is pleasing. This was a book well done wherever the first one lacked. It’s for a less mature audience, but it still makes a good read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2013
Lots of fluffy fun! Here is a teen fantasy series that tries out super-powered women who are not witches, vampires, werewolves, or zombies. Actually, they aren't anything except rich and networked...to the local hoodoo practitioners whom they pay for spells. Unlike most other Twilight knock-offs (or even Twilight itself), Crouch is taking a stab at exploring the way real American culture works, mixing in both teen cliques and white privilege. I also get the sense that Crouch doesn't take her characters too seriously. Sure, the outside shellac might be Southern Gothic, but there are too many humorous moments for the book to truly brood. It's nice to see a new spin on an old formula.
April 9, 2019
I’m just going to say it. This book gave me blue balls.
I was angry, and grossed out with myself for getting so excited, and invested with Magnolia league. WGW felt rushed, and NOTHING made sense. It was messy, and all over the place. Still no believable chemistry with Hot Toddy, and Madison is psychic? I forgot who her grandmother was. I forgot everyone’s grandmothers, because in this book they’re kinda mentioned more than twice.
I can’t believe this book ended the way it did. Someone got paid to write this? Really disappointing. 2 stars only because of the sweet moment with her mom. I’m a sucker for ghost reunions.
I was angry, and grossed out with myself for getting so excited, and invested with Magnolia league. WGW felt rushed, and NOTHING made sense. It was messy, and all over the place. Still no believable chemistry with Hot Toddy, and Madison is psychic? I forgot who her grandmother was. I forgot everyone’s grandmothers, because in this book they’re kinda mentioned more than twice.
I can’t believe this book ended the way it did. Someone got paid to write this? Really disappointing. 2 stars only because of the sweet moment with her mom. I’m a sucker for ghost reunions.
January 29, 2019
I give this somewhere between a 3 and 3.5 stars. I couldn't quite figure out where it fit. It had a lot going on but at times it felt like it moved slowly. It also left the story hanging with the feeling that there will be a final book. If that ends up being the case, the book was good enough that I would be willing to finish out the series.
The series was told from both Hayes and Alex POV with sometimes an outside POV thrown in to give a full view of other parts at play in the story.
The series was told from both Hayes and Alex POV with sometimes an outside POV thrown in to give a full view of other parts at play in the story.
June 5, 2016
I normally like alternating narrators, but because the character's voices were so similar I could not keep them straight. Every time I saw the word grandma I had to go back to see which person that meant. Also did not care for the ending (there's a difference between setting up for another book in the series and just stopping in the middle of a story).
October 23, 2012
I enjoy a book set in one of my favorite places. Who doesn't love the charm of a historic southern city? After visiting, and revisiting Savannah, Georgia, I enjoyed this easy read. A little cheesy, but a lot of fun.
Want to read
November 11, 2011Hate the first book .
But love the cover .
god , Why do the worst books have the Best covers ?
But love the cover .
god , Why do the worst books have the Best covers ?
February 24, 2020
Why is the ending of this book not an ending? It's like there was suppose to be another book but they just didnt write one! How dumb but otherwise the book was good
January 19, 2024
Admittedly picked this up because i absolutely love Grady Hendrix. I didn’t realize it was a sequel, which is totally my bad, but I enjoyed the premise enough to keep reading. The writing was fairly sloppy and the end completely fell apart like a wet sandwich. It also ended in a cliffhanger and apparently there is some weird beef about finishing the series? Disappointing
July 17, 2022
I started this without realizing it’s Book #2 in the series, but it didn’t really matter. I liked the strange world these women inhabit and I’m crossing my fingers that there’s another book in the works!
January 23, 2025
I liked this book better than the first. More action.
Most of the time, if the first book is not great, I will read the second book just to see how the story goes.
Is there going to be a third book? I would love to know how this story ends.
Most of the time, if the first book is not great, I will read the second book just to see how the story goes.
Is there going to be a third book? I would love to know how this story ends.
August 10, 2018
Another great book :) I am so disappointed that there is not a third :( great setting, characters and drama.
October 4, 2019
An magical story. Witchcraft speculative meanness
May 24, 2020
I'm DNFing this one at 79 pages. I literally do not care about anything that's happening. Ugh what a waste of time.
March 20, 2024
This book should get 4 stars but because there is no third book and I'm left drifting in a sea of southern swamp magic. I'm a bit pissed about it right now..
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