Robert Shields
Description from goodreads.com:
Following years of persecution at the hands of Vivica Vance, Daphne Downing levels the playing field wielding her No. 2 Ticonderoga pencil as she belatedly enters the world of witchcraft. Daphne becomes part of the Mysterious Girls’ Secret Bathroom Society and finds out that the politics governing witchcraft are daunting and sometimes deadly. She realizes she is aligned with the Charmers in this political battle with the Spiters led by her nemesis, Vivica. Along the way, she discovers that witches do not perform magic or witchcraft but a differentiated form of physics that only some women have mastered. The story deepens as she learns about the long history of witches’ domination and annihilation of wizards.
My thoughts on the book:
Can I just start out by saying that the title is WAY too long. It's really difficult to remember and type. Therefore, the name of the society is now being shortened to "the society" because I'm too lazy to keep typing it. Also, Shields' writing is a bit formal, especially for a bunch of 13 year-olds. It made the story harder to believe. I was unable to relate to any of the characters because there was no emotion in the story. That being said, Shields had a lot of really good ideas, and I really enjoyed story itself. I think this book is meant for pre-teens more than teens. It's a bit more childlike than the books I'm used to reading. However, the quality of the novel is good, and I'd definitely recommend this to any pre-teen.
Other than the fact that I couldn't really relate to her, Daphne is a fairly likable character. She happens upon magic being used in her school bathroom one day and discovers that the bathroom is the secret meeting place of the society. Over the course of the novel, Daphne learns about the complicated politics involved with being a witch, and how to do her own magic. I really enjoyed the back-story included in this book, and I liked the fact that all girls are witches if their mothers teach them the magic. It was also an interesting edition that in order to perform magic, one must first learn physics. I can tell you right now that if I was in that story, I'd never be able to be a witch. I suck at physics. Also, because of the physics and over all giant amount of information, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone under the age of 10.
The pacing of the book is pretty slow at first, and it takes awhile to get into the story. However, once you do, you'll be drawn into the world that Shields has created and unable to put the book down. The ending itself wraps everything up nicely, so there isn't a cliff-hanger. You all know how I hate cliff-hangers, so I was glad that Shields didn't use one. Even though things were wrapped up, Shields did leave potential for a sequel. I'm unsure as to whether or not this book is a part of a series, but a sequel would work if Shields wants to write one.
Over all, I enjoyed the book, and I'd recommend it to anyone ages 10 - 13.
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I appreciate you reviewing my book. I hope to have the second book in the series out in the next six months.
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Robert
The title is WAY, WAY, WAY too long like you said. I think three or four words is good at the maximum! I like reading reviews, because I really want to write my own book, but I'm too scared..
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