Jinx
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Overview
It's not easy being Jinx.
Jean Honeychurch hates her boring name (not Jean Marie, or Jeanette, just . . . Jean). What's worse? Her all-too-appropriate nickname, Jinx. Misfortune seems to follow her everywhere she goes—even to New York City, where Jinx has moved to get away from the huge mess she caused in her small hometown. Her aunt and uncle welcome her to their Manhattan town house, but her beautiful cousin Tory isn't so thrilled. . . .
In fact, Tory is hiding a dangerous secret—one that could put them all in danger. Soon Jinx realizes it isn't just bad luck she's been running from . . . and that the curse she has lived under since the day she was born may be the only thing that can save her life.
Synopsis
It's not easy being Jinx.
Jean Honeychurch hates her boring name (not Jean Marie, or Jeanette, just . . . Jean). What's worse? Her all-too-appropriate nickname, Jinx. Misfortune seems to follow her everywhere she goes even to New York City, where Jinx has moved to get away from the huge mess she caused in her small hometown. Her aunt and uncle welcome her to their Manhattan town house, but her beautiful cousin Tory isn't so thrilled. . . .
In fact, Tory is hiding a dangerous secret one that could put them all in danger. Soon Jinx realizes it isn't just bad luck she's been running from . . . and that the curse she has lived under since the day she was born may be the only thing that can save her life.
Publishers Weekly
Jean, aka Jinx, has been a "bad luck magnet" since the moment she was born, when a freak thunderstorm caused a hospital blackout. Now, due to a vaguely described incident involving a stalker, she has moved from Iowa to stay with her aunt's family in a ritzy New York City townhouse. Jean's regular bad luck gets worse thanks to Tory, the snotty cousin who is now her classmate at an exclusive private school. After Jean mysteriously prevents a cute neighbor from a terrible accident, Tory is convinced that Jean is a witch-just like herself, and as proof she dredges up a story their grandmother used to tell about magic in their bloodline. Jean refuses to join Tory's coven, saying, "I don't think messing around with magic is such a good thing, you know" (though she soon performs a binding spell to prevent her cousin from hurting the family's au pair). Tension between the girls rises, causing Tory to ominously declare, "I have a very special thank-you I've been saving up, just for Jinx." With its assurance of a satisfying outcome despite the odds, predictability is a virtue in a Cabot (Princess Diaries) novel, and readers will guess most plot points, including the truth behind the stalking story. Readers will enjoy the premise and the naiveté of the heroine, and they'll wonder, as Jean does, how much magic is actually at play. The final supernatural showdown proves that Cabot can do harrowing just as well as she does pop romance. Ages 12-up. (Aug.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business InformationEditorials
Publishers Weekly
Jean, aka Jinx, has been a "bad luck magnet" since the moment she was born, when a freak thunderstorm caused a hospital blackout. Now, due to a vaguely described incident involving a stalker, she has moved from Iowa to stay with her aunt's family in a ritzy New York City townhouse. Jean's regular bad luck gets worse thanks to Tory, the snotty cousin who is now her classmate at an exclusive private school. After Jean mysteriously prevents a cute neighbor from a terrible accident, Tory is convinced that Jean is a witch-just like herself, and as proof she dredges up a story their grandmother used to tell about magic in their bloodline. Jean refuses to join Tory's coven, saying, "I don't think messing around with magic is such a good thing, you know" (though she soon performs a binding spell to prevent her cousin from hurting the family's au pair). Tension between the girls rises, causing Tory to ominously declare, "I have a very special thank-you I've been saving up, just for Jinx." With its assurance of a satisfying outcome despite the odds, predictability is a virtue in a Cabot (Princess Diaries) novel, and readers will guess most plot points, including the truth behind the stalking story. Readers will enjoy the premise and the naiveté of the heroine, and they'll wonder, as Jean does, how much magic is actually at play. The final supernatural showdown proves that Cabot can do harrowing just as well as she does pop romance. Ages 12-up. (Aug.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business InformationKLIATT -
Another entertaining, fluffy novel from Meg Cabot that will have appeal to those who like their chick lit mixed with some magic. Jinx is the name stuck to Jean, since things seem to go wrong around her. Jean has come from a little town in Iowa to live in Manhattan with her aunt and uncle and their children, including Jean's cousin Tory who thinks she is a witch...well, she thinks they both are witches. Tory is mean and nasty, living on the edge, while Jean (Jinx) is a bit naive, but kind and helpful. The girls both heard the same story from their grandmother, that the daughter of her daughter will inherit the family gift of being a witch. Jean only believes in good witchcraft, but doesn't want to acknowledge any part of it. Tory is using whatever she can use to hold power at the posh private school the girls attend. Also, Tory has a crush on their next-door neighbor, Josh, but he seems to want to hang out with Jean. Tory is trying spells to gain power over Josh. Jean is appalled, but even she is tempted to use witchcraft, at least to protect those she loves. The prom scene is memorable.VOYA -
When Jean Honeychurch was born, a lightning storm made the hospital lights go out. This predicament was the first in a long line of events that Jean, nicknamed Jinx by her family, faces. One of those unfortunate situations forces Jinx to relocate to New York and spend the remainder of the school year with her aunt and uncle. When she arrives, she immediately accomplishes two things: She develops a crush on hot neighbor Zach and clashes with her cousin Tory, who brands her a preacher's-daughter-country-bumpkin from Iowa. When Jinx saves Zach from a freak accident, Tory believes that Jinx is a next-generation witch, foretold by their great-great-great-great grandmother Branwen, who was burned at the stake for witchcraft. Jean scoffs at the idea until visits to a local magic store and more altercations with Tory lead her to believe otherwise. Cabot, author of the Mediator and 1-800-WHERE-R-U series, creates yet another winner with her latest supernatural effort. Jinx is a heroine full of endearing self-doubt and likeability who juggles newly discovered powers along with familial relations and school politics. Popular culture references, a staple of Cabot's popular Princess Diaries series, are absent from this new novel, creating a more timeless read. Jinx shares that series' readability with quick, breezy segments that are easy for any reader to digest. Cabot's new novel will not leave fans disappointed.Children's Literature -
Teenager Jean is called Jinx because she seems to have more than her share of bad luck. This story takes place in Manhattan, where Jinx has been sent to stay with relatives. She is getting away from her home in Iowa because she has had some problems with a former boyfriend. Her stay in Manhattan leads to more problems, involving her cousin Tory, friends, and a new boyfriend. Jinx and Tory both wonder if they are witches, and the plot involves their attempts at witchcraft using dolls and stones. The mystery continues throughout as Jinx seeks to answer her questions about using magic while trying to avoid conflict with Tory. The plot turns more serious when Tory's jealousy becomes dangerous to Jinx. A satisfying ending ties up all the mysteries about the former boyfriend, Tory, and Jinx's new boyfriend. This entertaining story, written in first-person, has just the right touch of humor and suspense.School Library Journal
Gr 6-9 -Jean Honeychurch hopes to leave her Iowa past-and her nickname, Jinx-behind when she moves to New York City to live with her aunt's family and finish her sophomore year in high school. But living in a Manhattan townhouse and attending a ritzy private school with her cousin Tory are not the Cinderella experiences she had anticipated. Glamorous Tory has been dabbling in witchcraft. Not the delightful stuff of Hogwarts, but the pentacle-and-coven variety that may unsettle conservative parents. The plot breezes along fairly predictably, with Tory's treachery, the cute boy next door, and a callous coterie. Although Jean's mother is a minister, the girl seems to have no spiritual or religious moorings when confronting evil. Amber Sealey's reading is competent with the ingénue voices, but Tory's character is read in one unrelenting smirk. The German au pair's accent is all over the map, and a character from Iowa has an inexplicable Southern accent. Meg Cabot fans may like this tale (HarperTeen, 2007), particularly if they fancy black magic, but others will be impatient with the cardboard characters and uninspired setting.-Julie Dahlhauser, Jackson Central-Merry High School, TN
Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.