Be careful what you search for...
Emma Guthrie expects this summer to be like any other in the South Carolina Lowcountry--hot and steamy with plenty of beach time alongside her best friend and secret crush, Cooper Beaumont, and Emma’s ever-present twin brother, Jack. But then a mysterious eighteenth-century message in a bottle surfaces, revealing a hidden pirate bounty. Lured by the adventure, the trio discovers the treasure and unwittingly unleashes an ancient Gullah curse that attacks Jack with the wicked flesh-eating Creep and promises to steal Cooper’s soul on his approaching sixteenth birthday.
When a strange girl appears, bent on revenge; demon dogs become a threat; and Jack turns into a walking skeleton; Emma has no choice but to learn hoodoo magic to undo the hex, all before summer—and her friends--are lost forever.
Review:
As soon as I heard this one had to do with pirates, hidden treasure, and curses, I knew I had to read it! It sounded like just my kind of read, and from the buzz I had been hearing, it was just as amazing as it seemed. Luckily enough, I found Conjure by Lea Nolan to be a solid and an enjoyable debut for the most part.
Conjure begins the story of yet another one of Emma's summers in the South Carolina Lowcountry. However, she promises herself that this one is going to be different, because this time she's going to land Cooper Beaumont, one of her best friends, as her boyfriend. As things always seem to go, though, this isn't going to be the easiest of tasks, especially when everything else seems to be getting in the way. For instance: her twin-brother Jack just managed to unleash a full fledged curse on himself. Now with the clock ticking, Cooper and Emma as well as a Hoodooo grannie are on a rush against time to save Jack. Is Emma willing, though, to learn everything she thought about her life is completely different than what it seems? Only time and more pages can tell in this spellbinding and intricate debut!
One of things I enjoyed most about this book was how it jumped right into the action and fun from the first page and didn't stop until the last. I found the whole premise to be enchanting. Everything involving the Hoodoo magic was original, and it managed to move the plot along in some very interesting and twisty ways. Better yet, Lea Nolan did a fantastic job of developing the overall plot. I never really knew how everything was going to end, especially in those last few pages. I did have quite a few questions swirling around in my head, though, like: Would Emma and Cooper be able to find the cure in time? What was it exactly about Cooper's family? Was Jack's new found girlfriend sweet and innocent or the person behind all this madness? There was a lot of different plot lines occurring in this, and I loved nearly every single one of them!
I enjoyed the characters in this one as well. Emma was a great lead, and I really enjoyed seeing everything from her eyes. She was sensible but yet strong and ready to take a risk to save what she loved the most. One of my favorite parts involving her, though, was getting to see her dive into her hoodoo apprenticeship. Copper was equally awesome and likable. I had time liking Jack, however, but by the end, I was starting to like him just a wee bit more. The variety of side characters were good as well, especially the Hoodoo grannie as well as mysterious Maggie.
The only aspect that brought this hindered this one for me was how young Emma's voice was at times. There were times that it made the book drag a little for me.
However, other than that small thing, Conjure by Lea Nolan is a fun and adventurous read, one that I highly suggest to younger teens looking for a magical read! Lastly, given that slight cliff hanger at the end, I'm dying to read the next one!
Grade: right between a B and B+
Conjure (Amazon, BN, Goodreads) is now out!
Source: Publicist for blog tour
As soon as I heard this one had to do with pirates, hidden treasure, and curses, I knew I had to read it! It sounded like just my kind of read, and from the buzz I had been hearing, it was just as amazing as it seemed. Luckily enough, I found Conjure by Lea Nolan to be a solid and an enjoyable debut for the most part.
Conjure begins the story of yet another one of Emma's summers in the South Carolina Lowcountry. However, she promises herself that this one is going to be different, because this time she's going to land Cooper Beaumont, one of her best friends, as her boyfriend. As things always seem to go, though, this isn't going to be the easiest of tasks, especially when everything else seems to be getting in the way. For instance: her twin-brother Jack just managed to unleash a full fledged curse on himself. Now with the clock ticking, Cooper and Emma as well as a Hoodooo grannie are on a rush against time to save Jack. Is Emma willing, though, to learn everything she thought about her life is completely different than what it seems? Only time and more pages can tell in this spellbinding and intricate debut!
One of things I enjoyed most about this book was how it jumped right into the action and fun from the first page and didn't stop until the last. I found the whole premise to be enchanting. Everything involving the Hoodoo magic was original, and it managed to move the plot along in some very interesting and twisty ways. Better yet, Lea Nolan did a fantastic job of developing the overall plot. I never really knew how everything was going to end, especially in those last few pages. I did have quite a few questions swirling around in my head, though, like: Would Emma and Cooper be able to find the cure in time? What was it exactly about Cooper's family? Was Jack's new found girlfriend sweet and innocent or the person behind all this madness? There was a lot of different plot lines occurring in this, and I loved nearly every single one of them!
I enjoyed the characters in this one as well. Emma was a great lead, and I really enjoyed seeing everything from her eyes. She was sensible but yet strong and ready to take a risk to save what she loved the most. One of my favorite parts involving her, though, was getting to see her dive into her hoodoo apprenticeship. Copper was equally awesome and likable. I had time liking Jack, however, but by the end, I was starting to like him just a wee bit more. The variety of side characters were good as well, especially the Hoodoo grannie as well as mysterious Maggie.
The only aspect that brought this hindered this one for me was how young Emma's voice was at times. There were times that it made the book drag a little for me.
However, other than that small thing, Conjure by Lea Nolan is a fun and adventurous read, one that I highly suggest to younger teens looking for a magical read! Lastly, given that slight cliff hanger at the end, I'm dying to read the next one!
Grade: right between a B and B+
Conjure (Amazon, BN, Goodreads) is now out!
Source: Publicist for blog tour
Tomorrow's blog tour stops are on Winter Haven Books and The Misadventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl, and to see past as well as future blog tour stops, head on over here.
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