Crystal Magic (Clearwater Witches #1) by Madeline Freeman
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Release Date: March 30, 2014
Buy Links:
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Book Description:
Nothing is safe around Kristyl Barnette. Windows break. Books rocket across the room. Lights flicker. Strange occurrences follow the sixteen-year-old everywhere.
When tragedy forces her to move to the small town of Clearwater, Michigan, with her estranged aunt Jodi, Kristyl tries to leave her past behind.
But Clearwater has secrets of its own—a mystical history that intersects with Kristyl’s life and might shed light on the inexplicable events that plague her.
When a mysterious illness threatens her aunt’s life, Kristyl will do anything to cure her. Enlisting the help of witches could save Jodi, but is dealing in magic worth the consequences?
"Crystal Magic" by Madeline Freeman is about a
high school student named Krissa, who moves to a new school in a new town and
has even more changes than that to deal with. All of her life, Krissa knew she
was different. She was always getting in trouble at school because things
around her would unaccountably break or other weird things would happen when
she got upset. When her mom dies in an accident, she's sent to live with her
aunt, Jodi, who lives in the small Michigan
The small town history and how it's a part of Krissa's
family's past help Krissa realize that the reason why strange things have been
happening around her for as long as she could remember is because that she has
the ability to do magic. Without the proper training, it kept exploding out of
her when she got upset, and with the knowledge of what it is, Krissa wants to
learn to use it.
However, Jodi doesn't think that learning and using magic is
a good idea (she had some bad experiences in the past, since she's also a
witch), and thinks Krissa should just be able to control it and not actively
practice it. Things don't necessarily go to plan though, and Krissa needs to
take drastic measures in order to protect the ones she loves.
"Crystal Magic" takes awhile for the main action
to get going, but it doesn't drag. The first part of the book is mainly about
Krissa moving into the new town, starting at school, and making a new group of
friends (which is new for her, since she was pretty much shunned at her last
school). This part actually reminded me a bit of "Twilight", with the
new girl automatically falling into a tight group of friends who immediately
accept her as one of their own. Is it a small town thing that makes all the
high school kids so friendly?
Freeman did a great job creating a cast of characters for
this book. All of them had their own unique personalities that worked with each
other and helped the story move along. The characters were also likeable, and I
especially liked Jodi. She's Krissa's father's younger sister, so there wasn't
a huge gap in between her and Krissa's ages. This made Jodi a friend as well as
a guardian, and I think she straddled the line between friend and family
nicely.
This is actually the first book in a series, which is
extremely evident in the ending of this book. To say that "Crystal
Magic" ended with an opening to a series is a bit of an understatement.
The book ended with a cliffhanger that I really didn't see coming, and it makes
me wish that I had the second book right now.
"Crystal Magic" is a good book for anyone who
likes YA Paranormal. The story is a good one, the characters are well thought
out, and it's an overall enjoyable read. This is definitely a series that I
want to continue reading.
I'm also a wife and a mom (both of which I still find ridiculous, as I still feel like I'm about 17). I have two cats and a sister. I have a dad who's awesome, a mom who's memory is awesome, and a love of dinosaurs and outer space.
When I learned that a private company was looking for applicants to go on a one-way journey to colonize Mars, I seriously considered throwing my name into the ring (but then I figured the husband-and-child thing might be an issue).
(I like using parenthesis.)
I have a cheesy sense of humor. I love to laugh. The show Tree House Masters makes me want to live in a tree house. I hate Romeo and Juliet, but I LOVE teaching it. I unintentionally memorize things.
Independence Day and Jurassic Park are two of my favorite movies ever. And I don't know if they'll ever fall from their lofty place in my heart.
Pizza is possibly the world's most perfect food, so far as I'm concerned.
I'm a total grammar snob.
In general, I'm a morning person. Like, creepily so. Every year, I apologize to my first hour class. They tell me to cut back on the number of cups of coffee I drink in the morning.
I don't drink coffee.
If I could have one super power, it would be teleportation. No doubt. Can you imagine how awesome that'd be? You'd be like, "Hm, I think it'd be nice to visit [insert name of place here]." Then, BAM, you'd be there. Don't get me wrong, there's a time for the scenic route. But, honestly, sometimes, ain't nobody got time for that.
...And, with that, my brain is put-put-puttering to a halt.
Great review, Melissa! I like the sound of this one and especially how well developed all the characters seem. Good to be warned about the ending, too! ;)
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