To escape a stalker, preacher's daughter and bad luck magnet Jean 'Jinx' Honeychurch leaves her loving, middle-class family in wholesome Iowa and moves in with her super-rich aunt, uncle and cousins in glamorous New York City.
It's been a few years since she's seen them all, and they've changed -- especially her cousin Tory (call her Torrance -- or else), who is now into drinking, smoking and drugs, is quite the fashion plate, and oh, wait, thinks that she's a witch.
Okay, basically? Jinx is a cross between The Craft and Gossip Girl*, and both of those do it better. So just... set up two TVs and watch them both at the same time or something.
I was surprised at how much I didn't like this book, especially considering the fact that I usually like Meg Cabot's supernatural stories (huge fan of the Mediator series, loved Avalon High, liked the 1-800-WHERE-R-U books, but never got around to finishing the series). But all of the plot 'twists' are easily visible three miles away, Jinx's 'mysterious' trouble back home was even more obvious than obvious, and the romance itself was flat. Flatter than flat.
Not only was there no real spark between the romantic leads, there was no real spark between the sparring cousins, or... anywhere else in the book. It plodded.
Also, I'm really, really over the dreamy-guy-so-clearly-likes-girl-that-everyone-else-notices-but-girl-doesn't-know-until-the-very-last-page plotting choice.
I'm sure that this one will be popular, as are all of Meg Cabot's books. But, wow. I felt like she was phoning it in this time around. She can do better -- or, at least, she has in the past.
As she tends to range, content-wise, I will mention: Little-to-no swearing (that I noticed), pretty chaste (Big Kiss at the end), drug & smoking/alcohol use, but not by the Good Girl. Oh, and an attempted suicide (sort of) and a scene near the end with some pretty serious threatened violence.
*From now on, when I mention Gossip Girl in a positive light, just assume that I'm talking about the show, 'kay? It was just announced that the show got a full-season pickup, by the way.
Thanks for the information on Jinx. I was thinking about buying it for my school library, but somehow couldn't bring myself to pick it up. I'll have to look at the Mediator series again, but Avalon High was not one I liked. There is a lot of Meg Cabot I love, but sometimes it seems like she needs to slow down just a bit.
Posted by: Ms. Yingling | 12 October 2007 at 07:04 AM
Thanks for the review. I was thinking about purchasing but couldn't bring myself to read it. Love some Meg Cabot and don't like some-- perhaps she needs to slow down a bit and write a little less. My favorite is still How to Be Popular. Fluffy but fun!
Posted by: Ms. Yingling | 12 October 2007 at 07:13 AM
I think that's exactly what she needs to do. Write, like, one book a year instead of three.
Like I said, I think it'll be popular with plenty of teens, but for anyone who's already read (or seen) something similar, it'll be totally old hat. (And then add to that the utter Lack of Spark... certainly not her finest moment.)
I'm discovering that I seem to be in the minority about Avalon High. I think part of the reason I ended up loving it so much was that she totally tricked me! I didn't see the twist* coming AT ALL.
*Elaine's part in the whole saga, I mean.
Posted by: Leila | 12 October 2007 at 07:24 AM
I think Jinx is a great book I'm reading it right now!!! I guess all people don't have the same opinion in books.
Posted by: nicole | 15 October 2008 at 06:59 PM