Keeper

December 1, 2017

Gr 9 Up-Lainey Styles is an average teenager who is trying to get a good score on her SATs and begin an exciting life after high school. After attending a comic event with her super nerd best friend Maggie, Lainey sees a mysterious figure and she begins to have dreams of a 19th-century woman named Josephine. Unable to ignore the strange occurrences, Lainey and Maggie seek the assistance of a psychic only to discover a link between Lainey and Josephine-they are both witches. With the assistance of a cute, enigmatic new boy in town named Ty, Lainey must use her unfamiliar powers to stop The Master who happens to be the most powerful magical being in the world. Readers will find a familiar plot of good versus evil and common supernatural figures, such as witches, shape-shifters, and fey. To explain Lainey's new world, the author relies on exposition rather than imagery, which creates a lack of urgency in this would-be thrilling novel. The flashbacks of Josephine and her encounters with The Master are an interesting take, but it falls flat due to the more show than tell narrative. Although the free will theme is relatable, the predictability of the plot will leave readers wanting something more original. The unresolved ending is sure to be a set up for a series. VERDICT Not recommended.-Dawn Abron, Zion-Benton Public Library, IL

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2017
In this urban fantasy series debut, one teen comes to grips with her destiny.Lainey, a white teen, would like to focus on acing the SATs, but strange things have been happening, beginning with the apparition of a bloody woman that has started following her. After some digging and a few supernatural flashbacks, Lainey finds out that not only is the woman, Josephine, a witch, but that she herself is a descendant of Josephine and the last in a line of Keepers. As a Keeper, it is up to Lainey to protect her family's Grimoire, a book of spells that only she can unlock. Unfortunately, the Grimoire is in the hands of the Master, a powerful warlock who wants to harness all of the magic in the supernatural world. For centuries, he's been killing her ancestors in an effort to unlock the spell. Now he has his eye on Lainey, but with her best friend (who is black) and a hot, new protector (who is white) in tow, she's not going down without a fight. In her debut, Chance gives readers a mix of cliched moments and interesting plot devices. One moment, Lainey is reciting SAT vocabulary definitions and the next, she's conjuring freak storms. While her magical abilities aren't clearly articulated, there is hope that readers will be treated to a more in-depth look in the sequel.Chance delivers an ultimately enjoyable beginning to her new series. (Paranormal romance. 14-18)

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