In their small town of Yellowbrick Grove, Effie and Bonnie, the Chalmers sisters, have always been at odds, especially since their mother died a year ago. Effie is reserved, dowdy and judgemental while Bonnie is outgoing, stylish and shallow. They’re also both hereditary witches. When Bonnie is drawn into an magical scheme by her wicked Uncle Oswald, things start spiralling out of control. Can the sisters work together to untangle the spell?
Heather Spellman is an Australian writer based in Southern California, and this is her third book, aimed at adults. I haven’t read her other books, but it seems like she has written cozy, magical fiction with a hint of romance. I quite like that. (Spellman is also Sabrina the Teenage Witch’s last name)
I read somewhere on Goodreads that this book was advertised in some places as being “Wicked meets Gilmore Girls”. The references to those two IP’s stand out like a sore thumb in this book. The mom’s Jeep, the town troubador and then a house named after Dorothy, DJ Scarecrow and the town being called Yellowbrick. None of this added anything to the book or the story. It felt oddly like fan fiction when it popped up and took me out of the moment. The book can stand on it’s own and since that little clue isn’t told to us anywhere on the finished book, it feels a little odd.
That said, I love a witchy story, with a small town and a hint of romance. It’s such a nice palate cleanser from heavier reading and it’s sometimes nice to read a book that has a grounded, fairytale quality. I think for me this book mostly hit the spot. It’s stakes feel low and the drama is more fun than stressful to read about. It’s light reading, but I liked the town and the side characters. It’s quite a warm, friendly book and quite cute and cozy, without being silly or dull.
That said, nothing much happens in this book. The two sisters go to work, do small everyday acts of magic, hang out with their friends. The Uncle’s evil scheme takes a long time to develop and it’s pretty obvious where it’s going. The two resolve their differences in one conversation and are immediately able to work together in the last few chapters and all is well. It’s more a book to spend time in than one that’s really got twists and turns.
The big problem is the sisters. They’re wafer thin and neither of them are very nice. Effie (not short for anything, apparently) assumes an insult or slight in everything everyone says to her, to the point that it’s really hard to know what her love interest in this book sees in her. She’s pathologically obsessed with her younger sister and wildly jealous of her, and that’s the sisters whole problem. Bonnie I liked a little better, just because she seemed happier and more fun to spend time with. She likes pink, hanging with her friends and wearing sparkly things, which apparently is a sign of frivolous and vapid personalities. (I’m so tired of that stereotype) Bonnie, however, is shallow and needs to be the queen bee in her friendship group. The reason they don’t get along feels quite contrived: Effie is bossy, judgemental and really jealous of her sister. Bonnie reacts to that, and that’s the whole conflict. In this day and age, a woman being jealous of another woman getting attention feels kind of anti-feminist. Especially when Bonnie is just outgoing, and Effie is downright rude and mean-spirited and suspicious. The book relies on them being stereotypes for us to believe that they would not get along. There’s no depth to their relationship. The romance side plots are the same: what do the men who fall for them in this book really like about them?
We don’t learn much about the limits of magic and how it works, or if other people have it. Sometimes it’s energy in their hands that flows through them and can be used for small things. Sometimes it’s potions. It’s more a motif than anything. I think given that the whole book is going for lightness and fun, that works.
It’s a lighter read. The sisters are 25 and 28, so it’s an adult read, though I think it’s a little more like YA, based on the sisters acting like they’re still in high school. However, I did quite enjoy this book. It’s not perfect, but it’s a nice little world to visit. Nothing distressing happens. It’s got a gentle humour, colourful side characters, a nice small town, cozy feel. Not much happens, but after reading some heavier things this year, and a lot of murder mysteries, this was quite nice and fun. It’s got a quippy, feminine tone that’s quite nice. What it lacks in depth, it makes up for in charm.
(Though I was left wondering about why the bar sells brownies as a snack, instead of something salty. That was odd.)
Read It If: looking for a romantic witchy read for Halloween or for a cozy Autumn season? This one is a derivative in places and the sisters are questionable, but it’s cozy and charming.
With thanks to PGC Books for the copy of this book for review.
