Reviewer @Aprilelayne1 gives 5 stars to Witchy, Witchy by @_WendyBird_

Witchy, Witchy                                                                                                          By: Penelope King

When Calista McCoy moves from the slums of the Louisiana Bayou to an illustrious beach community in California, she knows her life is going to take a drastic turn. But once she arrives at the beautiful mansion by the sea, dark secrets are revealed...secrets that become even more complicated when she meets the gorgeous neighbor boy, Nicholas, and she feels an unexplainable--and undeniable--attraction.

Her new life seems almost too good to be true. But as everyone knows, when something seems too good to be true, it usually is.

(Amazon description)

...And in Calista's case, it could be deadly.

This was one of the highlights of the year for me, seriously I just read the book a couple weeks ago and can already see myself reading it again!

Penelope King has poetically created an enchanting world of Calista McCoy, her lovable but naïve father, and her new found life at a new school with new friends, and new secrets.  I fell in love not only with the characters, but with the style, pace, and overall sense of writing.  Witchy,Witchy is one of very few YA books I’ve read lately that I truly agree with the genre classification and would encourage young girls to read this.  Just like the beautiful but modest cover, there is an innocent feel in the writing and maturity in the characters.  Her new found friends and their bond does pay homage to the “Charmed” television show, but for a younger generation reading this book it definitely works.

If you are looking for YA angst and true sexual tension, look elsewhere.  The limited sexuality is bland, another reviewer called it ‘vanilla,’ which is true and one of the best things I enjoyed in this book.  I have since read another YA book involving a 16 year old and fought my discomfort with the amount of sexuality for the age.  I had no qualms or discomfort in reading this book, the ‘vanilla’ sexuality is just right for the main character’s age (or at least my comfort as a reader and parent.) 

Witchy, Witchy is a gem of a story that I would encourage young ladies as young as 12 to jump into.  There is magical action, sisterly friendships, and the appropriate amount of romance that a story of a modern world 16 year old should have.

About the Reviewer

Aprilelayne, yes all one word, touts herself as a 'Jane of all trades.' An Army brat who ended up in Austin, Texas, she has two full-time jobs --motherhood and work-work (aka: the paying gig). She spends her time trying to master any one of her many hobbies, but really loves to read anything off the beaten path--especially the dark and twisty ones.  On any given day you'll likely find her in the kitchen with a toddler hanging onto a leg sneaking peeks at a book while stirring something on the stove. You can currently find Aprilelayne on GoodReads and Twitter @Aprilelayne1.