Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz

Genre: YA Fantasy

Published: June 2011

Emma Conner’s life is much more difficult than that of your average sixteen year old. Both her mom and twin brother have passed away, and her stepdad nearly killed her in a car accident while driving drunk. To escape his abuse, as well as the humiliation of becoming the school’s poster child for reasons not to drink and drive, Emma decides to leave town to live with her wealthy aunt in New York City.

Living in NYC and attending Vincent Academy, an elite Upper East Side prep school, should be fun. But typical high school drama ensues in the form of Anthony, the spoiled rich boy with no respect for women, Kristin, his catty on-again, off-again girlfriend, and Brendan, the gorgeous and unapproachable guy every girl wants. It only gets worse when paranormal events start happening to Emma: lights going out overhead, dreams of past lives, and ghostly visions of her dead brother warning her to stay away from Brendan. The deeper Emma digs, the crazier things seem. Did she know Brendan in a past life? And if so, why is she being warned to stay away from him when that’s the last thing she wants to do?

For fans of Claudia Gray’s Evernight series, this book is for you. Spellbound has a good mix of humor, magic spells, high school drama, and star-crossed love. Emma is a realistic character and readers will enjoy her character growth as the story progresses. All of Emma’s experiences only serve in making her more relatable to readers - from her gritty history, to her first day of school jitters, to emotions every girl goes through with a new crush. This book is a quick and fun read that is perfect for the beach! I received this book as an advanced readers copy from NetGalley & Harlequin Teen.

---Posted by Ashley