Audrey’s Guide to Witchcraft (Audrey’s Guides #1)

Review originally posted here: […] I do not even know how to begin writing this, but I will straight out say that I did not like this book. It took me almost 2 weeks to finish it because I did not like reading it at all. This was part of my Random Reads challenge, and I am really disappointed because I thought Jody Gehrman was a pretty okay writer. I liked her book, Babe in Boyland, well enough. I like the title and the cover, but they do not really relate to the story much. I don\’t really know the context for the red dress. And this isn\’t really much of a guide to anything. There were some parts where Audrey was actually writing notes about being a witch, but I feel like that aspect was not exploited enough for the overall story. This book could have turned out a lot better. Sometimes, the writing reminds me too much of Harry Potter – \”You\’re a witch, Audrey.\” I feel like she wrote this after reading Rowling\’s famous works. That, however, did not make the whole thing any better. Don\’t worry – there\’s no magic school or whatever. It\’s just the feel of the whole thing. I guess there were some good parts in the story, but I cannot really pinpoint any part that I specifically like. What I really hate about this book was Audrey herself. She was annoyingly stupid, yet things always conveniently fall into place for her. We all want good things to happen to our main characters, but it would be nice if they actually deserved it. She kept on thinking and acting irrationally that I could not find myself to care for her, although it was pretty nice that she wanted to save her mother. I am amazed out how easily Julian accepted the strange things that happens around Audrey. It\’s almost too unbelievable that a normal human being could so easily accept the unknown, even though Julian knows that Audrey is hiding all the explanations from him. I do not really understand what his deal is, and the author kept on hinting on something that was never answered until the end. Maybe you can find out on the next book. Meg, Audrey\’s younger sister, was acting like such a brat, maybe with reason but it doesn\’t make me like her any better. Overall, I am sorry to say that I just really hated this book. It was overly frustrating and boring. This book leaves a lot of unanswered questions, which may be saved for the next book, but I disliked the first one too much to care for what happens next. Maybe it\’s just not the book for me so you can try it out for yourself. It has high ratings on Goodreads. The only consolation for me would be the desert recipes in the book, although I have never tried them, Audrey claims them to be delicious.

I read through Audrey\’s Guide to Witchcraft in no time at all and enjoyed every moment of it. When Audrey sees the face of a stranger in a cake and inflicts damage on the popular girl, Dallas, without so much as lifting a finger, she knows that something weird is going on. Add to this that her so-called cousin, Sadie, arrives to babysit her and her sister Meg while her mother is off on a mysterious quest, and Audrey\’s life seems to be in for a drastic change. This comfortably-paced, easy-to-read book gave me a new respect for an author who very obviously took the trouble to produce a neatly-written story with a slightly different approach to witches, and the paranormal in general. Although the author takes her time with world building and plot development, things are constantly happening, thus keeping the story interesting. Towards the end the suspense gets almost unbearable as lives are in danger and horrible truths are uncovered. The characters are realistic and well-developed. While Meg, Audrey\’s sister, is the volatile and artistic one, Audrey is the quieter sister who just wants to get on with learning to do magic and helping their mother. If one looks at her notebook, however, it is clear that she has an incredible sense of humor. Her friend, Bridget, is hilariously funny at times and brings another welcome dash of humor to the story. Then there is the really hot guy, Julian, who seems to have infinite patience with Audrey\’s strangeness and need for secrecy. The antagonist in this book appears to be a truly evil person and yet, in the end, I was left wondering whether he is really beyond redemption. The romance in this book is tender and not at all overdone. As a person who loves and appreciates well-written dialogue, I found the dialogue – as well as Audrey\’s inner dialogue – lively, quirky and highly stimulating. Audrey\’s Guide to Witchcraft is a heartwarming story that will keep you turning the pages. I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages and give it an ecstatic five-star thumbs up! (Ellen Fritz)

This is a strange story, it starts off letting you get the idea for the tale. Audrey is a teenager whose mom has gone missing without letting anyone know but Audrey can feel that she\’s in trouble. No-one thought Audrey would be a witch because her mother turned her back on her heritage and married a mundane, normal person. Along comes cousin Sadie to watch over Audrey and her sister Meg. This is where things get odd. The story seems to get going then it slams to a halt, then it goes again but it\’s dragging its feet. All of a sudden it rushes to its ending but it\’s so abrupt that you continue to turn the pages, looking for more because its such an odd ending, you don\’t realise it\’s finished. I didn\’t realise when I started to read this that it was the start to a series, the only thing I can say is, I hope it gets better in the next book.

This is a fun book in the genre. If you like coming of age stories, teen fantasy, or just a good old page turning read – you\’ll like this book! It has all the essentials: A nasty bad guy, a zombie (mind controlled) army of minions, a teenage heroine, spells, baking, and of course the gorgeous love interest. Well written in its genre and a good page turner. Buy it try it – you\’ll be waiting for the sequel!

A great read for teenage and early 20 girls. i am late 20s but still enjoyed it anyway! Definately reccommend!

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