Review: AUDREY'S GUIDE TO WITCHCRAFT by Jody Gehrman

Jody Gehrman

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Falling in Love, baking a magical cake, fighting an evil necromancer - it’s all in a day’s work for Audrey Oliver, seventeen-year-old witch-in-training.

When her mother goes missing and her twenty-one-year-old witchy cousin shows up out of the blue, Audrey knows something’s gone horribly, dangerously wrong. Now it’s up to her to get her own magical powers up to speed before everyone she loves is destroyed by the sorcerer intricately connected to her mother’s secret past.

Originally posted as part of the AUDREY'S GUIDE TO WITCHCRAFT blog tour @ Novel Reflections.

I’m not a YA reader, but when I saw this book pop up around the blogosphere, I was intrigued. The blurb sounded good (I love witchy books) and the cover is gorgeous! I’m glad I took a chance on Audrey’s Guide to Witchcraft, because I really enjoyed it.

Audrey was a great character. It’s been a few years since I was 17, but I found myself realting to Audrey easily. She’s a bit socially awkward, would rather study chemistry or bake a cake than party, and she’s fiercely protective of her friends and family. Audrey’s trouble begins when her mother goes missing and a “cousin” named Sadie shows up at her door. Sadie claims she was sent to watch over Audrey and her younger sister Meg while her mom takes care of a family emergency, but Audrey’s not buying it.

When Audrey causes some unexplained events to happen, Sadie decides to let her in on a little family secret: She’s a witch, just like her missing mom, and the family emergency is magical in nature. When Audrey learns that her mom’s mission is defeating a dangerous necromancer, she insists that Sadie teaches her Witchcraft 101 so she can help.

I liked both the story and characters in this book. It was funny at times and dark in places too. The pacing was steady throughout, though it got pretty suspenseful at the end. I think I would have liked more build up of the villain earlier in the book, because we don’t learn much about his plans until the last quarter of the book or so.

There’s also a budding sweet romance between Audrey and a hot college-age guy named Julian. It’s clear that Audrey and Julian have a special connection, but we don’t know what it is – yet. This is the first book in the Audrey’s Guide series, and I’m excited to see what happens next!

(A few yummy recipes and witchy spells are included in the story. Fun!)