By Douglas Rees
Published by Harlequin Teen
Release Date: July 1, 2010
Source: netgalley
3.0 Stars - It was a good read.
Synopsis (from netgalley): Kestrel Murphy is angry. Forced to leave her posh San Francisco Bay Area home by her father’s illness, she’s living in Jurupa, Southern California. It’s too hot. The people are stupid. And you have to chew the air to get the oxygen out of it. On the plus side, Kestrel is a witch. Well, a witch-in-training. And she’s going acquire the magic...
The first thing I liked about the book was Kestrel's voice. Here's a quote from Douglas' website:
My name is Kestrel Murphy.
Never call me Susan.
I mean, who ever heard of a witch named Susan?
Which is what I am. WITCH is what I am. I do majick, which is what a witch does. A year ago, I was on the white side.
Lately, I've been leaning toward the black...
How can you not love a girl who is so very in touch with her true self? Kestrel comes across as a very real teenager who is struggling with her father's illness and his general pulling away from her. In order to limit her father's stress levels and help with his recovery, she is sent to live with her Aunt Ariel in the remote town of Jurupa. This comes at a time when she's just beginning to explore her magical gift. Fortunately for Kestrel, Ariel's a practicing witch. Unfortunately for Kestrel, she has to enroll in a new high school and face the prejudices of being someone who is "different" from the others.
The book covers a common theme in YA fantasy: new girl moves to a remote town and her magic causes trouble. But what's different about Majix is that the reader is never sure if this is a real gift or just something that is purely coincidence. The secondary characters are particularly interesting. Her magical Aunt Ariel and Kestrel's unlikely friends, Jose and Laura, make every scene more believable.
If you're looking for a fun summer read to pack in your beach bag, pick up Majix. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Kestrel's adventures in her new town, her developing relationship with her Aunt Ariel and an ending that left me with closure.
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