Jinx by Meg Cabot (review)

So you just read the latest Meg Cabot books, did you miss this one?…

Jinx by Meg Cabot. 2007.
Audience: around 7th Grade and up; 12 and up
My Rating: 4*s of 5
Teaser: Sixteen-year-old Jean “Jinx” Honeychurch must leave Iowa for mysterious reasons to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousins in Manhattan.  Although she now attends a posh NY private school, Jinx’s once friendly cousin Tory seems bent on making her visit a nightmare.  Jinx will have to find a way stop her cousin from practicing a black magic that endangers them and the boy-next-door they both love.
My Comments: Don’t be fooled by this book’s seemingly normal beginning–there’s some magic on the way!  Once it arrived, I was hooked on Jinx.  “Cousin Jean” Jinx reminds me of the main character from Dairy Queen in that you really like her but kind of want to give her a shake and wake her up to what is going on!  Jinx lacks confidence, often failing to speak her mind and insist that she be treated with respect and fairness. Of course, domineering cousin Tory–a master manipulator–plays this to her own full advantage.  Jinx’s wimpiness comes into contrast at the end of the story when she *finally* stands up for herself and comes into her own…but I can’t tell you how!  That would spoil the fun!
Read-alikes: Avalon High by Meg Cabot

Read some loves me, loves me not into your Spring Break

Try one of these books to bring a little love (or not) into your Spring Break.

My most excellent year: a novel of love, Mary Poppins, & Fenway Park by Steve Kluger
Three teenagers in Boston narrate their experiences of a year of new friendships, first loves, and coming into their own.

Audrey, wait! by Robin Benway
Audrey Cuttler’s life is turned upside down when her ex-boyfriend’s song about their break up hits the top of the charts, making Audrey a prime target for the paparazzi, who are documenting her every move, hoping to catch her messing up, and causing her nothing but misery.

The brothers Torres by Coert Voorhees
Sophomore Frankie finally finds the courage to ask his long-term friend, Julianne, to the Homecoming dance, which ultimately leads to a face-off between a tough senior whose family owns most of their small, New Mexico town, and Frankie’s soccer-star older brother and his gang-member friends.

Revenge of the cheerleaders by Janette Rallison
High school cheerleader Chelsea seeks revenge against her younger sister’s rock-and-roller boyfriend after he embarrasses her once too often, but when she falls for his older brother, things become really complicated.

The boyfriend trick by Stephie Davis
“Naturally, I don’t want to attend the semiformal with a pity date, which is why I told my friends I have a boyfriend: this really cute drummer, Rafe. (I wish!) What’s the big deal? Well, Rafe already has a girlfriend, plus now he thinks I have a boyfriend. So I have two imaginary boyfriends, and still no date for the dance. What was I even thinking?”

The breakup bible by Melissa Kantor
Jennifer thinks she and Max are the perfect couple, until he decides he just wants to be friends.

Bye, bye, Cupid!

Suffering from post Valentine’s Day withdrawal? Recapture the romance of Valentine’s Day with a book from our Romantic Reads booklist.

Try one of our newer reads. They’re not on the list YET, but they could be soon:

The falconer’s knot by Mary Hoffman

Cupid : a tale of love and desire by Julius Lester

What they found: love on 145th street by Walter Dean Myers

Stay with me by Garret Freymann-Weyr

Had enough of romance or want to read a different kind of love story? Try something from the Love me not column. These books don’t end the way you think a love story should.

You can also try:

Playing in traffic by Gail Giles

Beating heart by A.M. Jenkins

Heart’s delight by Per Nilsson

Hard love by Ellen Wittlinger

Are we missing one of YOUR favorites? Leave a comment and let us know!

Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman

Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman
Follow the ups and downs of the lovestruck heroine, Julie who has finally come face to face with the mystery man of her dreams. Unfortunately, her best friend, Ashleigh, has decided that Julie’s longtime secret crush is now the guy of HER dreams! Julie not only has to keep her feelings hidden, but fend off Ashleigh’s attempts to hook her up with another guy as well! If you are a fan of Jane Austen, Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets, or just love romantic comedies, you definitely have to pick this one up. Want more girl-meets-boy books? Check out these Romantic Reads.