Devilish (2006) (HarperCollins Children's Books)Maureen Johnson
Grade: C-
Genre: young adult
Source: own
Young adult RBC 2014: A book with magic
Jane Jarvis is something of a
certified genius: one of those annoyingly naturally gifted students, St.
Teresa’s Prepatory School for Girls isn’t exactly the most intellectually
stimulating of environments for a person of Jane’s abilities. Nevertheless,
she’s got the company of her best friend Allison … who suddenly starts acting
decidedly un-best friend like. Ally has attracted the attention of new girl,
Lanalee and is more than happy to show her the ropes. Overnight, Ally is
dressing better, has new things and is ditching Jane more and more … some dark
forces are definitely at work …
I don’t like to be disappointed
with a book, especially with authors who are generally well-received in their
genre. Maureen Johnson has always appeared to be a favourite in the YA genre,
in particular in the US, but I wasn’t really feeling this. Classed as a
light-hearted comedy, perhaps this was simply a difference in what appeals to
UK versus US audiences. Bestsellers in one country don’t always translate to
the same in another market, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this was one of
these instances.
There were still bit I liked
about this – I just didn’t agree with the overarching plot line. I found it a
little unrealistic and at times, just plain silly. That doesn’t mean that I
didn’t enjoy the writing – Maureen Johnson is funny and Jane is endearing at
times. Not Maureen Johnson’s best by any means, but if you’re a fan already,
then chances are, you’ll probably like this.
Image courtesy of Fantastic Fiction.
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