Review: Seriously Wicked (Tina Connolly)

Title: Seriously Wicked
Series: Seriously Wicked, Book 1
Author: Tina Connolly
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: May 5, 2015
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy
Told: First Person (Cam), Past Tense
Content Rating: Teen (kissing, minor innuendo, darker magic rituals, some animal harm)
Format Read: ARC
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase: Azon | B&N | BookDepo | Indiebound
Summary:

The only thing worse than being a witch is living with one.

Camellia’s adopted mother wants Cam to grow up to be just like her. Problem is, Mom’s a seriously wicked witch.

Cam’s used to stopping the witch’s crazy schemes for world domination. But when the witch summons a demon, he gets loose—and into Devon, the cute new boy at school.

Now Cam’s suddenly got bigger problems than passing Algebra. Her friends are getting zombiefied. Their dragon is tired of hiding in the RV garage. For being a shy boy-band boy, Devon is sure kissing a bunch of girls. And a phoenix hidden in the school is going to explode on the night of the Halloween Dance.

To stop the demon before he destroys Devon’s soul, Cam might have to try a spell of her own. But if she’s willing to work spells like the witch...will that mean she’s wicked too?

*          *          *

At just over 200 pages, Seriously Wicked is a quick and seriously fun story about a teen girl raised by a witch to be a witch but who refuses to become one. Forced to help the witch summon a demon so she can rule the town, hilarity ensues involving mannequins, dragons, algebra, unusual ingredients, and a cute boy (naturally).

Despite the more serious elements of wicked witches, darker magic, and soul-devouring demons, the story was upbeat and playful with an energetic pace and thrilling climax. Cam was a girl of conviction and I adored her strength of moral character and the way she cared about everyone, even if they didn't always deserve it, while best friend Jenah added a lighter aura to the colorful story. Devon was a total sweetie (when not possessed by a leering demon), and although his and Cam's romance was only the start of one (see: demon possession) it made satisfying progress in this book and I hope he'll stick around for the rest of the series. I've already ordered the second book, Seriously Shifted, from my local indie and can't wait to continue Cam's magical adventures!

Conclusion: Am I glad I read this? Heck yes! I wish I'd read it in 2015 when it first landed on my shelves. Do I recommend it? Most definitely. If you like your reads quick, fun, and full of magic, I cannot recommend Seriously Wicked highly enough.

For Fans Of: Sabrina the Teenage Witch

Series: This is the first book in the Seriously Wicked trilogy.

Scribble Rating: 

4.5 of 5 Scribbles