Bras and Broomsticks by Sarah Mlynowski
Okay, so, it's Friday and I am sitting in front of my computer having just gotten home from work where, at Borders ALL OVER the country they are honoring teachers by giving them an across the board (less for DVD's) 25% off on purchases made today, tomorrow, and Sunday. This is the second one I've worked, this is not one of those days I want to work, and still, at the end of the day, I came away about 15 cents an hour richer.
Still, work is work is work is work. That is a long run on sentence that doesn't really qualify as such; but then, I am recovering from having to deal with teachers all day. Teachers are inconsiderate and rude and they don't give a golly-gosh-damn that people know it. On top of that our Borders had a couple of folk musicians playing in the café, they were loud, I wasn't impressed, and I was happy to see the couple go.
Now for the fun of what I am doing: Another book review. I borrowed, yesterday, a copy of "Bras and Broomsticks" by Sarah Mlynowski. This is yet another young adult novel, though this time I was not attracted to two pumpkins being held in front of a balerina's chest whilst she danced across egg shells (don't think I added that last part in that review). Instead, I was drawn to the book by the name and the dust jacket which outlined a book about Rachel who has a sister named Miri, 14 and 12 respectively. They live with their divorced mother, dislike their divorced father's fiancé, oh and Miri has recently discovered that she's inherited the witch gene from her mother and now has the ability to cast spells.
The book was pretty good. Not too long. Like I said, I borrowed it last night and returned it today. However, regardless of the overall length the story was actually well done. Apparently Sarah Mlynowski has been writing professionally for several years now and has done a few books in the chick-lit category. This is her first foray into teen lit and covers several months in the life of Rachel, Miri, their mom, the STB, (Jennifer the soon to be step mother) and others.
Almost immediately the reader is dropped into the realm of magic as Rachel discovers that she is wearing a pair of green tennis shoes her mother told her she couldn't buy. Thinking that her mother was making amends for… something, she borrows her friends, Tammy, cell phone and calls her mother who immediately interrupts Rachels plans to go hang with the "A-list" crowd at some pizza place. Rachel is a typical teenage girl who wants to be popular and feels that she isn't for all the wrong reasons (like she has a flat chest, is a whiz at math, and her old best friend Jewel got into the A-crowd and forgot all about her). Upon hearing about the shoes Rachel's mom tells her to come home so they can talk and she begins to imagine the worst.
As a counterpoint to Rachel is Miri. Miri is twelve, not in high school yet, doesn't like the same things as Rachel, and doesn't think the same way about popularity. She is outlined as taller with a better body, bigger breasts (that Rachel want), and now the responsibility of magic. Magic that is passed from mother to daughter but occasionally misses a child or a generation here and there (the mother is also a witch and chooses to live the life of an ordinary human because… well, the author really doesn't tell us why). In short Miri is now being trained in magic by her mother and is instructed not to use magic for any reason until after the period of training is over.
Throw in some good Star Wars references, add a dash of 12 and 14 and puberty, a guy, a dance group with tryouts, and absolutely hating the STB and you have the mixture for magic, wish granting, and eventually disaster. Without giving away too much, the girls eventually cause their father to call of the wedding, Rachel gets on the team and then totally destroys the dance routine she was so wonderful at, and Miri is reminded of the adage, "With great power comes great responsibility." (That's from Spiderman in case anyone is interested and I am formulating in my mind a piece on the problems with comic books that I plan to write.)
Anyway, this was a really good book. I was impressed with the way it was written, all first person and all from the perspective of Rachel - and when the author decides she needs to add in the STB's thoughts or Miri's then it's a spell gone horribly wrong that tells us what they are really thinking. The book is, at the same time, funny and interesting and worth picking up if you have about 16 extra dollors… or waiting for if you don't want to spend that much to get the hardcover.