It wasn't just the power failure the night Jean Honeychurch was born that earned her the nickname Jinx--misfortune seems to follow her wherever she goes. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Jean, aka Jinx, has been a "bad luck magnet" since the moment she was born, when a freak thunderstorm caused a hospital blackout. Now, due to a vaguely described incident involving a stalker, she has moved from Iowa to stay with her aunt's family in a ritzy New York City townhouse. Jean's regular bad luck gets worse thanks to Tory, the snotty cousin who is now her classmate at an exclusive private school. After Jean mysteriously prevents a cute neighbor from a terrible accident, Tory is convinced that Jean is a witch-just like herself, and as proof she dredges up a story their grandmother used to tell about magic in their bloodline. Jean refuses to join Tory's coven, saying, "I don't think messing around with magic is such a good thing, you know" (though she soon performs a binding spell to prevent her cousin from hurting the family's au pair). Tension between the girls rises, causing Tory to ominously declare, "I have a very special thank-you I've been saving up, just for Jinx." With its assurance of a satisfying outcome despite the odds, predictability is a virtue in a Cabot (Princess Diaries) novel, and readers will guess most plot points, including the truth behind the stalking story. Readers will enjoy the premise and the naivete of the heroine, and they'll wonder, as Jean does, how much magic is actually at play. The final supernatural showdown proves that Cabot can do harrowing just as well as she does pop romance. Ages 12-up. (Aug.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr 6-9-Jean Honeychurch hopes to leave her Iowa past-and her nickname, Jinx-behind when she moves to New York City to live with her aunt's family and finish her sophomore year in high school. But living in a Manhattan townhouse and attending a ritzy private school with her cousin Tory are not the Cinderella experiences she had anticipated. Glamorous Tory has been dabbling in witchcraft. Not the delightful stuff of Hogwarts, but the pentacle-and-coven variety that may unsettle conservative parents. The plot breezes along fairly predictably, with Tory's treachery, the cute boy next door, and a callous coterie. Although Jean's mother is a minister, the girl seems to have no spiritual or religious moorings when confronting evil. Amber Sealey's reading is competent with the inginue voices, but Tory's character is read in one unrelenting smirk. The German au pair's accent is all over the map, and a character from Iowa has an inexplicable Southern accent. Meg Cabot fans may like this tale (HarperTeen, 2007), particularly if they fancy black magic, but others will be impatient with the cardboard characters and uninspired setting.-Julie Dahlhauser, Jackson Central-Merry High School, TN Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Cabot has written another fast-paced teen pleaser, this time about a teenager with supernatural powers and her cousin who craves them. Since the day she was born, bad luck seems to have followed Jinx Honeychurch. Even after her parents send her to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousins in New York City, Jinx seems plagued by bad luck. Then Jinx's cousin Tory reminds her that their great-great-great-great-grandmother, a witch who was burned at the stake, had special talents that have been passed on to one granddaughter in each generation. Jinx, a preacher's daughter, has no intention of competing with Tory for that honor, until she discovers Tory's sinister plans. With a cauldron full of jealousy, cute boys, ample cash, and a typical high-school setting, this story has plenty of popular appeal. This isn't great literature, but it is great fun.--Bradburn, Frances Copyright 2007 Booklist From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.