Review: Seriously Wicked

Author: Tina Connolly
Series: Standalone
Released: May 5th 2015
Publisher: Tor Teen
Length: 208 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: Amazon

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?

Although it falls somewhere between middle grade and young adult fiction, Seriously Wicked is a very entertaining book for readers of all ages. In it, author Tina Connolly – known first and foremost for her Ironskin trilogy – allowed her imagination and her considerable sense of humor to run wild. The end result is a book that, despite being somewhat naïve and predictable, makes us laugh at every turn.

Camellia is a very reluctant witch’s apprentice, a fifteen-year-old forced to serve the witch but determined to thwart as many of her evil plots as she can. All Camellia wants is a normal life and normal friends, an existence that doesn’t include snakeskins, dragon’s milk and spells. Cam longs for her real parents or at least someone to love and appreciate her when all she gets from the witch are reprimands and more wicked demands.

Like once I refused to hold the neighbor’s cat so she could permanently mute its meow, and she turned me into fifteen hundred worms and made me compost the garden.

Seriously Wicked is a lighthearted read, very predictable in its development but entertaining nevertheless. We follow Camellia as she tries to stop the witch’s plan to overtake the city, save the new boy from demon possession and still keep up appearances with her teachers and friends. Camellia is reluctant to trust anyone despite having a few amazing people around her, but overall, I loved her for staying true to herself despite the witch’s overpowering presence.

The only thing that really missed the mark for me was the romance. I had my eye on a different boy for Camellia, even though she herself never gave him a second’s thought. I wanted someone whose appeal came from more than just his good looks, someone who was there for her, dependable and true. As the new boy, Devon was a bit of a mystery even before the demon possession and I didn’t get a clear picture of him until the end.

Seriously Wicked is appropriate for both middle grade and young adult readers. Although fairly short, it packs a lot of fun.

A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher for review purposes. No considerations, monetary or otherwise, have influenced the opinions expressed in this review.