Publisher's Weekly Review
Sure, having a younger sister can be annoying. But what if your kid sis was a witch? Such is the predicament of ordinary, mortal 14-year-old Rachel, whose 12-year-old sibling, Miri, has suddenly shown an affinity for powerful spell casting and wish fulfillment. Meyers's solid energy and dead-on teen voice renders Rachel an entertainingly shrewd narrator and generally likable character. As the elder, Rachel takes her role seriously, persuading Miri to help her mend fences with friends, learn how to dance and land a hot date with her biggest crush. And more importantly, Rachel and Miri craft a plan to prevent their dad (divorced from Mom, who it turns out is a retired witch) from remarrying. The fun blend of humor, magic, grand adolescent dreams and honest emotions gives Meyers lots to work with as she leads listeners into this diverting teen-chick-lit fantasy. Ages 12-up. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
When high school freshman Rachel learns her younger sister is a witch, she schemes to get her to perform spells that would make Rachel popular and stop their father's remarriage. Predictably, everything backfires, sometimes with disastrous results, but the spells themselves are often creative. Although the book tries too hard to be funny, the relationship between the sisters is nicely portrayed. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Gr. 6-9. When 14-year-old Rachel learns that Miri, her vegetarian, socially inept little sister and her divorced mother are witches, her reactions run the gamut from incredulity and annoyance that she isn't similarly gifted to shrewdness as she plans how her sister's abilities can be marshaled to solve a passel of problems. Can magic move Rachel to the popularity A list? Revive a fading friendship? Prevent her father from remarrying? Guarantee a date for the Spring Fling? Yes, . . . but not before Rachel and Miri learn the hard way that all spells have consequences. Despite the provocative title and Chick Lit-ish cover, this isn't just another breezy teen read. Mlynowski has a real ear for dialogue, and she displays a keen understanding of teen mores as she pokes fun at high-school cliques. Several lovely scenes break up the comedy, including one in which klutzy Rachel revels in her newfound coordination and the pleasure of dancing. Rachel is sassy, self-absorbed, shy and insecure, and her concerns will be comfortably familiar to readers. --Chris Sherman Copyright 2005 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 6-9-Sarah Mlynowkski's novel gives listeners the best examples of high school angst (Delacorte, 2005). It is the story of two sisters, Rachel-a Manhattan high school freshman, B-lister, and math wizard, who can't dance to save her life-and her sweet 12-year-old sister, Miri-a vegetarian who excels in the martial arts and has just discovered that she's a witch. When an opening comes up in the highly sought after fashion show extravaganza, Rachel convinces Miri, who is forbidden to use her magic, to come up with a potion to help her become a great dancer. In an additional plot twist, their father is about to remarry. The girls don't like their "soon-to-be-stepmonster," and they don't want to inherit a stepsister or have to wear hideous bridesmaid dresses. Could a spell take care of this, too? Needless to say, the sisters get in over their heads and havoc ensues. The good news is that the author plans a sequel to this delightful book. Actress Ariadne Meyers gives each character a distinct voice and personality. She does a superb job or portraying both humor and adolescent desperation. Teen fans of Meg Cabot, Louise Rennison, and Sue Limb will enjoy Bras and Broomsticks and eagerly await its sequel.-Jo-Ann Carhart, East Islip Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Fourteen-year old Rachel is a high-school freshman who yearns to get in with the A-List. She has crushes on two popular boys who barely notice her. When Rachel learns that both her younger sister Miri and her mother are witches, she grabs the opportunity to use magic to achieve her goals. Miri casts a spell that makes Rachel an exceptional dancer, and Rachel seems to be living her dreams as she's cast in the school fashion show, and gets a date with one of her heartthrobs. When Rachel and Miri try to interfere with their divorced father's upcoming wedding, however, disaster strikes. Written entirely for humor designed to appeal to its target audience, this may be too long to attract reluctant readers. Nevertheless, plenty of young readers will find it screamingly funny. (Fiction. 12-16) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Excerpts
1 Better Than Ruby Slippers I've wished for lots of things in my fourteen years . . . a boyfriend, world peace, cleavage. But none of my wishes have come true. Until now. I'm standing by my locker, zipping up my black puffy coat, when I notice the sneakers. They're the green suede designer ones I admired at Bloomie's last week. My mom said I couldn't have them because they cost more than our TV. And they're on my feet. "But how--" I mumble, blinking in confusion. Where are the beaten-up black boots I always have on? "I mean, when . . . ?" Did I accidentally swap shoes with someone after gym? Am I a thief? Impossible. The only time I ever took anything that wasn't mine was when I inadvertently wore Jewel's retainer. Gross, yes. But criminal? No. My heart starts beating erratically. This is so weird. How did these shoes get on my feet? Wait a millisecond. Maybe my mom bought them to surprise me? Not that she normally does stuff like that, but I have been on my best behavior lately (after being grounded for something completely ridiculous, don't even ask) and she's big on rewarding good deeds. I guess I must have laced them up this morning without even noticing. Lame. But I went to bed really late last night, and I'm always zoned out when I'm tired. That still doesn't explain why I didn't notice I was wearing them until now though. I glance back down. The shoes are a luminous green. Sparkling, even. They're practically screaming at me to notice them. Whatever. New shoes! The ideal accessory for my awesome after-school plans. I smile like someone who just got her braces off. "Can I borrow your phone?" I ask Tammy. She's busy rummaging through her satchel. The least I can do is thank my mom--maybe she'll cave on a cell phone for me next. "Cool shoes," Tammy says, glancing down. "When did you change?" "I . . . didn't. I've, uh, been wearing them all day." Haven't I? Now I'm totally unsure again. Tammy gives me a thumbs-up sign with her right hand and passes the phone with her left. She uses finger signals to indicate her thoughts. She learned to scuba dive with her family last year in Aruba and now frequently communicates by underwater mime. Thumbs-up means "Let's get out of the water," which means she wants to hightail it out of here. My mother answers on the first ring. "Mom, thanks for the sneakers. They're perfect! Sorry I didn't notice them this morning." Pause. Then muffled static. "You still there?" I ask, tapping my heels together. Who knew green suede could look so glam? "I can't hear you." There's furious whispering in the background, and then a loud "Shhh!" "You need to come home," my mom tells me. "What? Why?" I ask. My stomach free-falls. Another pause. More furious whispering. "I have something to talk to you about," my mom says. Her voice sounds uneven. "Something extremely important." "But I have extremely important after-school plans!" My destiny is waiting for me at Stromboli Pizzeria! This is a complete and utter disaster. "And when I called you an hour ago you said I could go!" "Things have changed," my mother says, her clipped words ruining my life. "I want you back at the apartment." My down-filled coat starts to feel like a furnace. "Can't we talk about whatever is so earth-shattering later?" My mother heaves one of her why-must-I-carry-the-weight-of-the-world-on-my-thin-shoulders sighs. "Rachel, enough." "Fine." I sigh right back. I have a sigh of my own, and it's just as martyrish. In a small triumph, I press the pink End button before she can say good-bye. "I can't come," I tell Tammy, handing her the phone. My cheeks feel all blotchy. Why couldn't I have just thanked my mom when I got home? Tammy adjusts her light brown ponytail and makes a fist in front of her chest, her "low on air" sign, meaning she feels bad for me. Tammy is an excellent sympathizer, as well as smart and reliable. She's always there when I need someone to talk to, and more important, when I unintentionally sport poppy bagel seeds between my teeth, she immediately and covertly lets me know by tapping her lips. She's a great friend. It's just that--okay, I hate to play favorites--I like Jewel more. But the way Jewel has been treating me, I might as well be walking around with an I-just-got-dumped sash across my nonexistent chest. Sigh. Over the past four months, since she strutted her stuff for the JFK fashion show tryouts and got in, Juliana Sanchez (Jewel for short, Bee-Bee for shorter/longer) has morphed from my sidekick and best friend into a card-carrying member of the inner circle. Yes, she made the A-list. Except for a few minutes in math class, I hardly ever get to talk to her anymore. I miss her. Going to Stromboli's would have been a step toward reclaiming our Bee-Bee status. (Sorry for the cheddary Best Buds acronym, but Jewel and I have been using it forever.) The entire cool crowd will be there. I was lucky even to have been asked. Mick Lloyd invited Jeffrey Stars, who invited Aaron Jacobs, who invited Tammy, who invited me. And you don't go if you don't get an invite. You can't. You wouldn't know what pizza place/coffee shop/parentless apartment the A-list selected, so you wouldn't know where to show up. If only they would just choose the same place every time, like they did on Friends . Monica never showed up at a new coffee spot, The Not-So-Central Perk, wondering where everyone was. Down the hall I see Raf Kosravi at his locker, pulling out his coat. A strand of his midnight black hair falls into his matching dark eyes, and he brushes it away with the back of his hand. Heart. Beating. Erratically. Not. Because. Of. Shoes. Sigh. Because of my mother, I will potentially be missing out on precious flirting time with Raf, the boy I'm in love with. I am also in love with Mick Lloyd. Yes, I know it seems strange to love two boys at the same time, but since I've never spoken more than two words to either of them ("Happy Holidays!" to Raf and "Excuse me" to Mick), I'm not concerned about my divided heart. Mick Lloyd is the cute, blond, all-American type that's cast on every dating show. Big smile, dimple in each cheek, great hair. Raf is more mysterious-slash-sexy. He's not too tall, only around five foot six (which is still much, much taller than me at five foot one--I'd better still be growing), and has a lean, fit body like a champion tennis player or an Olympic swimmer (not that I've ever watched professional tennis or swimming). Raf is also in the fashion show with Jewel. Ah, the fashion show. It's really a dance show with a catwalk and designer outfits. Or so I hear. Since I'm only a freshman, and the show is in April, I've never seen it. And since a former JFK student who's now an It Guy Hollywood director launched the idea ten years ago to raise money for the prom, it's always been a cool thing for guys to do. Like football or baseball. There is an overlap of boys who play football with those who are in the show. Unfortunately for the school trophy case, the quarterback is a better dancer than he is an athlete. Mick isn't in the show, but he does play on the JV baseball team, the only sports team at our school that doesn't always lose. And--impressive residence alert!--he lives in a massive brownstone. Since his mom and dad are frequently out of town, he throws a lot of wild parties (not that I've ever been). Raf and Mick are both very, very A-list. But that isn't the reason I like them. Raf buttons up his coat and slaps one of his friends on the back. Sigh. I am such a liar. Of course that's why I like them. I don't even know them, so why else would I like them? They're hot and cool--as in sexy and popular--and if either of them were interested in me, I would actually have a real kiss to brag about. (I claim my first was with a Texan named Stu who I met on a cruise. This is a total lie. Although there was a boy named Stu from Texas, he was seven.) Plus, I would instantly be promoted from the B-list (B+ on an excellent hair day) to the A-list. I really want to be A-list. Yes, I know I'm being colossally pathetic, and I've seen enough movies to know that popular people always get their comeuppance. And being A-list in high school doesn't guarantee you'll be cool in college. But . . . like blondes, the A-list always seems to have more fun. I ask you: Is it so wrong to want to be happy? Is it so wrong to want to be liked? Is it wrong to want my life to be like a soda ad, with lots of laughing, jumping, and high-fiving? Excerpted from Bras and Broomsticks by Sarah Mlynowski All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
