Spellbound and Determined

by Dax Varley

[Cocktails and Books]

Immediately I did not connect with the main character or plot. The language, behavior didn't ring true and felt like what the author thought someone in high school would say or how they would act.

Cam has the potential to be very sympathetic. However, the supporting characters steal the show, especially, Reade, the best friend. She is interesting and funny. Unfortunately, the book centers on Cam. When reading I never got lost in this story. Instead it felt like I was being told the story and Cam never developed from being a one dimensional teenager into a real character. As a result, I wasn’t interested in what happened to her or with how the plot progressed.

I was never sure what Cam’s reasoning was. Although she's a teenager she has to have a reason for taking the actions she does and most of her actions felt random instead of like an intricate part of the plot. As a result, the book fell apart for me. Instead of enjoying a great story I kept trying to figure out what the story was about. It became frustrating and took a lot of effort to read.

Reviewed by Karon for Cocktails and Books