Author: Laurie Faria Stolarz Trade Paperback, 320 pages
Publisher: Llewellyn
Publication date: 2005
Age: Young Adult
List: US$8.95, C$11.95
ISBN: 0738707600 Price & More Info: Click Here
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Stacey is not a happy college student. She is going to college for the
first time and has one roommate who is so perky and fluffy you almost want
to gag as soon as you meet her, On to-p of that Stacey's "unusual"
abilities have been causing her problems for years. Add to that the fact
that her boyfriend disappeared into the ocean during summer vacation, and
you get the feeling that this might not be a good year for her.
This is the fourth book in a series by Laurie Faria Stolarz (see my reviews
of Blue is for Nightmares, White is for Magic, and Silver is for Secrets).
It looks like this series may continue for a while, and I am happy to see
that.
Stacey is not your typical heroine. She is cranky, ill-tempered, and
self-centered. In other words, she is a typical teenage trying to adjust to
life in the "real world" of college, with other distractions thrown into the
mix. Her grades are mediocre, to be generous, and the only reason she made
into this prestigious college is because the President of Beacon College
graduated from her old prep school and knew about her psychic abilities. He
needs her help and he is willing to help her (with a full scholarship) in
return.
Ms. Stolarz has a feeling for teenage angst, as well as a crisp writing
style that draws you along.
If you have read the preceding books you probably already have a feel for
Stacey and her friends Amber( who is still one of her roommates), P.J.,
Chad, and Drea. If not, you will soon develop such a feel.
Stacey considers herself Wiccan, although many would consider her use of,
and reliance on, folk magic to lodge her firmly in the "Witch" camp. She
learned from her family and relies on a family scrapbook full of accumulated
wisdom, recipes, and thoughts.
At the opening of this story Stacey is still obsessed with her missing, and
presumed drowned, boyfriend (Jacob). She has not accepted the fact that he
is dead, and she may be right. She is having nightmares again, as she has
had in the past, but this time without the physical consequences (she has
had bouts of bed-wetting, projectile vomiting and nosebleeds connected with
her nightmares in the past).
She wants to dream of Jacob, so she can reconnect, but he refuses to appear
in her dreams. Instead she see a woman who demands that she help her
daughter with her nightmares. Since this dovetails nicely with what the
president of the college wants, she does so in hopes of furthering her
chances of connecting with Jacob.
There are twists enough to keep you guessing, although some things are
telegraphed, if you are looking in the right places.
Like the previous books, this one is a real pleasure to read. It doesn't go
into a lot of depth as far as the folk magic goes, but there is information
there for the harvesting, if that is what you are looking for. If all you
want is an enjoyable book to read, with a Pagan-friendly slant, this one
will fit that niche nicely as well.
Reviewed by Mike Gleason
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