Author: Robert Shields
Publication Date: December 19, 2011
From Goodreads:
Following years of persecution at the hands of Vivica Vance, Daphne Downing levels the playing field wielding her No. 2 Ticonderoga pencil as she belatedly enters the world of witchcraft. Daphne becomes part of the Mysterious Girls’ Secret Bathroom Society and finds out that the politics governing witchcraft are daunting and sometimes deadly. She realizes she is aligned with the Charmers in this political battle with the Spiters led by her nemesis, Vivica. Along the way, she discovers that witches do not perform magic or witchcraft but a differentiated form of physics that only some women have mastered. The story deepens as she learns about the long history of witches’ domination and annihilation of wizards.
My Thoughts:
Daphne Downing has been picked on for years by Vivica Vance, her school rival. She doesn't know why this started, but for years she has been Vi's target and she has just about had enough. During freshman year, Vi makes a slip and Daphne discovers that she is a witch. But not only is Vi a witch, so is her best friend, Lyla. Daphne realizes that she too may be a witch and begins reading and studying up on it to learn for herself. We follow the girls as they discover more about themselves and what being a witch truly means.
I went into this book not really knowing much about it. I had only read the synopsis and hadn't come across any reviews. While this is not my typical choice of read, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Instead of focusing on "magic", the author focuses more on physics as a way to do witchcraft. I found this to be a very original idea and enjoyed learning more about it as I read. A lot of times we, the readers, are expected to just go along with a story and take magic just as that, magic. No explanation needed. While that is still great and don't get me wrong, I love those stories, it is nice to come across a new theory once in a while and gain a new perspective.
I do have to admit that it did take me a few pages to really get involved with the story. I didn't feel any connection with Daphne while she was first learning her craft. I felt more like I was being told what was happening instead of experiencing it through her. We also gain a lot of information fast and I got lost a few times. Physics is not a light subject for me so I did have to go at it slow and steady in a few areas and really pay attention to work things out in my head as they were intended to be told. Taking on new subjects is sometimes hard for me because I have a very bad habit of "if I have no interest in it, I don't care to know about it" lol. (This really drives the husband, a major science buff, crazy). So learning something new like this took me a little while to gain interest.
But once I got past the learning stage and gaining the background on the history of witches, it started to pick up and I found myself reading faster and really interested in where the story was going. As the story progressed, so did the characters. Unlike at the beginning, Daphne, Lyla and even Vi started to grow into their own and become more believable as real people. The most important part of reading, at least for me, is believing in what you are reading. Can you see yourself meeting these people in real life? I do believe that once the author got past the physics aspect and concentrated more on the characters and story that it really started to come together. I am curious to see if there will be more books to follow, which I think would enjoy a little more since we are now past the "introduction" stage.
If you are looking for a fun, fast MG/YA story, I recommend Daphne and the Mysterious Girls Secret Bathroom Society. If you like to read about science and/or witches, I think you will really enjoy this book. It is also perfect for a quiet night at home. Perhaps you are snowed in like me? Give this one a go!
I appreciate you reviewing my book. I'm glad you liked it.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Robert