Audiobook Review: What the Spell? by Brittany Geragotelis

TITLE: What the Spell?

SERIES: Life's a Witch, Book #1
AUTHOR: Brittany Geragotelis 

NARRATOR: Joy Osmanski
PUBLISHER: Simon Audio
PUBLICATION DATE: January 29, 2013

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook, 9 hrs and 41 mins
GENRE: Fantasy, Young Adult
ISBN: 9781442360679

A teenage witch juggles popularity and romance while keeping her powers a secret in this spellbinding debut.

Almost-sixteen-year-old Brooklyn feels invisible, but she desperately wants to be pretty, to be popular, to be adored by a cute guy. Luckily for her, she’s a witch about to come of age—so she’s only a few spells away from making it all happen.

On her milestone birthday, Brooklyn’s conservative parents finally unbind her powers, which include the ability to magically match couples with a love spell. Brooklyn uses her special skills to get a makeover, new friends, and the attention of her crush, Asher. But the popular clique Brooklyn wants to infiltrate puts her in the same precarious position as her Salem ancestors: If she’s found out, she could be vilified—and lose Asher in the process. Can she make the most of her magic, or will she be luckless and loveless? Be careful what you witch for!

MY REVIEW: 

I received this audiobook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any compensation for my review, and the views expressed herein are my own. 

Wow, what a debut!

Brooklyn Sparks is a 15 year-old girl, who comes from a family of witches. Her parents bound her witching powers until her 16^th birthday because they did not want her to rely on her magical abilities to get things done and wanted her to practice her witching skills responsibly. She was raised in a low-magic household, and her parents seldom use magic for anything for fear that they would be found out as what happened to Brooklyn’s aunt.

Brooklyn has passed through life unnoticed by anyone. She has no siblings, and her only friend is the school guidance counsellor, Ms. Zia, who looks fondly upon Brooklyn as a younger sister. Brooklyn eats her lunch every day in Ms. Zia’s office while the two chat about celebrity gossip.

On the eve of her 16^th birthday, Brooklyn’s parents perform a spell to unbind her powers. She spends the following night performing spells to give herself a magical makeover to improve her looks: She changes the colour of her eyes from brown to green, adds a few inches of length to her hair and changes the colour from brown to blonde, makes her hips and bottom a little more curvy so that she no longer feels like a boy, clears up her complexion, and adds a little bit of height. She transforms herself from dull to dazzling, and she can’t wait to show off her new look at school! Not only is she hoping to catch the eye of her childhood crush, Asher, but she wants to be noticed by the coveted clique, The Elite. Brooklyn does succeed in getting what she wants, but she also realizes that it doesn’t come without a price.

I cannot believe that this is Geragotelis’ debut novel! I could not put it down!! She has nailed the teenage social hierarchy and high school angst. I am sure we can all recall the bitchy snobs and jocks who “ruled the school,” and it brought back some memories of what some kids are willing to go through to be accepted by the cool kids. I really felt for Brooklyn, even though I hated what she became and wanted to shake some sense into that girl! I loved her show of repentance and how she tried to make amends at the end. I was hooked from the get-go, and I cannot wait to read more of this series! The next book, Life's a Witch, is going to be released in July. I will be eagerly picking up anything that Geragotelis writes.

Narrator Joy Osmanski is new-to-me, and she had me hanging on to her every word. Never sounding whiny, she aced the persona of teenagers. Her character transitions were seamless, going from snobby Gigi to peppy Eliza in the same breath. I couldn’t imagine anyone doing a better job, and she was perfect for this book. I am definitely going to be looking for other audiobooks narrated by her. 

MY RATING:

5 stars!! I loved it, and you should definitely read it! A big thanks to Simon Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook!

This book qualifies as: 
#27 for my 2013 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge
#27 for my 2013 Read-a-Latte Challenge
#10 for my The In the Middle Reading Challenge
#13 for my 2013 ARC Reading Challenge  
#22 for my 2013 Women Challenge   
#16 for my New Authors Challenge 2013
#16 for my 2013 Reading Challenge: First-Reads    
#3 for my 2013 Debut Author Challenge
#2 for my 2013 Debut Author Challenge (YA/MG) 
#14 for my 2013 1st In A Series Challenge 
#22 for my 2013 Books-in-a-Series Reading Challenge 
#15 for my 2013 Audio Book Challenge
#15 for my 2013 Audio Book Challenge
#8 for my 2013 Young Adult Audiobook Challenge  
#15 for my 2013 Let Me Count The Ways Reading Challenge: Audio Version
#15 for my 2013 Free Reads Challenge   

#10 for my Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Romance Reading Challenge 2013 
#15 for my 2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge   
#6 of Category #3 for my 2013 Immortal Reading Challenge  
#6 for my 2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge 
#13 for my 2013 Young Adult Reading Challenge   
#12 for my 2013 YA/MG Fantasy Challenge    

#6 for my Spring Reading Thing 2013
#4 for my Once Upon a Time VII Challenge

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