March 1, 1990
Bret lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and, at 16, he's met his first love. Ironically, Erika, the girl of his dreams is playing a witch in their school production of Macbeth. In real life, Bret's mother is a witch, his grandmother a fortune-teller and their tenant a voodoo priestess. As for Bret's father, he has moved out and sees Bret only on weekends. Longing for a normal family, Bret tries to keep his odd relatives a secret from Erika, but finds that parents aren't something one can hide, especially when they are determined to be ``helpful.'' Calling to mind a family-problem-novel version of Suzy McKee Charnas's The Silver Glove , Gilmore offers a portrait of young love by way of stagecraft and magic. Not as dramatic as her Remembrance of the Sun , the story nevertheless has a quiet, solid charm. Ages 10-14.
April 1, 1990
Gr 7-12- -A quirky YA novel that sparkles with a sense of humor, graceful style, fully drawn setting, and rich characters. It chronicles how Bren copes with his parents' separation, his first love, his responsibilities in the school play, and his yearning for a normal, uneventful life. Beyond the array of these typical teenage trials is the plot's pivotal twist: Bren's mother is a practicing witch who insists on summoning him at the moment of his first kiss, providing special effects for the school's production of Macbeth, and meddling in his life with powers beyond those of an ordinary interfering mother. The denouement, in which the ordinary meshes with the supernatural, lapses into silliness, but, on the whole, this is an entertaining and magical story. -Doris A. Fong, Benson Polytechnic High School, Portland, OR
January 1, 1990
Sixteen-year-old Bren has a problem: how to keep his new girlfriend from discovering that his mother and grandmother are practicing witches. Subplots about the school production of 'Macbeth' and Bren's mother's attempts to bewitch her estranged husband are well integrated into this appealing story. Although the ending is disappointing, the combination of romance and witchcraft should ensure its popularity.
(Copyright 1990 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)