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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
One of my favorite Meg Cabot teen books in quite awhile!, September 1, 2007
This review is from: Jinx (Hardcover)
I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed Jinx. Meg Cabot has a definite hit with this book.
Jean "Jinx" Honeychurch has had bad luck all her life. Straight from birth in fact. She has recently arrived in New York City to stay with her aunt, uncle and cousins. To start fresh from some of the bad luck she left behind in Iowa. Jinx has a lot of guilt on her shoulders so she is looking forward to hopefully leaving her bad luck behind her.
Too bad it is not that easy. Her extended family is a pleasure to be with, all except Jinx's cousin, Tory. Tory is unhappy, rude, and in general, is making Jinx's life a pain. It doesn't help that Tory is crushing on her neighbor Zach in a big way, but Zach seems to have eyes only for Jinx. Talk about an uncomfortable situation. And when witchcraft and their shared history is brought into the mix, Jinx's life becomes even more complicated because Jinx has power. Tory knows it and she wants that power for herself. She'll do anything she can to get it. And believe me, she is not above stooping to very low levels.
So what makes this book so much fun? It is the lead character, Jinx. She is just a very real persona. She is suffering from some very painful truths that she doesn't want brought to the light. Things like mixing witchcraft and a person's free will. On top of that, she is dealing with a new living situation, a new crush, a new school, and the need to finally have some good luck. Some great luck! Meg Cabot really created a wonderful character in Jinx. Teens and heck, even adults, will empathize with the fears she faces on a daily basis, the challenges of dealing with cruel people, with rumors, and with a very confusing ancestry. Luckily, Jinx has style and a panache all her own and she will win you over from the very first page.
I really enjoyed how Meg Cabot intertwined witchcraft and adolescence. There are some really great messages in this book, but you won't feel like you've been hit over the head with them. Subtle, sly, and humorous, Jinx has all the marks of an entertaining paranormal read.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Recreation of Past Works (this review contains slight, but obvious spoilers), December 25, 2007
This review is from: Jinx (Hardcover)
Meg Cabot has the formula to writing a teen book down pat. She knows how to plan out her plots well: Hapless Girl meets Boy who she a) doesn't like or b) is best friends with and doesn't like romantically. Then, Hapless Girl finds out she has something extraordinary in her life (either supernatural powers, unknown royalty, or internal strength), followed by denial, denial, denial, a lot of complaining, and eventual acceptance. To finish, she realizes she loves the Boy she either hates or is best friends with. Happy ever after.
This formula, however, does not work when used over 40 times by the same author. I admit, I sucked the first "Princess Diaries" books up when I was 13. I adored "1-800-Where-R-U." I couldn't stop reading the "Mediator." They were fresh and funny. They were somewhat original, set apart from the rest of the YA genre. Cabot's latest works-- Jinx, How to be Popular, Mediators #5 and #6, and definitely 1-800 #5-- are attempts to recreate the magic of the past. To be frank, they are boring because we have already read these stories before. Jean (or "Jinx") is a character who questions herself a lot and, much like Sam from "All American Girl", does not realize that the BOY OF HER DREAMS actually likes HER. This was true with Michael Moscovitz and Scott from "Teen Idol."
Another reason Cabot's latest book "Jinx" is not up to par with her past work is because of its contrived characters. Jean's ex-boyfriend stalks her and her roommate is like one of the cheerleaders from "Princess Diaries" but with all black on. The basic Cabot bad-guy character is either a hypocritical jealous girl or a mental patient.
Now, for the most part, these books are still sweet and charming (that is, if you're a soccer mom screening your daughter's books). I'm no longer 13, or even a teen, so maybe these books just don't suit my fancy. But when you read a teen book that is remarkable, you don't need to be a teenager to like it. It is a good book on its own without that YA label. Cabot garners to that label because it helps her hit the New York Times bestseller list, and I guess that's all that matters at this point.
If you're tempted to read "Jinx" try one of Cabot's older works instead. In my opinion, "Teen Idol" is her last work before her decline, so start there and work your way backwards. To put it simply, "Jinx" is just another version of her previous books.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Slow beginning, great ending, August 19, 2007
This review is from: Jinx (Hardcover)
Jinx starts out just about the same as any Meg Cabot book. Girl has hidden problem alluded to but not openly discussed, girl sees hot guy who makes her insides melt but doesn't know how to get him to notice her, girl makes a fool of herself trying to get said cute guy. But before too long, you find out that Jean is anything but a normal Cabot heroine.
Jean Honeychurch arrives in New York City thinking that her life can only get better after a stocker forces her to move from her small hometown in rural Iowa to live with her aunt, uncle and spoiled cousin Tory. There Jean finds out Tory has changed drastically from her five-year-old self who used to ford creeks and climb trees; now Troy is a little too into boys, likes to mess around with drugs and alcohol, and even fancies herself a witch.
And of course, Jean instantly falls for the boy next door, Zack, who likes the au pair who already has a boyfriend back in Germany. But don't worry, because Troy will stop at nothing to get Zack for herself even though she is dating Shawn with the agreement that they are really only friends with benefits.
If that love triangle (or pentagon) isn't complicated enough for you, throw in the fact that Troy is practicing black magic, Jean thinks she's cursed and Shawn starts getting a little sloppy at his job as the local drug pusher at their elite Manhattan private school. That is when things really start to get good.
Reading this book reminded me why I love Meg Cabot so much. While her romances are pretty formulaic and her characters tend to sound just about the same from book to book, Cabot really shines as a paranormal writer. With the whit and romance of her 1-800-Where-R-You series ( When Lightning Strikes (1-800-Where-R-You) and Missing You (1-800-Where-R-You, Book 5)) and the darker edge and great dialogue of her Mediator series ( Shadowland (The Mediator, Book 1) and The Mediator #6: Twilight (Mediator)), Meg Cabot brings the world of witchcraft and dark magic to an entirely new level.
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