Parties & Potions (Magic In Manhattan) [Paperback]

Sarah Mlynowski (Author)

Book Description

Series: Magic In Manhattan | Publication Date: February 9, 2010

Perfect hair, cute clothes, healthy tans—life’s a breeze when you’re a witch! Even special witchcraft classes Rachel agrees to attend with Miri turn out to be fun. The sisters meet other teen witches just like them—who knew? Everyone’s preparing for a magical party called a Samsorta—a debutante ball for witches. And it wouldn’t be a ball without warlocks. Cute ones. Like Adam, who wants to slow dance with Rachel, and ski with her in the Rockies—on a school night! Of course, Rachel is madly in love with her boyfriend, Raf. So why can’t she bring herself to tell Adam—funny, charming Adam—that Raf exists?

Rachel knows Raf likes her. Maybe even, gulp, loves her. But Raf doesn’t know her secret. Unlike Adam, Raf doesn’t know who she really is. And she can never tell him. Or can she?


From the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Mlynowski’s fourth book featuring teenage witch sisters Miri and Rachel is just as funny and appealing as the first three. In this installment, Rachel is looking forward to sophomore year and her budding relationship with Raf. She definitely enjoys her new powers but is determined to keep her witchhood secret from her father, her friends, and especially from Raf. When Miri convinces her to undergo training for a Samsorta ceremony (a “débutante-slash-bat-mitzvah-slash-quinceañera witch party thing”), Rachel meets dozens of teenage witches and warlocks and gains a new perspective on witchery. Mlynowski balances Miri’s delight at finally having a social life with Rachel’s very real fears of what will happen if her friends and father find out that she is “different,” as, of course, they do. But the story is clever, Rachel is a hoot, the girls’ concerns are valid, and, best of all, Mlynowski leaves the sledgehammer in the closet and handles the “importance of being yourself” theme with a light touch. Grades 6-9. --Chris Sherman --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Satisfying...A fun, light read." --Kirkus Reviews

"Funny & appealing." --Booklist

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (February 9, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385736460
• ISBN-13: 978-0385736466
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.8 x 8.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #566,864 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sarah is the author of MILKRUN, FISHBOWL, AS SEEN ON TV, MONKEY BUSINESS and ME VS ME for Red Dress Ink, GIMME A CALL, BRAS & BROOMSTICKS, FROGS & FRENCH KISSES, SPELLS & SLEEPING BAGS and PARTIES & POTIONS for Random House, and TEN THINGS WE DID (AND PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE) and HOW TO BE BAD (along with E.Lockhart and Lauren Myracle) for HarperTeen. TEN THINGS WE DID (AND PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE) will be out this June. Sarah has been featured in the short story collections, AMERICAN GIRLS ABOUT TOWN, SIXTEEN: STORIES ABOUT THAT SWEET AND BITTER BIRTHDAY, 21 PROMS, FIRST KISS (THEN TELL) and FIREWORKS. Sarah also co-edited the bestselling chick-lit collections GIRLS' NIGHT IN and GIRLS' NIGHT OUT and co-wrote the first ever guide to writing chick lit, SEE JANE WRITE.

Sarah's books have been translated into twenty-one languages and optioned to Hollywood. She was born in Montreal but now lives and writes in New York City.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting Review: Parties & Potions, March 4, 2009

By 

Enchanting Reviews "Lisa" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Parties & Potions (Magic In Manhattan) (Hardcover)

PARTIES AND POTIONS
SARAH MLYNOWSKI
Paranormal YA
Delacorte

Rating: 5 Enchantments

PARTIES AND POTIONS is a really fun, paranormal read. Its definitely one of my top favorites of the year. When her younger sister Miri wants to delve deeper into the witch world, Rachel's resistant. Sure, its one thing to be a witch, but to be one openly is quite another. But when Miri gets them invited to dinner with one of her new witch friends, Wendaline, off of MyWitchBook, Rachel finds herself exposed to a whole new witchy world.

I really enjoyed PARTIES AND POTIONS. Ms. Mlynowski creates a wonderfully unique paranormal world that's easy to enjoy even if you haven't read the other books in the series. I was pulled into the story right from the start. Rachel is a great character, stuck having to deal with her younger sister Miri's obsession with having a Samsorta, a debutante-like debut for witches in Romania. Now Rachel's forced into Samsorta lessons, in Arizona no less, plus there's a cute warlock, Adam, who might just make things even more complicated. Things would be so much easier if she could tell her mortal boyfriend Raf that she's a witch, but she can't bring herself to do that. What if that breaks them up? Besides, she's just not as outgoing with her witchy ways as her new friend, Wendaline. And things get even more complicated when Miri suddenly decides they have to tell their father about their witchy ways.

I loved Rachel struggling to deal with her witchy ways in a mortal world and then in comes her new friend Wendaline, who keeps announcing to everyone she's a witch--she's definitely a scenestealer! One of my favorite scenes is when Rachel and Miri go to their first Simsorta, the warlock's version of a Samsorta. The mix of humor and paranormal really made this a great read.

This is the first of the series I've read and I absolutely enjoyed PARTIES AND POTIONS. Can't wait to pick up the other books and see how Rachel got to this point. If you're looking for a fun, guaranteed to make you smile paranormal, PARTIES AND POTIONS is definitely the one to pick up.

Sarah Mlynowski's novels include the first three books in the Magic in Manhattan series. Like Rachel, Sarah lives in Manhattan. Unlike Rachel, Sarah has no magical powers . . . yet. Visit her anyway at www.sarahm.com [...].

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
December 2008

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The funniest of all, August 22, 2009

By 

Big reader (D.C.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Parties & Potions (Magic In Manhattan) (Hardcover)

All of the "Magic in Manhattan" books are laugh out loud funny. They're clever and sweet and I keep thinking about them long after I've closed the book. I wish there were more!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sooo good!, January 28, 2009

By 

Jessica Burkhart "Canterwood Crest author" (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Parties & Potions (Magic In Manhattan) (Hardcover)

Sarah Mlynowski's PARTIES & POTIONS is an adorable read--one of the best in the Magic in Manhattan series!