Parties & Potions by Sarah Mlynowski

Spoiler Alert: If you haven't read the Magic in Manhattan series and don't want to read spoilers, don't read this review. I can't seem to figure out how NOT to give you a synopsis of the book without giving out the biggest revelation at the end of Book 2.

Parties & Potions is the fourth and final book in Sarah Mlynowski's Magic in Manhattan series. In this book, Rachel and her sister Miri are continuing to hone their magical powers. Rachel's relationship with Raf is going strong, and it seems as if she's finally comfortable with who she is. The girls are introduced to other witches and warlocks their age thanks to Miri's participation on the social network, Mywitchbook, and they soon learn about the Samsorta--a magical debutante ball for witches. Reluctant to train for the Samsorta, Rachel finally gives in to appease Miri. Surprisingly, charm school is a lot more fun than Rachel anticipated, and there's a young warlock named Adam who catches Rachel's eye. While she loves Raf, she can share her secret magical life with Adam. But why CAN'T she also share it with Raf? As the Samsorta approaches, Rachel is torn between telling Raf her secret or potentially losing him forever.

In this satisfying conclusion to the series, we see a mature Rachel who is struggling with balancing her non-magical life with her separate magical life. Teens trying to balance schoolwork, friends, family, and extracurricular activities will definitely identify. Also, Rachel, who has never quite been happy with who she is, finally seems to be so if only she can reveal her secret to those closest to her. But don't worry fans of Rachel...she's still herself with her hilarious inner dialogs and mishaps that only she can manage to get herself into.

Even though marketed as young adult, I think all of the books in the series are appropriate for and will appeal to tweens, too. I read all four books over the holidays, and they were the perfect type of light-hearted, fast-paced reads I was looking for.

Come back tomorrow for an interview with Sarah Mlynowski!

More Info:

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (December 23, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385736452
• ISBN-13: 978-0385736459

Other three books in series:

• Bras & Broomsticks
• Frogs & French Kisses
• Spells & Sleeping Bags