Review Detail

Poor Listen Taylor's group of best friends dumps her just as she enters Junior High. But at least she has the mysterious Spell Book that she found as she, her father, and her father's girlfriend, Marbie Zing, move into a new home. Listen's Spell Book tells her when and how to work her first spell.

Meanwhile, a second grade teacher named Cath Murphy develops a crush on the new teacher at her school. Cassie Zing, Marbie's niece, just happens to be in Cath's class--and the Zing family seems to be unusually interested in Cassie's opinion of her teacher. Cassie's mother, Fancy Zing, is discontented with her husband, prompting her to keep an "Irritating Things About My Husband" list.

A mystery threads through this weaving of interconnected characters: What is the Zing family's secret? The author's gift for quirky, wonderful description is a joy to read, and the Zing family puzzle made it hard for me to put the book down. I did enjoy this book for the most part, but I was bothered by some of the actions of the characters, which seemed to invade a person's privacy in a way that was kind of creepy--and the motivation for those actions seemed inadequate (not much justifies out and out spying, as far as I'm concerned). I also wondered why this book is marketed to teens, since most of the plot revolves around adults. On the other hand, the Zing family secret is a surprise, the off-kilter characters are fascinating, and the writing is wonderful--and I suspect some readers will thoroughly enjoy it.