Bewitching: The Kendra Chronicles

( 48 )

Overview

Bewitching can be a beast. . . .

Once, I put a curse on a beastly and arrogant high school boy. That one turned out all right. Others didn’t.

I go to a new school now—one where no one knows that I should have graduated long ago. I’m not still here because I’m stupid; I just don’t age.

You see, I’m immortal. And I pretty much know everything after hundreds of years—except for ...

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Bewitching: The Kendra Chronicles

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More About This Book

Overview

Bewitching can be a beast. . . .

Once, I put a curse on a beastly and arrogant high school boy. That one turned out all right. Others didn’t.

I go to a new school now—one where no one knows that I should have graduated long ago. I’m not still here because I’m stupid; I just don’t age.

You see, I’m immortal. And I pretty much know everything after hundreds of years—except for when to take my powers and butt out.

I want to help, but things just go awry in ways I could never predict. Like when I tried to free some children from a gingerbread house and ended up being hanged. After I came back from the dead (immortal, remember?), I tried to play matchmaker for a French prince and ended up banished from France forever. And that little mermaid I found in the Titanic lifeboat? I don’t even want to think about it.

Now a girl named Emma needs me. I probably shouldn’t get involved, but her gorgeous stepsister is conniving to the core. I think I have just the thing to fix that girl—and it isn’t an enchanted pumpkin. Although you never know what will happen when I start . . . bewitching.

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Editorial Reviews

VOYA - Mandy R. Simon
Kendra found out she was a witch after surviving the infamous plague of 1666. So long as she can avoid being burned at the stake, she will live forever. She has spent the last few hundred years helping people fall in love, deal with real-life villains, achieve their dreams, and fulfill their wishes. The story focuses on present-day Emma, who has a great relationship with her stepfather, until her stepsister, Lisette, shows up. Very close in age, the two are initially friends until Emma realizes that Lisette is not what she seems. Kendra explains her perspective of Emma's story, aligning it with similar situations from her past: a love story on the Titanic, the courtship of King Louis of France, and The Little Mermaid, to name a few. Unpredictable and entertaining twists engage the reader in each side story and connect fantasy to the contemporary drama of Emma's real-life issues. Kendra is a wise and likable character, and no doubt Flinn's fans will be satisfied with Bewitching. Flinn weaves her interpretation of fairy tales, a good dose of historical fiction, and contemporary high school drama into an intriguing and relatable novel. Fans of fairy tale adaptations, fantasy, and teen romance will love this book. It is recommended for middle school and up. Reviewer: Mandy R. Simon
Kirkus Reviews
This entertaining twist on "Cinderella" centers on a centuries-old witch who sometimes helps her friends. Kendra's family died in the plague in 1666, the year she discovered she was a witch. Throughout the centuries, Kendra occasionally uses her powers to aid people, but not always to good effect. So Kendra hesitates when she meets Emma, a girl tormented by her new stepsister, Lisette. Lisette, the Cinderella character in the story, turns out to be the evil one, with dorky, bookish Emma the victim. Gorgeous, talented Lisette cares for no one but herself and successfully, it seems, steals Emma's beloved stepfather's affections, her jewelry, her clothes, her room and her car, and she seems to have her sights set on Emma's new boyfriend. Kendra, however, recounts several stories of magic gone bad, and isn't sure she ought to intervene. When finally she does, the story takes a delightfully surprising twist. Flinn throws in retellings of "Hansel and Gretel," "The Little Mermaid" and "The Princess and the Pea," along with the overriding Cinderella scenario, and she keeps the narrative moving along in sprightly fashion. It all adds up to plenty of fun that should appeal to many readers, particularly those who will delight in seeing the familiar tales in their new clothes. It's often touching, with an undercurrent of wry comedy, some history and a bit of a moral thrown in, as in any good fairy tale. Clever and enjoyable. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)
School Library Journal
Gr 8–10—Flinn's latest fairy-tale mash-up revisits the witch from Beastly (HarperTeen, 2007). The story jumps right in with Kendra explaining how she came to be a witch. In 1666, she fled her plague-ridden village in England with her little brother (and only surviving family member). The young witch was unaware of the full extent of her powers and near starving when she wandered lost in a vast forest with Charlie. The two stumbled upon a cottage that was constructed of sweet-smelling gingerbread, but as soon as the first delicious bite was swallowed, a witch captured them and declared her intention to "bake" them into cookies. Kendra harnessed her own newfound witchy powers and honed her wits to fool the elder witch and break free. She then went on to live as an eternal teenager, causing mischief in her attempts to "help" those in need. In addition to this "Hansel and Gretel" retelling, Bewitching visits "The Princess and the Pea" and "The Little Mermaid," but the main focus is on stepsisters Emma and Lisette. Emma takes over narrating the story of how beautiful and manipulative Lisette comes to live with her. Through lies and machinations she takes over Emma's life. Average-looking Emma is left with almost nothing until she starts a romance with fellow bookworm Warner. But when Lisette manages to even steal her boyfriend, Emma turns to Kendra for help. With hints of "Cinderella" and a sprinkling of valuable life lessons for teens ("beautiful on the outside does not mean beautiful on the inside" and "accept your own shape and size"), Emma's story will leave readers cheering. Bewitching is a humorous and engaging read that will appeal to those who love classic tales.—Tara Kehoe, Plainsboro Public Library, NJ
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780062024145
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
  • Publication date: 2/14/2012
  • Pages: 352
  • Sales rank: 126,194
  • Age range: 13 - 17 Years
  • Product dimensions: 5.60 (w) x 8.30 (h) x 1.40 (d)

Meet the Author

Alex Flinn loves fairy tales and is also the author of Beastly, a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast that is a feature film starring Vanessa Hudgens, and A Kiss in Time, an edgy twist on Sleeping Beauty. Her other books include Breathing Underwater, an ALA Top 10 Best Book for Young Adults, Breaking Point, Nothing to Lose, Fade to Black, and Diva. She lives in Miami with her husband, two kids, a cat, and a dog.

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 48 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(27)

4 Star

(13)

3 Star

(5)

2 Star

(1)

1 Star

(2)

Your Rating:

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 48 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted February 18, 2012

    Bewitched

    OhmeeGosh!! Kendra is so funny. This book is about a bookworm(like me) girl named Emma. She has a perfect life with a wonderful father. One day, he tells her she has astepsister. She manipulate people with her sob story and pretty face. Emma struggles with this because one night,her stepsister blackmails her. After two years, her crush from eighth grade, comes into the picture. Warren. They supposedly fall in love. He ends up with her unloving stepsister (At least to him) . Heartbroken, Emma's best and only friend Kendra attempts to come tothe rescue with a few trix up her sleeve. What could possibly go wrong? Oh yeah, magic.

    9 out of 11 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 28, 2011

    Nice!

    Alex flinn is a great writer! Looking forward to this book!

    4 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted February 15, 2012

    more from this reviewer

    5 STARS- I LOVED IT!!

    OMG! Bewitching by Alex Flinn is ALL CONSUMING - it will draw you in and won't spit you back out until your reading the final notes! It is that awesome! And even after you've finished, you're left reminiscing and yearning to get back to sweet Emma and Kendra. Kendra with all her witchy kookiness and her touch-and-go not always effective methods of help.
    Don't expect to zoom through this novel because Bewitching maintains a lyrical as well as whimsical rhythm that suits the story very nicely. I enjoyed and savored every page. I usually don't re-read my books because reading it once quells my needs, but I see myself reading Bewitching over and over and never tiring.
    Alex Flinn has such a mesmerizing writing style that is hard to put in words, but easily understood once you delve into her work. I love how Kendra is not perfect, far from it in fact. Her voice is very strong and you just can't help but feel for her and want to know/read more. Emma, is a wonderful character that I would be ecstatic to befriend. She has such a strong persona even in her times of despair.
    The different take on how the stepsister and stepmother being the good ones, and the beauty being evil is endearing. It's such a great story for kids to look up to, and for them to understand that it doesn't take to be the stereotype to end up on top. I whole heartedly wanted to ring Lisette's neck, and I still do if it were possible =) Alex Flinn has a way with her characters that has me looking forward to reading more of her work. Her way of twisting well-known fairy-tales is an art form! I felt my heart drop, crushed, angered, ripped out, and loved. I'm captivated!! Bewitched!
    As for the ending, I will just say "Thank You!" Thank you for giving my heart peace =D
    A DEFINITE MUST READ NOW NOVEL!! A 2012 FAVORITE!

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 27, 2013

    Mmmmmmm

    Should i get this i read beastly????,??? Yes=Get it no= dont get it

    2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted February 14, 2012

    Great For the Young, and the Young at Heart!

    What if the fairy tales we all grew up on got it wrong? What if the evil step-sisters weren't so bad, but cruelly manipulated by Cinderella? What if the mermaid didn't get her "happily ever after" with her prince,but a tragic end? What if the witch wasn't an evil shrew, but just a lonely girl who tries to help others, sometimes with disastrous results? Bewitching, re-telling classic tales through the eyes of the witch, breathes new life into these stories and shows us (to quote my favorite witch, Alex Russo) "everything is not what it seems".

    I have to start by saying that Bewitching caught me completely off-guard. I expected the story to be a little fun and cute, but I didn't expect the lessons learned and to have as much fun as I did! The story is primarily from Kendra's point-of-view, but does switch to the view of the character she is helping at the moment, mainly Emma. Emma is a sweet, but plain girl, bookish and quiet, living a happy life with her mother and step-father. But her life takes a dramatic turn when her beautiful, perfect, and seemingly fragile step-sister Lisette comes to live with them after her mother's death. Emma is desperate for a sister, and wants to be close to Lisette, but it quickly becomes apparent that Lisette is out to destroy Emma, out of jealousy. Because she is so sweet and seems innocent and broken, Lisette (Cinderella?) is automatically given the benefit of a doubt. Emma, who is plain and quiet, rarely has the courage to speak up for herself, is quickly forced into the role of the "evil stepsister". Kendra, for the most part is a quiet observer to Emma's pain, only offering bits of advice. But when Lisette goes too far in her effort to destroy Emma, she decides to step in and help. Will her efforts turn out as tragically as it did with a certain mermaid? Or will she be able to change a life for the better, as she did with the Beast?

    Bewitching is the first of Alex Flinn's books I've had the pleasure to read. I had heard about Beastly, but not until it became a movie and that's most likely because I have a super-strong Alex Pettyfer radar. But now I'm sure to hunt more of her books down and read them. The tale is told in a fun, conversational manner that made me feel as if Kendra and I were having a nice, long chat. The stories she wove into Emma's (the night the Titanic sank, a young French prince searching for a wife) were nice asides that expanded upon the lesson Kendra was conveying.

    Bewitching, with a clear message about remaining true to oneself, is a great book for young readers. I could absolutely see a reluctant teen (or tween), snatching this book up and devouring it. But, it's also a story that adults, at least those young at heart, can enjoy!



    Favorite Quote:

    "She stared at me, at my open mouth. 'Now, what are you going to do about it, Emma? Burn me at the stake? Organize a boycott of all the Harry Potter books because they gave me ideas?' "



    * I received an ARC of Bewitching from Harper Collins, in exchange for an honest review. *

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted August 15, 2012

    Another amazing fairy tale from Author Alex Flinn. This is a boo

    Another amazing fairy tale from Author Alex Flinn. This is a book to
    watch out for come February! The reader is introduced to Kendra
    Hillferty, a young girl with too much responsibility on her shoulders.
    Her entire family is suffering from the plague, one of the only member
    of her family left alive is her brother. Kendra doesn't know it yet, but
    she is a witch. She makes this astounding discovery when she heals her
    brother who was at the brink of death. Knowing that she will be charged
    and tried as a witch, Kendra takes her brother and runs. Kendra
    doesn't seem to have very good luck. She finds a gingerbread house that
    appears to be empty. Starving, her brother and her decide to stop and
    eat. The reader will likely know what happens after the witch who owns
    the gingerbread home comes back... Kendra's bad luck doesn't end there.
    She attempts to help a mermaid, an attempt that goes horribly wrong; she
    tries to help a prince, but she is banished instead. Finally, Kendra has
    found a stable-ish life. She goes to high school and stands out, but is
    relatively normal as compared to her prior self. It is there that she
    meets a potential friend and someone she could maybe help. She knows how
    her "helping" has turned out over the centuries and is
    understandably wary. Kendra's character is different. She is
    certainly not like most main characters a reader will find in other
    books. She has "personality" and isn't one to be pushed
    around. Clever, enigmatic, and with a sense of humor, the reader will
    enjoy Kendra's narration of events and past stories. The other secondary
    characters are just as interesting, from all walks of life and status
    levels. The events were fast-paced and exciting, these stories were not
    necessarily predictable. This book is recommended to young adult/teen readers.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted June 2, 2012

    Wonderful

    I really liked this book! Read it

    1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 3, 2012

    Amazing book!!

    This book keeps you on your toes. You follow the story of Kendra who lives forever and is a witch. Will keep you entertained again and again. Definitely a re-read!!!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted March 9, 2012

    more from this reviewer

    A Good Read

    Bewitching takes a whole new twist on the wicked witch world. Kendra shows you that not all good intentions, even magical ones, turn out the way we want them to. As Kendra travels through time leaving all the ones she loves behind she uses her powers to try and help, for revenge, and to save her life. (That ginger bread lady totally had it coming anyway.) Well to sum it up it shows Kendra's side of all those old stories we all should know, beauty and the beast, little mermaid, titanic, ginger bread lady, etc. Finally it shows Kendra and Emma, a girl who happened across Kendra's path and now needs her help if she wants to be happy again. I recommend this book for those open minded enough to her a witches reason why things don't always work out.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 9, 2012

    Be Bewitched!

    I like this book but it is not as good as her others.

    1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 23, 2013

    I hope

    I hope therre will b a second

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 16, 2013

    This book was soo good

    This book was one of the best that i have ever read in my life!!!!!! Alex flinn is one of my fav authors!! She will be in my mind a known legend!!!!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 17, 2013

    So-so

    This book is about a witch named Kendra who spends her life attempting to help other people. The book begins in her point of view as she tells the story of her life and helping some children escape an evil witch. Then, the story switches to the point of view of Emma, the girl that Kendra is hoping to rescue.
    Emma is a shy,nerdy girl who lives with her mom and step-father,but her dad is the only father figure she has ever known so he seems like her real dad. All of the sudden, her dad tells her that his daughter will be moving in with them because his ex-wife died.
    At first, the new sister, Lisette, was friendly and innocent. However, as the story progresses, Lisette becomes the mean Queen Bee of the highschool. After everything goes downhill, and Emma discovers Kendra's secret, they work together to defeat the evil forces of high school mean girls.
    This story was okay. Sometimes, it became dull. It wasn't exactly original, mostly it followed the cheesy fairy tales that there were clips of in the book. Girl gets the guy...blah,blah,blah. If you are looking for something to occupy your time, this is an interesting spin.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 19, 2013

    Amazing!

    I finshed this book in less than 24 hours. Its so good and interesting. I love it soooo much. Alex Flinn is an amazing writer. I love all her books. I reccomend this book to anyone that likes her writing. The book is funny and intriguing. I simply refused to put down this book until i finished it. I seriously wished it hadnt ended because it was a perfect book.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 3, 2013

    I love this book.

    The characters were very reslistic,but you might want to check the library before buying it.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 25, 2012

    Idk

    Idk if i should read it it looks good bt idk

    0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 11, 2012

    I didn't see it coming

    Some people my clame they knew

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 2, 2012

    amazing

    amazing

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted September 27, 2012

    <3!

    Great book. Sad but a really great read. Put it on ur wish list.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted August 18, 2012

    Read this!

    I love this book so much! I really loved emma and kendra and read thibook about five times! Both emma and kendra are such incredible characters who make me laugh and cry and smile! :) I wadnt a big fan of the 'Kendra Speaks' parts but other people may enjoy them. I cant speak about how amazing this book is. Better than beastly in my opinion. READ IT!

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