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Emma Guthrie expects this summer to be like any other in the South Carolina Lowcountry--hot and steamy with plenty of beach time alongside her best friend and secret crush, Cooper Beaumont, and Emma’s ever-present twin brother, Jack. But then a mysterious eighteenth-century message in a bottle surfaces, revealing a hidden pirate bounty. Lured by the adventure, the trio discovers the treasure and unwittingly unleashes an ancient Gullah curse that attacks Jack with the wicked flesh-eating Creep and promises to steal Cooper’s soul on his approaching sixteenth birthday.
But when a strange girl bent on revenge appears, demon dogs become a threat, and Jack turns into a walking skeleton, Emma has no choice but to learn hoodoo magic to undo the hex, all before the last days of summer—and her friends--are lost forever.
Conjure is a unique read that you won't want to miss. I'll admit the characters are a bit young for my tastes, but the leading character was not annoying. I still enjoyed this book immensely. The characters were well-developed and progressed along with the story, the plot was intriguing, and the pacing was perfect. This book will suck you in.
Emma was a terrific leading character. The book was told from first person POV, and I never got tired of hearing from Emma. She wa brave and selfless and everything a leading lady should be. I really enjoyed watching her grow over the course of the novel. Her twin Jack, however, was a jerk. I really didn't like him very much. He was extremely bratty and what I was afraid Emma would be like (with them both being 14). While Emma pleasantly surprised me, Jack pretty much fit the bill of what I expected. Luckily the book wasn't told from his POV. Cooper was a bit of a goody goody, if you ask me, but he was a decent guy. His "goodness" just got on my nerves. I know he will appeal to a lot of readers, though. The other two supporting characters, Maggie and Miss Delia, were also intriguing, and I enjoyed reading about them.
The plot was unique, and I liked the gritty details Nolan included about the Voodoo religion. I was kept guessing throughout the story, and I never got bored. The pacing was perfect, and the ending left me wanting more. There was action, adventure, and secret love. What else could a person want?
Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something new in the YA genre, but doesn't mind younger leading characters. I'd say most YA readers will enjoy this one.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.KKetch
Posted January 7, 2013
Conjure wasn’t exactly the page turner I expected from other reviews and cover blurbs, especially at the beginning. It was slow to develop. I was waiting for things to happen, things to be explained. But once everything finally fell together, I was complete captivated by the story.
I have to give the author, Lea Nolan, some extra props. Just reading Conjure reveals how much research she put into the magic of hoodoo. The detail of hoodoo and spells brought realism to the novel. I felt a part of the experience, sitting in the kitchen with Emma and Miss Delia.
And the curses are just so intense! And gross! OMG! Blisters, boils, melting flesh – Ew!
Jack, Emma, and Cooper were also awesome. Individually, I would say Cooper was my favorite. He was just so sweet and gentle. Okay, sometimes he’s a little bit of a wuss, but I still loved him. Jack… Jack was hilarious at times, but there were others where I wanted to slap him upside the head. And as for Emma, I’d have to say she was pretty cool. However, it’s really the team that makes the story. Their friendship gives them strength, and through each other, they learn and grow amazing leaps.
All in all, I can’t wait to read the next book. No! Honestly! I really can’t! Can someone like send me an ARC or something? The one curse I’m waiting to see broken is still hanging in the air, and I dying to know what’s coming next.
SnjDebi
Posted December 10, 2012
I loved this book and not just because the main characters last name is my maiden name!
Come along and feel the sand in your toes as Emma, Jack and Coop embark on an adventure that tests everything they are and all they know about each other as well!
Ms. Nolan does a fabulous job of taking us into the world of the "gullah" and their wonderous hoodoo practices.
Rich images, endearing characters and low country lore = one great story! Can't wait for the next one!
StaceyONeale
Posted November 25, 2012
There are always books that will grab you from that initial read of the blurb, and Conjure by Lea Nolan was one of them. I’m a Southern gal who happens to love YA and Fantasy, so this seemed like the perfect book to review for my debut on this site, and I wasn’t disappointed to find that while there were a couple of things that left me with some mixed feelings at the end, this was a highly enjoyable read.
Be careful what you search for…
Emma Guthrie expects this summer to be like any other in the South Carolina Lowcountry–hot and steamy with plenty of beach time alongside her best friend and secret crush, Cooper Beaumont, and Emma’s ever-present twin brother, Jack. But then a mysterious eighteenth-century message in a bottle surfaces, revealing a hidden pirate bounty. Lured by the adventure, the trio discovers the treasure and unwittingly unleashes an ancient Gullah curse that attacks Jack with the wicked flesh-eating Creep and promises to steal Cooper’s soul on his approaching sixteenth birthday.
But when a strange girl bent on revenge appears, demon dogs become a threat, and Jack turns into a walking skeleton; Emma has no choice but to learn hoodoo magic to undo the hex, all before the last days of summer—and her friends–are lost forever.
While I grew up moving from place to place thanks to the Navy, the South is always where I considered home, so it was very easy for me to drop everything and get pulled into the world that Lea Nolan has built in the South Carolina Lowcountry with Conjure. The way that she introduced the lifestyle and environment that is unique to this area was realistic and easy, using Emma and Jack as part-timers to introduce concepts that aren’t always obvious to folks that haven’t lived in the land of Gullah and Hoodoo.
Let me also say that I’m a sucker for treating hoodoo as a just-a-step-away from reality use of magic, as it’s so much easier to ingest into a fantasy world sometimes than the magicians versus the rest of the world, and Lea Nolan found that balance. Having not only Emma receive her education in both the magic of the ancestors and the magic of natural medicine from Miss Delia was a fabulous way to not only get the reader invested in the fantasy but also treating hoodoo with a bit of respect.
Caring for Emma and Cooper and their blossoming crush-to-relationship was easy as well. That first all-encompassing crush is something that can sometimes border on the extreme, and I think that she handles the characters with such love and care that you really are invested in Emma not getting her heart broken by her first crush. Cooper is just such a sweetheart you can see exactly why Emma fell for him in the first place.
Jack, her brother, on the other hand… oh, that boy. I did have a bit of a hard time caring that he had been cursed with the Creep. I would have loved to have seen just a bit more of his real personality before getting hit with the whammy for me to actually want for him to be cured. Emma and Cooper both let his boorish behavior go on a bit too long for my taste, but at least they acknowledge that his personality has been altered. I hope that with the next book we get a bit more of how Jack really is to make me feel a bit more sympathy for him.
I can let my issues with Jack go, though, simply because I really loved this story. It truly pulled me into the world, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series.
Before Conjure came out I was lucky enough to be a part of the cover reveal. The cover was gorgeous but more on that later.
Now is the time when a lot of YA mistake/misrepresent strong heroines for/as hard-headed and stubborn I was leery of reading a novel from a new author. It is always a bit like Russian roulette. I loved Emmaline (LINE not keen or Lynn). She was such a realistic character. Young but already a glimmer of the person she will grow into. That person will make mistakes but is more times than not, awesome. Emma has a twin brother who I wanted to kill and their best friend, Cooper. Oh what can I say about Cooper that won't have me gushing? Nothing because the boy is all a YA swoon worthy guy should be. Hot, maturing and only has eyes for Emma. I loved them. Whenever they were together even just hanging out I would squeal. Their chemistry was just hop off the page sparks. I was originally concerned about their young age. I may have groaned when I read how very young they were. I was like how can this be entertaining, and appropriate? I'm going to be bored to tears! I was not! I was enthralled and entangled (Heehee.) The age worked for the story and adds more sweet innocents and was kept very appropriate for their age and younger readers while still keeping us young at hearts on the edge of our seats.
One to the plot. This plot was very interesting and unique. It is like nothing I ever read but can't figure why nobody thought of this genius plot this far. There is a message in a bottle (though never explained why the message was put there.) There was treasure, hoodoo and a wicked curse or two. If that doesn't get you then let me continue.
It is summertime, the time of year when Emma and her twin Jack come down to visit their dad on a Gullah island of the coast of North Carolina. It is also the time of year when Cooper comes home and they can all hang out. This year Emma is harboring a raging crush on Cooper and you will quickly get why. Jack gets them into deep crude and his actions forces Emma to delve deep into the world of Gullah magic. In this strange, odd, scary and magical new world of Emma's she learns some big century long family secrets. The end is satisfying but will have you lying awake for weeks after wondering...what's going to happen to this kids next.
Tishia
Posted October 18, 2012
Conjure is the first book in The Hoodoo Apprentice series by Lea Nolan. This is a very adventurous book told from Emma's point of view. Her, and her twin brother Jack, are staying with their dad in South Carolina for the summer. Their friend Cooper lives here, and together the 3 of them find an ancient bottle that leads to horrendous curses. Emma must learn hoodoo magic to save her brother's life, and the soul of Cooper – her crush.
When I started reading this book, I'll admit that I had some reservations. I realized that Emma and her brother are only 14. While I enjoy young adult books, I'm used to the characters being a little older. Honestly, you wouldn't know they were so young. Well, Jack has some issues, but Emma is very brave and mature. She shows a lot of determination and courage that most 14 year-olds wouldn't have in the awful circumstances these 3 find themselves in. She is a very likable character that many girls can look up to. Jack acts like a jerk and a baby sometimes, but he has a flesh eating curse so I would probably be whiney too. Cooper is a good guy. He is the rich, drop dead sexy type – but he is also a goodie two-shoes. Those types don't usually mix in books so I thought he was an interesting character. I really liked him.
The plot was well developed and unique. You can tell the author did a lot of work researching hoodoo magic and the Gullah culture. I really enjoyed reading about Miss Delia and seeing her take Emma under her wing. The glimpses into the past, when the curse was first set, was particularly interesting. The book was very well written.
There was even a little bit of romance in this book. The romance definitely didn't lead the storyline though. I normally like a little more romance with my books, but I still enjoyed this one. It was very exciting and fast paced. There wasn't a large cliffhanger at the end, but there were enough loose ends to make you anxious to read the next. I think that anyone who enjoys young adult paranormal books will really enjoy this one.
Anonymous
Posted November 3, 2012
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted November 6, 2012
No text was provided for this review.
Overview
Be careful what you search for
Emma Guthrie expects this summer to be like any other in the South Carolina Lowcountry--hot and steamy with plenty of beach time alongside her best friend and secret crush, Cooper Beaumont, and Emma’s ever-present twin brother, Jack. But then a mysterious eighteenth-century message in a bottle surfaces, revealing a hidden pirate bounty. Lured by the adventure, the trio discovers the treasure and unwittingly unleashes an ancient Gullah curse that ...