PARTIES & POTIONS
Sarah Mlynowski
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Fiction
ISBN: 9780385736459
352 pages

In the fourth installment of Sarah Mlynowski’s Magic in Manhattan series, Rachel Weinstein is enjoying the many glories of her witch status. For example, she can zap her shirt any color and turn her skin golden brown without subjecting it to any actual sunshine. After quite a bit of (hilarious) magical bumbling in the previous books, Rachel is finally getting her witchy powers under control. Maybe those megel exercises her little witch sister Miri has her performing to enhance her magic muscles are doing the trick. Or perhaps she’s just becoming more magically mature. Whatever the reason, Rachel is in a good place magically.

And romantically? Rachel is on top of the world with her wonderful, handsome and super-nice boyfriend Raf Kosravi. In fact, Rachel expects that her sophomore year, which is just beginning, will be utterly fabulous. And it seems initially that she’s correct. However, things begin to go a bit awry.

First of all, Miri introduces Rachel to her new friend Wendaline. Wendaline is also a witch but is fully enmeshed in a warm, accepting witch community. When Rachel and Miri attend a dinner party at Wendaline's, they’re struck with how naturally Wendaline's family treats magic. It’s in stark contrast to the way Miri and Rachel must hide their true witch natures from everyone except their mother. It makes Miri yearn for the same kind of life and even gives Rachel a twinge or two of envy.

When Miri hears about the coming-of-age witch equivalent of a combination of debutante ball and bat mitzvah, the Samsorta, she’s determined to have one herself. Rachel isn't interested, but because her sister wants it so terribly and her mother won't let Miri take the training for it alone, she finds herself enrolled in the school. The witchcraft classes are enjoyable, and the classmates are interesting --- particularly one very cute and super-nice teen warlock named Adam, who finds Rachel quite interesting, too. Rachel is torn. She will never be able to tell Raf who she really is, and she can be her own witchy self around Adam. Oh, dear.

Rachel also finds herself having problems at school. She hates lying to Raf, and yet of course she must make up stories to hide her magical excursions to witch classes. Wendaline, who happens to be a freshman, is another problem for Rachel. Rachel wants to help the poor, clueless young witch survive high school. People tease her unmercifully because of her name and her outfits (black tights plus black robe plus black pointy hat equals much mocking from fellow students) --- not to mention her loud assertions that she is a witch.

Of course, Rachel and Miri have other problems. When they visit their father and his new family, they must transport themselves to take their witch classes. This results in uncomfortable predicaments that include telling lies to their father. When Miri begins insisting they inform him of their true natures, Rachel is horrified.

PARTIES & POTIONS is a lively, fun, quick read, and Rachel is a likable main character with a humorous voice. Although it feels like a light chick book with a twist of magic, the underlying theme of how to be true to oneself is a subject any teen can relate to and identify with.

    --- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon (terryms2001@yahoo.com)

Click here now to buy this book from Amazon.com.