About the Book:

Title: The Charmed List

Author: Julie Abe 

Publisher: Wednesday Books 

Release Date: July 5, 2022

Pages: 304

Genre: YA Contemporary, YA Fantasy 

Synopsis:

After spending most of high school as the quiet girl, Ellie Kobata is ready to take some risks and have a life-changing summer, starting with her Anti-Wallflower List—thirteen items she’s going to check off one by one. She’s looking forward to riding rollercoasters, making her art Instagram public (maybe), and going on an epic road-trip with her best friend Lia.

But when number four on Ellie’s list goes horribly wrong—revenge on Jack Yasuda—she’s certain her summer has gone from charmed to cursed. Instead of a road trip with Lia, Ellie finds herself stuck in a car with Jack driving to a magical convention. But as Ellie and Jack travel down the coast of California, number thirteen on her list—fall in love—may be happening without her realizing it.

In The Charmed List, Julie Abe sweeps readers away to a secret magical world, complete with cupcakes and tea with added sparks of joy, and an enchanted cottage where you can dance under the stars. 

 

Review:

*I received an e-arc from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

The Charmed List is a cute contemporary romance with a touch of magic (literally). It was just the pick me up I needed! 

Ellie Kobata has spent most of high school as the quiet girl. It’s the summer vacation before her senior year, and she’s determined to take some risks and shake things up a bit. She makes an Anti-Wallflower list of thirteen items that she plans to check off one by one. She’s looking forward to a road trip with her best friend Lia, riding a roller coaster, and maybe making her art Instagram public. 

Item number 4 on her list is getting revenge on Jack Yasuda, her former best friend, and things go horribly wrong. Ellie is quite certain that her summer has gone from charmed to cursed. Instead of going on a road trip with her bestie, she finds herself heading to the magical convention with Jack. But as Ellie and Jack travel down the coast of California, Ellie begins to develop feelings for Jack.

Ellie and Jack are so adorable! This a story about former childhood friends that have grown apart, and it was great getting to hear their stories about the past. I also liked how they were getting to know each other again in the present.

A fun and enchanting story that I definitely recommend. Prepare to be swept into a magical world, that makes you want to drink all the tea and eat all the cupcakes! 

 

About the Author:

Julie Abe is the author of the EVA EVERGREEN, SEMI-MAGICAL WITCH middle grade fantasy series; the middle grade fantasy ALLIANA, GIRL OF DRAGONS; and the young adult novel THE CHARMED LIST. She has lived in Silicon Valley, spent many humid summers in Japan, and currently basks in the sunshine of Southern California with never enough books or tea, where she creates stories about magical adventures.