If the Broom Fits, Fly It!

The Flower Bowl Spell by Olivia Boler

From the Publisher…

Journalist Memphis Zhang isn’t ashamed of her Wiccan upbringing—in fact, she’s proud to be one of a few Chinese American witches in San Francisco, and maybe the world. Unlike the well-meaning but basically powerless Wiccans in her disbanded coven, Memphis can see fairies, read auras, and cast spells that actually work—even though she concocts them with ingredients like Nutella and antiperspirant. Yet after a friend she tries to protect is brutally killed, Memphis, full of guilt, abandons magick to lead a “normal” life. The appearance, however, of her dead friend’s sexy rock star brother—as well as a fairy in a subway tunnel—suggest that magick is not done with her. Reluctantly, Memphis finds herself dragged back into the world of urban magick, trying to stop a power-hungry witch from using the dangerous Flower Bowl Spell and killing the people Memphis loves—and maybe even Memphis herself.

From Me…

This book was really wonderful to read.  For the review, I would like to do that in two parts, the writing and the story. 

As for the writing, I really enjoyed the way the dialogue and the book moved.  Sometimes the sentences felt stunted, but by the end of the book I didn’t notice that at all. I also very much enjoyed the way the author gave little snippets of information that would be explained later.  This kept me very interested in moving forward, even when the story wasn’t necessarily progressing.  For instance, the main character’s best friend died.  She blamed herself, but the reader isn’t sure why.  I wasn’t even sure how she died, but I kept getting little bits of information until finally the back story was fully explained.  I really liked this style of story telling!!!

The story was riveting at times, and a little slow at times (not in a bad way).  If a book is full throttle all of the time, then I get worn out!  I so enjoyed the protagonist’s struggle with the guys in the book, though I wished that were flushed out a little.  I never really got attached to either man in the book, but this made the main character more prominent.  As a woman, I seriously enjoyed a book about a strong woman that did not depend on a male romantic entanglement. 

In the end, I have to admit I got mad at the book, only because the author intentionally left the ending ambiguous.  I guess that’s life though, not everything is tied up in a pretty, little bow.

If you enjoy paranormal or fun stories, pick this one up! Check back here tomorrow as the author of The Flower Bowl Spell, Olivia Boler, will be doing a guest post!!!