Heidi Heckelbeck is back and she has a crush…on the same boy as her former enemy-turned-roommate Melanie Maplethorpe! A first crush means Heidi dives in headfirst and has a bit of tunnel vision as she tries to think of ways to get Hunter to notice her. But when her plans turn to magic, will Heidi be able to reign herself in before she does something too drastic?
Once again, a quick and easy read from Wanda Coven! If I didn’t know any better, I would suspect that Coven is actually a middle schooler herself as she has found the perfect voice for Heidi that very much evokes all the cringe that I remember from that time.
Though this story is very light-hearted and fun throughout, Coven is still able to throw in some lessons along the way. Heidi’s friends stand as reminders that she shouldn’t lose who she is as a person just to catch the attention of someone else - something I think adults could still stand to hear from time to time. In addition, she is also able to remind readers that, even when you have a lot going on in your life, the people around you could have just as much, if not more, going on as well.
Once again, the illustrations from Anna Abramskaya bring the story to life, allowing the reader to experience the images on the page and not just in their imagination. The formatting will appeal to young readers and keep the story dynamic.
This book will definitely be enjoyed by young readers who read it and they will (maybe only subconsciously) learn some lessons. But it definitely was hard for me, an adult in her thirties, to get through at times because Heidi had moments where she was so cringe.
WORST LOVE SPELL EVER! by Wanda Coven is the second book in the Middle Grade and Other Disasters series. It is available now and you can pick up a copy for your middle grader reader here. You can also check out my review for the first book in the series WORST BROOMMATE EVER! here.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book for free and have voluntarily written this review. If you purchase a copy using my Bookshop affiliate link above, not only will I receive a small commission (which will fuel my coffee and tea addiction and help to keep me up all night reading more books to recommend to you), but you will also be supporting indie bookstores like my local fave Linden Tree Books without whom this review would not be possible! If you prefer Amazon, visit my Amazon storefront and click on the list titled "2023 Book Recommendations."
