Poltergeeks by Sean Cummings – review

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Publisher’s Description:

15-year-old Julie Richardson is about to learn that being the daughter of a witch isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. When she and her best friend, Marcus, witness an elderly lady jettisoned out the front door of her home, it’s pretty obvious to Julie there’s a supernatural connection. 

In fact, there’s a whisper of menace behind increasing levels of poltergeist activity all over town. After a large-scale paranormal assault on Julie’s high school, her mother falls victim to the spell Endless Night. Now it’s a race against time to find out who is responsible or Julie won’t just lose her mother’s soul, she’ll lose her mother’s life. 

What I expected:  I expected a madcap teenaged humorous romp involving ghosts and poltergeists and a touch of witchery.

What I got: A fast-paced teenaged drama with poltergeists, witchcraft, evil ghosts, and betrayal.

What I enjoyed:  I liked that the teenage angst was dialed down to a very low level and that the main character had a realistic relationship with her mother as well as her best friend.  I liked the portrayal of witchcraft and how Julie’s mom works it all so casually but treats it so seriously.

What I did not:  I did not like that the spirit guide seemed to show up so conveniently.  Basically I didn’t have any major problems with the characters themselves, but the plot seemed a bit weak.  There just seemed to be too many convenient coincidences, and the main character ended up not seeing one too many of them to be realistic.  I was also a little disappointed that it wasn’t as lighthearted as the title and cover made me expect.

Cover Talk:  I like that the main object is a girl who is dressed normally and isn’t standing in some freaky, nobody does that, and doesn’t that hurt your back?, and how did she?…pose.  It fits the story and isn’t an eyesore, so it works.  The title, though, is the attention-grabbing portion of the cover.  Not because of font or style or color but because the play on words is so much fun that it makes the book sound good.

Recommended:  Yes, though with reservations.  I enjoyed it pretty much, and there aren’t any glaring “stay away from this book” issues, and the characters are all pretty terrific.  It is just a bit weak in plot.  I’ve got a feeling that a second outing with these characters would be much stronger than this one, so I’m ready for that.