Product Description

The only thing Jean Honeychurch hates more than her boring name (not Jean Marie, or Jeanette, just . . . Jean) is her all-too-appropriate nickname, Jinx. Misfor-tune seems to follow her everywhere she goes—which is why she's thrilled to be moving in with her aunt and uncle in New York City. Maybe when she's halfway across the country, Jinx can finally outrun her bad luck. Or at least escape the havoc she's caused back in her small hometown.

But trouble has definitely followed Jinx to New York. And it's causing big problems for her cousin Tory, who is not happy to have the family black sheep around. Beautiful, glamorous Tory is hiding a dangerous secret—one that she's sure Jinx is going to reveal.

Jinx is beginning to realize it isn't just bad luck she's been running from. It's something far more sinister . . . and the curse Jinx has lived under since the day she was born might just be the only thing that can save her life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #215985 in Books
• Published on: 2007-08-01
• Released on: 2007-07-31
• Format: Bargain Price
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 262 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up—Jean Honeychurch is so unlucky that even her family calls her Jinx. To escape an unpleasant situation with a boy who refuses to let her end their relationship, Jinx moves from Iowa to Manhattan to live with her aunt and her family in their swanky Upper East Side townhouse. It's no surprise that the klutzy, small-town 16-year-old doesn't fit in with über-chic cousin Tory and her friends, and she definitely doesn't share their fondness for drugs and alcohol. Tory, who has been practicing witchcraft for some time, soon realizes that Jinx also has the gift and invites her cousin to join her coven. But Jinx knows the dangers of playing with magic and refuses. Tory sees Jinx's snub as a threat and plots against her. Though she wants to leave magic behind, Jinx must learn to harness the mysterious powers that are her birthright before Tory does too much damage. Cabot creates believable conflict and avoids being too fantastical, as Tory's mental instability is more dangerous than her Wiccan powers. In the vein of Avalon High (2006) and "The Mediator" series (both HarperCollins), the author delivers her signature blend of romance and wit, successfully combining upper-crust chick-lit and a tad of the supernatural into an entertaining potion that is sure to please her fans and draw in new readers.—Emily Anne Valente, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Cabot has written another fast-paced teen pleaser, this time about a teenager with supernatural powers and her cousin who craves them. Since the day she was born, bad luck seems to have followed Jinx Honeychurch. Even after her parents send her to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousins in New York City, Jinx seems plagued by bad luck. Then Jinx's cousin Tory reminds her that their great-great-great-great-grandmother, a witch who was burned at the stake, had special talents that have been passed on to one granddaughter in each generation. Jinx, a preacher's daughter, has no intention of competing with Tory for that honor, until she discovers Tory's sinister plans. With a cauldron full of jealousy, cute boys, ample cash, and a typical high-school setting, this story has plenty of popular appeal. This isn't great literature, but it is great fun. Bradburn, Frances

About the Author

Meg Cabot was born in Bloomington, Indiana. In addition to writing adult contemporary fiction, she is the author of the bestselling young adult fiction series The Princess Diaries. She lives in Key West, Florida, with her husband.

Customer Reviews

One of my favorite Meg Cabot teen books in quite awhile!
I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed Jinx. Meg Cabot has a definite hit with this book.

Jean "Jinx" Honeychurch has had bad luck all her life. Straight from birth in fact. She has recently arrived in New York City to stay with her aunt, uncle and cousins. To start fresh from some of the bad luck she left behind in Iowa. Jinx has a lot of guilt on her shoulders so she is looking forward to hopefully leaving her bad luck behind her.

Too bad it is not that easy. Her extended family is a pleasure to be with, all except Jinx's cousin, Tory. Tory is unhappy, rude, and in general, is making Jinx's life a pain. It doesn't help that Tory is crushing on her neighbor Zach in a big way, but Zach seems to have eyes only for Jinx. Talk about an uncomfortable situation. And when witchcraft and their shared history is brought into the mix, Jinx's life becomes even more complicated because Jinx has power. Tory knows it and she wants that power for herself. She'll do anything she can to get it. And believe me, she is not above stooping to very low levels.

So what makes this book so much fun? It is the lead character, Jinx. She is just a very real persona. She is suffering from some very painful truths that she doesn't want brought to the light. Things like mixing witchcraft and a person's free will. On top of that, she is dealing with a new living situation, a new crush, a new school, and the need to finally have some good luck. Some great luck! Meg Cabot really created a wonderful character in Jinx. Teens and heck, even adults, will empathize with the fears she faces on a daily basis, the challenges of dealing with cruel people, with rumors, and with a very confusing ancestry. Luckily, Jinx has style and a panache all her own and she will win you over from the very first page.

I really enjoyed how Meg Cabot intertwined witchcraft and adolescence. There are some really great messages in this book, but you won't feel like you've been hit over the head with them. Subtle, sly, and humorous, Jinx has all the marks of an entertaining paranormal read.

Slow beginning, great ending
Jinx starts out just about the same as any Meg Cabot book. Girl has hidden problem alluded to but not openly discussed, girl sees hot guy who makes her insides melt but doesn't know how to get him to notice her, girl makes a fool of herself trying to get said cute guy. But before too long, you find out that Jean is anything but a normal Cabot heroine.

Jean Honeychurch arrives in New York City thinking that her life can only get better after a stocker forces her to move from her small hometown in rural Iowa to live with her aunt, uncle and spoiled cousin Tory. There Jean finds out Tory has changed drastically from her five-year-old self who used to ford creeks and climb trees; now Troy is a little too into boys, likes to mess around with drugs and alcohol, and even fancies herself a witch.

And of course, Jean instantly falls for the boy next door, Zack, who likes the au pair who already has a boyfriend back in Germany. But don't worry, because Troy will stop at nothing to get Zack for herself even though she is dating Shawn with the agreement that they are really only friends with benefits.

If that love triangle (or pentagon) isn't complicated enough for you, throw in the fact that Troy is practicing black magic, Jean thinks she's cursed and Shawn starts getting a little sloppy at his job as the local drug pusher at their elite Manhattan private school. That is when things really start to get good.

Reading this book reminded me why I love Meg Cabot so much. While her romances are pretty formulaic and her characters tend to sound just about the same from book to book, Cabot really shines as a paranormal writer. With the whit and romance of her 1-800-Where-R-You series (When Lightning Strikes (1-800-Where-R-You) and Missing You (1-800-Where-R-You, Book 5)) and the darker edge and great dialogue of her Mediator series (Shadowland (The Mediator, Book 1) and The Mediator #6: Twilight (Mediator)), Meg Cabot brings the world of witchcraft and dark magic to an entirely new level.

Books going downhill?
I thought it was cute. I was hoping there would be more supernatural witchy stuff in it. It just seems to me that the more Meg Cabot writes, the less I like each of the new releases and the less original they are. The whole 'bad luck' thing reminded me of thet Lindsay Lohan 'Just My Luck' movie.