Review: Trouble's Brewing
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 25, 2012
I readStirring Up Troubleand was watching for the sequel.Trouble's Brewing (Stirring Up Trouble). The author doesn't disappoint. Her writing style is clear and humorous. The characters are clear and well-developed. Zoe, a teenage witch, has all the usual problems of being a teen: writing papers, dealing with family, and trying to sneak in time to snog with her boyfriend. In addition, she has problems being a young witch, including potion mishaps and trying to keep the 'normal' world (especially her boyfriend) from finding out that she's a witch. The new character of Finn, Zoe's new potions instructor, who is a 90-year old in a (hot) 19-year old body.The teen point of view is handled well, but not quite as well as the first book. There are a few bits when Zoe and her boyfriend are being romantic that is standard romance cliche. The writing is fresh except for those parts, and I think the author does better when not falling back on cliches. Some parts seem overdone, such as Zoe's distraught when her mother comes down with a cold. The ending was abrupt and the novel seemed a bit short.Overall, though, it was a fun. It is quite appropriate for a young audience; it held the interest of a not-so-young reader (me). I look forward to hearing about more of Zoe's adventures and mishaps.