Review: Needing Something a Little More Fulfilling
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 09 12, 2012
It's not just fun and games any more...Kristen Noah is one-third of the Noah triplets. She's the driven rule follower. Brittany is the snarky rebel, and Cyndi is Brittany's shadow. Every year the three girls have a secret contest to see who is the best manipulator. Each chooses a boy to control; a boy who will do all of their bidding without question or hesitation. The girls keep it a secret because no one knows that they are witches and they use a magic potion to get these unsuspecting males to "crush" on them. And if any of them is accused of being a witch? They will instantly lose their powers.In a fit of pique, Kristen acts upon Brittany's dare to crush the school bad boy, Zach Bevian. The stronger the boy, the harder it is to control him...but there seems to be something else going on with Zach. Most boys turn into puppy dogs when they are crushed; Zach does what he's told, but with resentment. Intrigued, Kristen begins to spend more time with him. Zach has always disliked the triplets ever since he started at Titan High over a year ago. He is not affected by the charm, but plays along at first so he does not reveal any of his own secrets. The problem is, despite their initial dislike of each other, they find they have misjudged each other. But will their growing, mutual admiration be sabotaged by what Zach is trying to hide?While there are fresh plot twists and ideas, most of this drama has been done before. I love the idea of the game, but I wish I had learned more about why they started it and what some of the previous years' stories had been. More about the connection of their grandmother to the potion. It was easy to see where the story was going. The villain and how they became evil is a great idea; however, because it is one of the most important parts of the story, it needs to be richer and more developed. More time was spent on the two main character's feelings for each other, which, while important to the story, moves the emphasis off of what could have been a more frightening climax.The lack of parental involvement was unrealistic, even though it is explained away. The father is supposed to be this huge control freak, yet he doesn't even hire someone to stay with the girls while he is away for a week here and there. I also find it unbelievable that the dad has no idea that, not only are all three of his girls witches, but so is his mother.I need more filling to this intriguing concept for it to crush it.3 of 5 Stars (Based on Ink and Page's Rating System)Genres: Young Adult Fiction Fantasy Paranormal RomanceAges: 14 and upYou might want to know: Some use of expletives.Crushed by K. C. Blake was published July 12, 2011 by Amazon. A free copy of this book was given to Ink and Page in return for an honest review.