Review: Fantastic Debut Novel
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 26, 2012
High school is a rite of passage for the typical American teenager.  In The Charm (Olivia Hart and the Gifted Program), we follow the trials and tribulations of a normal teenager in high school.  Olivia Hart seems to have it all: smart, pretty, caring, and athletic.  Yet she lacks one thing: self-confidence.  When Olivia Hart finds an antique necklace, she eventually discovers that she already possesses what she wants inside herself.As Olivia learns more about her Gift, and others like her, Olivia is forced to come out of her shell, and navigate new found popularity in school, new friendships, and ultimately re-examine her old assumptions and beliefs about her life.The author, Alana Siegel, does a wonderful job in capturing the insecurities and anxieties of a teenager in high school.  Pushing aside current events and politics, the author focuses on such typical teenage concerns as homework and exams, where to sit for lunch, and homecoming dance.  Indeed, Alana Siegel may be the John Hughes of this decade.Perhaps idealistic at times, the author implies in The Charm that there is goodness in each and every one of us, if we dig deep enough and look.  The Charm (Olivia Hart and the Gifted Program) is suitable to readers age 15 and up.