Stuff for the Teen Age

"The Magnolia League" by Katie Crouch

In The Magnolia League, Alex is a free spirit that is forced to move in with her grandmother after her mother’s mysterious death. Alex doesn’t want to leave her commune in California, and Savannah, Georgia seems like a world away from everything she knows. 

What Alex doesn’t know is that she is part of Savannah royalty. She is a rightful, albeit unwilling, member of the Magnolia League, Savannah’s longstanding and mysterious debutante society. The women of the league are beautiful, rich, and perfect, all without breaking a sweat. Alex is drawn into this world after she learns about the league’s connection to the Buzzards, a powerful hoodoo family, and a possible connection between the league and her mother’s death. 

One of the qualities I love about Alex is that her character isn't perfect. One minute she is scolding her new friends (forced upon her by her grandmother) about how much they spend on appearences and the next she is tempted by a spell that will help her drop the weight she needs to fit into a pair of skinny jeans. One might say her character is all over the place, but who hasn't been confused about who they are and what they want? But the thing I like most about the book overall is the excellent cliffhanger. Katie Crouch has set us up for a great new series!