Bras & Broomsticks - Sarah Mlynowski

Title: Bras & Broomsticks
Author: Sarah Mlynowski
Series: Magic in Manhattan #1
ISBN-10: 0385731841
Pages: 310
Year Published: 2005
Genre: Young Adult
Date Finished: February 12

From the back cover: Rachel can't believe it. Her younger sister, Miri, is a witch! How come Miri inherited the supernatural skills that could have turned Rachel into a teenage superstar?

Just as Rachel suspects, magical powers are wasted on the young. Miri refuses to use them for Rachel's benefit. And Rachel is desperate! Not only does she need to learn some serious dance moves, she's got to win her best friend back, stop her father's wedding, and snag a cute guy's heart.

Maybe Rachel will discover she's got magical powers of her own. Or maybe, just maybe, she can find a way to change Miri's mind. . .

My review: I've read several of Ms. Mlynowski's chick lit books and ran across this book at the library. Having enjoyed her adult fiction, I decided to give this one a try. Rachel is just like any teenage girl: worried about wearing the latest fashion, crushing on the cute, popular guy in school and trying to maintain her friendships. It's not like she doesn't have enough already on her plate when she discovers her younger sister and her mother are both witches.

After getting over the shock (and the disappointment that she's not a witch), she convinces her sister to use some magic (against their mother's orders) to help her win over the "in" crowd and break-up her father and soon-to-be step-mother. What Rachel doesn't realize is, she should be careful what she wishes for because she might just get it.

Although Rachel makes poor choices and uses her sister's spells for selfish gain, she soon realizes what she thought she wanted isn't better than what she currently has. Bras & Broomsticks is a light, fun read, however it speaks to an important message: do not take for granted the important people in your life. Also, we sometimes may need a reminder that we cannot force other people to always do or be what we expect of them.

I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series.