Bras & Broomsticks

Hello avid readers! Today for my review I picked Bras & Broomsticks by Sarah Mlynowski because I felt like reviewing a fun, summery read! I hope you enjoy!

Characters: Rachel Wienstien: self proclaimed math nerd/sister to tween witch/desperately wants to be A list
Miri Wienstien: tween witch/karate champ/is nervous about using magic to solve Rachel's problems
Tammy: Rachel's new BFF/uses scuba hand signals to communicate/is always very supportive of Rachel and very perceptive
Raf Kosravi: Rachel's "secret" crush/extremely A-list/one of the only people in the school's talent show who is genuinely nice
STBSM, STBSMM, STBSGM: Standing for Soon to be step-monster, step minimonster, and step grandmonster/Rachel's new step family who is marrying her divorced father/who dislikes Miri and Rachel (feeling is completely mutual)

The Plot: Rachel Wienstien doesn't consider herself to be selfish. She just wants a few things in life. Her parents to get back together, to be A-list, to have an A-list boyfriend, to be prettier, to have her ex-BFF Jewel back and to be the most popular girl in school. Nothing too huge right? In all honesty it's probably a little far fetched. But when Rachel finds out that her sister Miri has magical powers, Rachel realizes that all of her dreams are suddenly possible. Date to the prom as a freshman? Yes. Knowledge downloaded instantly into her brain? Yes. The possibilities are endless. Only one problem. Miri won't use her magic to help Rachel, because their mom warned Miri that using too much magic only complicates lives. But Rachel will have none of that. Somehow, Rachel must figure out how to get Miri to use her magic for Rachel's gain and how to get some powers of her own!

What I liked: Bras & Broomsticks is one of the funniest novels I have ever read to date. It is so funny, that when I first read it, I was actually laughing out loud so often, my mom was laughing at me because I was laughing at a book. Nerdy right? Well I challenge anyone to read this book and not laugh out loud. Filled with hilarious acronyms, snide comments from Rachel, Miri, and the entire supporting cast, and endless amounts of magic mishap fun. When magic comes into play, the possibilities are endless: because magic doesn't exist, there's no limit to what can and cannot happen. Mlynowski didn't hold back as she delivered scenario after scenario that was funny, yet at the same time, dove deeper into Rachel and Miri's complicated, yet loving relationship. The relationship between the two sisters was well, magical. They behaved like normal siblings; they fought but at the end of the day they both loved each other and being around one another. It's nice to be able to read about a healthy sibling relationship, even if its a magical one.

What I didn't like: To be honest, Rachel can be a little draining in some parts. Because I have read the rest of the series, I can say with certainty that Rachel being this way was essential for her development as a character. But sometimes, I just wanted her to stop. But not that often. Her rants were too funny to hate completely.

Overall: This book is a 9 out of 10. A hilarious read and a great summer read to anyone who has some free time. It was a "spellbinding" read. Sorry just had to say it.