January 15, 2014
The intricate relationship chess that sets the opener of this teens-vs.-demons import apart really takes over in the projected trilogy's middle volume. The five young Swedes previously given paranormal powers and designated by enigmatic "guardians" as Chosen Ones (The Circle, 2013) are thoroughly enmeshed in emotional turmoil fostered by the sprawling cast of questionable boyfriends and ex-boyfriends, vicious bullies, troubled parents and hostile townsfolk. This so preoccupies them that both the arrival of an investigator bent on punishing any unauthorized magic working and the imminent prospect of the world's destruction by otherworld demons seem mere distractions. Still struggling with personality conflicts as well as grief months after the murders of two confederates, the five survivors are slow to notice that a "Positive Engelsfors" movement is turning nearly everyone in the town into zombielike conformists--blind to, and even participating in, a rising tide of sudden deaths and vandalism. Eventually, following an eye-opening round of bespelled mutual body switching, the teenage world savers narrowly avert a mass killing that would have touched off the apocalypse and in the process, form bonds that leave them at least somewhat readier to face the final reckoning to come. The fantasy elements remain as murky as they are inessential to a story that is really more about high schoolers poised to emerge from tough adolescences than magic. (Fantasy/horror. 13-18)
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July 1, 2014
All is not well in Engelsfors: there's a heat wave, electrical accidents, and a creepy new club for zealous optimists. The girls suspect that demonic forces are still at play, but before they can act, the Magical Council discovers their unsanctioned magical activity. Magic flies much more freely in this hefty sequel to The Circle, but a complex web of relationships remains central.
(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
July 1, 2014
At the end of The Circle (rev. 9/13), the Chosen Ones -- five untrained girl witches prophesied to save the world -- defeated a demonic English teacher and successfully delayed the impending apocalypse. But all is not well in Engelsfors: there's a troubling heat wave, unexplained electrical accidents, and a creepy new club for zealous optimists bent on eradicating bad attitudes. The girls suspect that demonic forces are still at play, but before they can act, the governing Magical Council discovers their unsanctioned, punishable magical activity. The Council plot slows down the more compelling demonic mystery storyline, but pitting the girls against the establishment is fitting for these angst-prone teen witches. Magic flies much more freely in this hefty sequel -- the girls dabble in grave robbing, shape shifting, mind control, and more -- but a complex web of relationships remains central. As their magical abilities become more powerful and nuanced, so does their camaraderie; a budding romance between two Chosen Ones is one notably sensitive, affecting development. As before, a slow beginning ratchets abruptly and barrels toward a startling and potentially macabre conclusion. The unique blend of fantasy, horror, and good old-fashioned teen drama will keep readers anxious for the final volume. jessica tackett macdonald
(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)