Book Review: Dark Spell by Gill Arbuthnott

Title: Dark Spell

Author: Gill Arbuthnott

Pages: 224

Publisher: Floris Books

Source: Netgalley

Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Rating: 3/5

Callie Hall has always been the bullied kid, the odd one out - hardly what you could call normal. But Callie doesn’t know how abnormal she is. When this young heroine realizes that she can do some pretty unexplainable things, it all comes together: she’s a witch. Along with her grandmother - another witch - Callie must learn to control her powers before somebody finds out about them.

There’s something strange about Callie’s house. A shadow is constantly interrupting Callie’s sleep, but always disappears before she can tell anybody - as if they would believe her. But when the shadow's identity is revealed, Callie knows she must defeat it. With her friend Josh, and her grandmother Rose, Callie will have to harness her powers and destroy the shadow before it destroys them.

One thing that I really like about this book, was the overall theme of friendship that is present between the characters Callie and Josh. Even through the ups and downs, the two stick together and continue to help each other out - no matter what the cost. Another part I liked about this book was how the problem was solved. Here the author puts in lots of detail, emphasis and emotion which helps the reader connect with the narrator. This elevates the intensity and danger that is felt by the readers.

On the other hand, there were flaws that made me rate this book as low as I did. After reading the synopsis I felt that this was a lot like the other fantasy fiction books I enjoy reading. But once I started reading, I was surprised that it was nothing like I had expected. During the first half of the book, the story just drags on. It is slow paced – it took too long to get to the point. While the conflict is being introduced in this part of the story, the book lacks intensity, making it seem more boring than it actually is.

But overall, the story had aspects that were quite captivating. Read Dark Spell by Gill Arbuthnott and join Callie and Josh on an adventure they’ll never forget. Other series about magic like this that I recommend reading is the Hex Hall Series by Rachel Hawkins.