Keeper

Gr 9 Up—Lainey Styles is an average teenager who is trying to get a good score on her SATs and begin an exciting life after high school. After attending a comic event with her super nerd best friend Maggie, Lainey sees a mysterious figure and she begins to have dreams of a 19th-century woman named Josephine. Unable to ignore the strange occurrences, Lainey and Maggie seek the assistance of a psychic only to discover a link between Lainey and Josephine—they are both witches. With the assistance of a cute, enigmatic new boy in town named Ty, Lainey must use her unfamiliar powers to stop The Master who happens to be the most powerful magical being in the world. Readers will find a familiar plot of good versus evil and common supernatural figures, such as witches, shape-shifters, and fey. To explain Lainey's new world, the author relies on exposition rather than imagery, which creates a lack of urgency in this would-be thrilling novel. The flashbacks of Josephine and her encounters with The Master are an interesting take, but it falls flat due to the more show than tell narrative. Although the free will theme is relatable, the predictability of the plot will leave readers wanting something more original. The unresolved ending is sure to be a set up for a series.