Magnolia League

Gr 8 Up—Following the death of her mother, 16-year-old Alexandra Lee is sent to Savannah, Georgia, to live with her grandmother, matriarch of a mysterious historical social club called the Magnolia League. Dreadlocked and spunky, Alex is deposited in an environment that is the cultural antithesis of the free-spirited communal farm in Mendocino, California, where she was raised. Katie Crouch's novel (Poppy, 2011) is performed by Julia Whelan who superbly captures the shallow preoccupations of the debutantes and the slow drawl of the Magnolia elders intent on inducting Alex to the League. She perfectly voices Alex as the slightly acerbic and unwilling participant in a tradition that relies partially on hoodoo magic. This becomes more apparent as Alex is indoctrinated by two local debs who transform her into a Cinderella-like version of herself using a concoction developed by an herb-doctor. An eerie tone intensifies as Alex's mother makes a ghostly appearance and the teen learns more about the sinister history of the Magnolias and the powerful and unbreakable hold it has on its members. While somewhat laden with stereotypes of California as a pot-smoking, hippie culture, the author offers enough detail and individual characterization to make the characters believable. Suspenseful to the end, paranormal elements are balanced with the realism of a teen trying to fit into a new environment, make friends, and deal with bullying and loss. Alex is a fresh and appealing heroine, and listeners will be hoping for a second installment.—Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia Jr. Sr. High School, NY