So Over My Head: The Charmed Life Novel

In the third book in Jenny B. Jones’s “The Charmed Life” series, Bella Kirkwood discovers the subject of her interview for the Truman High newspaper face down in a lemon meringue pie with a sword sticking out of her back. A modern day Nancy Drew, Bella is determined to solve the mystery of who killed the bearded lady of the Fritz Family Carnival. All signs point to the magician, but Bella’s not so sure. She and her friend, Ruthie, take jobs as clowns in order to conduct their undercover investigation. When the carnival owners catch onto the ruse, Bella becomes the recipient of threatening messages and suspicious accidents. Also, Bella’s boyfriend’s old flame is back in town and the two of them are spending an inordinate amount of time together. On top of that, Bella is convinced that the woman her father is about to marry is up to no good and plans to stop the wedding. Brooke Heldman does an excellent job of voicing the various characters, from Ruthie’s country twang to the Fritz brothers’ accented English. She keeps the pace moving and the humor high with her spirited reading. Teen girls will like this humorous, non-stop adventure, and it will be especially welcome where there is a need for young adult Christian fiction.–Cary Frostick, Mary Riley Styles Public Library, Falls Church, VA