Hell Week -- Rosemary Clement-Moore Maggie Quinn: Girl Vs. Evil, #2
Now in college (but still living at home), Maggie Quinn has, to some extent, accepted the fact that she is psychic. But the spooky stuff shouldn't come in to play while she participates in Rush, right? Right?
Oh, Maggie. You should know better than that.
I know what you're thinking. "Maggie Quinn? Rushing a sorority? Really?" And I'll give you an answer: Yes.
Sort of.
She is going through rush, but she has an ulterior motive: she's undercover, writing a tell-all piece for the local newspaper.
But remember, this is Maggie Quinn we're talking about -- the girl who couldn't go to a simple senior prom without having to face down (literal) demons. Who knows what she'll find among the Greeks during Hell Week?
Great cover, right? So's the book. Not to mention the series, so far at least. Maggie is sassy, spunky, smart and all of the other positive s-words you could come up with to describe a heroine... more? Okay. Occasionally smug, the boys find her sexy... that's enough of that. You get the picture. She's totally likable.
Most of her paranormal knowledge comes from just plain gut instinct and her pop culture knowledge. Luckily, she has backup. There's her not-quite-a-boyfriend Justin the occasionally-annoyingly-pedantic graduate student who just-so-happens to be studying occult folklore; her Second Sight-having grandmother; and her high school best friend, D&D Lisa, who yes, may have dabbled a bit with the Black Arts in the past but who is now firmly on the side of Good. Hopefully.
So, some seriously sketchy sorority doings that bring to mind the "Reptile Boy" episode of Buffy, but with a twist? Check? Snotty mean girls? Check. Multiple love interests but really only one that matters? Check. Lots of banter and sneaking around and some smooching? Check. Underlying themes about the desire for popularity and approval of one's peers? Check. An excellent way around the usual oh-COME-ON-figure-it-out-already problem? Check. In my opinion, the strongest comic paranormal action romance YA series at the moment, the one that Buffy fans shouldn't even consider missing? You got it.
Maggie Quinn. As she puts it, there's "nothing like winging it against the forces of darkness".
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Previously: