This high-school girl story contains a lot of classroom terms, so get ready for someone mentally facepalming herself, an emo girl from Loserville, and whatevs. If you can read through that and see the characters behind the talk, you'll find the nub of the story. Brynn loves music and studies hard, intending to escape the claustrophobic school atmosphere as soon as she can. She's got pink hair and multiple-pierced ears, one friend, no designer labels and no desire to be popular. Cassidy is the popular girl, blonde hair, expensive clothes and arrogant attitude to the fore, with eager jocks following her around. The two girls never speak if either of them can help it.

THAT WITCH is a part of herself that Cassidy keeps firmly hidden, an inheritance that she has no intention of using. California has plenty of weird people, and she has no wish to be one. But the class teacher pairs her with Brynn for an ongoing literature project, to their dismay. Brynn's mother doesn't believe she's going to Cassidy's house, while both girls shamefacedly alter their dress style to make the other feel more comfortable. They discover that they're both into Steinbeck, but that's not all they have in common. Both girls are gay, and keep the closet door firmly shut. As the story moves on LGBT issues are discussed, and prejudices aired, but even without that dimension there are problems because Brynn's friend Laura now accuses Brynn of never sitting with her anymore and wanting to be friends with cheerleaders.

The witchcraft is actually a red herring because no serious witchcrafting occurs, though changes do. But the advantage is that Cassidy's family are prepared for and accepting of unconventional lifestyles. While Cassidy often feels that she could just explode with the tingling power that fills her when she's angry, she's responsible enough to restrain it and deal with the problem in an appropriate way.

Zoe Lynne is a pen name for an author already successful in adult romance, who wants to give young people characters and stories they can relate to and support young LGBT adults. THAT WITCH is a good introduction to her stories and all sorts of girls will find it an entertaining read.

Book Summary

Cassidy Ryan and Brynn Michaels attend the same high school, but they live in different worlds. Cassidy’s a popular cheerleader, and Brynn’s the social leper. One is all sunshine and rainbows, while the other could’ve been carved from an Edgar Allan Poe book.

Both girls have their problems, though. Cassidy is coming into her birthright—a long line of ancient magic Cassidy isn’t ready to have. Brynn is coming into her sexuality— something that will definitely cause problems with her very conservative family.

When a teacher assigns Cassidy and Brynn to work together on a project, the girls find themselves in a heap of trouble, because what they feel for each other can’t be denied. If they have any hope of changing ignorant and frightened minds, they’ll have to listen to their own hearts first.

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