Title: Student
Bodies
Author: Sean
Cummings
Series: Poltergeeks
#2
Published: 3rd
September 2013 by Strange Chemistry
Length: 304
pages
Source: Netgalley
Summary :
Whoever said being a teenage witch would be easy? For fifteen-year-old Julie Richardson and the city’s resident protector from supernatural evil, the Left Hand Path doesn't give a damn if you've found true love for the first time in your life. There’s someone lurking the halls of Crescent Ridge High School with enough malice to unleash an epidemic of Soul Worms – supernatural larvae that feed on the very fabric of a victim’s humanity. After witnessing the death of one of the most popular kids at school, Julie and über genius boyfriend Marcus are in a race against time to find out who is behind the attacks. All the evidence points to a horrifying plot at the City Weir during the Winter Solstice; the place where icy waters of the Bow River and a thunderous spillway will mean the deaths of more than a hundred of Julie’s classmates. If she has any hope of saving their lives, she’ll need a little help from a coven of white witches and an Aboriginal mage whose snarky attitude is matched only by her magical prowess.
Whoever said being a teenage witch would be easy? For fifteen-year-old Julie Richardson and the city’s resident protector from supernatural evil, the Left Hand Path doesn't give a damn if you've found true love for the first time in your life. There’s someone lurking the halls of Crescent Ridge High School with enough malice to unleash an epidemic of Soul Worms – supernatural larvae that feed on the very fabric of a victim’s humanity. After witnessing the death of one of the most popular kids at school, Julie and über genius boyfriend Marcus are in a race against time to find out who is behind the attacks. All the evidence points to a horrifying plot at the City Weir during the Winter Solstice; the place where icy waters of the Bow River and a thunderous spillway will mean the deaths of more than a hundred of Julie’s classmates. If she has any hope of saving their lives, she’ll need a little help from a coven of white witches and an Aboriginal mage whose snarky attitude is matched only by her magical prowess.
Review: Julie Richardson is now a
Shadowcull, the city's protector from evil, and she's needed.
Because, after one classmate almost dies and another one actually
does, they discover there's a plot involving Soul Worms, turning the
students of the high school into hollow shells of themselves. Julie
teams up with Twyla, a practicioner of ancient, Aboriginal magic, in the
battle to keep everyone safe.
I really enjoyed Poltergeeks, and knew as soon as
I finished it that i'd want to read the sequel.
Very quickly, it's established that this is
different to Poltergeeks. There's still a bit of Julie's trademark
humour in the writing, but the subject (bullying, the whole
depression aspect of the soul worms) and the general tone of the
thing is a lot darker than Poltergeeks.
Julie is still awesome. Marcus is pretty cool, and
their relationship development was good. Twyla was really awesome (I think she might now be my favourite character), as
were the Maven and Twyla's grandfather. Generally cool cast for
Student Bodies.
I love the fact that family is important in
Student Bodies. Both the Julie/her mother and the Twyla/her
grandfather relationships are developed and important, when most of
the good relationships in YA are romantic.
The inclusion of another magic system is great. It
adds a good dose of diversity to the fantasy and YA selection of
books, and it mixes in with the lore from Poltergeeks really well.
Unexpected ending. Be prepared for sadness on two
counts.
Overall: Strength 4 tea to a darker, but
still great, book in this series.
