Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield - ADVISABLE

Butler, Amy Chantress, 324 pages. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2013. $17.99.  Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG13.

Lucy, a young girl who lives on an island due to a plane crash many years ago, hears musical voices in her head. For most of her life, her caretaker, Norrie, has told her to avoid any singing or humming at all, giving no explanation as to why. She learns about how her mother was a Chantress, someone who works with music to cast spells, and that her powers were passed on to Lucy. One big action takes her to England, where she meets a secret group of people who want to help with her powers.  Among that group, is Nate, for whom her feelings are mixed, but he feels he can’t trust her powers, after she tries to read what’s on his mind. As she trains her powers harder, Lucy finds more about what her mother’s life was about, along with what she must do. Her mission is to stop an evil man named Scargrave, who controls bloodthirsty ravens who could easily take out anyone in their path. She faces constant self-doubt, and discouragement, but will do anything to protect the ones she cares for.

This book is definitely something I’d recommend for junior high school students. The writer, Amy, made the story descriptive, but not to the point where you’d have to reread it to understand. The plot did not go by too fast or slow, and her characters are all given unique personalities. Lucy is faced with problems, such as insecurity, and high expectations, something most people our age face, so we can relate to her and see how she gets through. 

MS, HS - ADVISABLE. Student Reviewer: TB, Grade 7.