Curses by Lish McBride - HIGH

Curses by Lish McBride, 442 pages. Penguin Random House/G.P. Putnam's Sons. 2021. $13. 

Language: PG (7 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content PG (brief passionate kissing) Violence: PG-13 (bloody death of an animal).

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

17yo Merit is cursed to be a beast until she agrees to marry someone who her mother approves of. She meets 19yo Tevin, a professional con man, and they strike a bargain. Merit’s mother has set her up with three worthy candidates and Tevin is going to help Merit navigate their intentions because she doesn’t trust her instincts after being jilted by her boyfriend Jasper. Jasper left Merit after her mother offered him money to leave. Merit feels trapped by her mother and she doesn’t feel anything for the three candidates. As she confides in Tevin, the two of them become friends and more. As they work together, they unknowingly walk into danger and discover deception and they’re going to have to rely on each other more than they realize.

I enjoyed the wonderful descriptions of the setting. The humor is cute and funny. I grew to love the charming characters. Merit is white, and other characters are of mixed ethnicity, including fairy. 

LynnDell Watson, Delta High School Librarian