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Spellbinder
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Spellbinder
Unavailable
Spellbinder
Ebook327 pages4 hours

Spellbinder

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this ebook

Belladonna Johnson can see ghosts. It's a trait she's inherited from her mother's side of the family, like blue eyes or straight hair. And it's a trait she could do without, because what twelve-year-old wants to be caught talking to someone invisible?

It is convenient, though, after Belladonna's parents are killed in a car accident. They can live with her the same as always, watching the same old TV shows in their same old house. Nothing has changed . . . until everything changes.

One night, with no warning, they vanish into thin air—along with every other ghost in the world. It's what some people think ghosts are supposed to do, but Belladonna knows it's all wrong. They may not be living, but they're not supposed to be gone.

With the help of her classmate Steve, a master of sneaking and spying, Belladonna is left to uncover what's become of the spirits and to navigate a whole world her parents have kept well-hidden. If she can't find her way, she'll lose them again—this time for good.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 29, 2009
ISBN9781429955096
Unavailable
Spellbinder
Author

Helen Stringer

Helen Stringer grew up in Liverpool, England, and currently lives in Northern California. Here in the U.S., she studied film, winning several student film awards, and was a Directing Fellow at the American Film Institute Center for Advanced Film and Television Studies. She is the author of Spellbinder and The Midnight Gate.

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Reviews for Spellbinder

Rating: 3.7903225806451615 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Some aspects of the magic system were confusing to me but I deff wanna get the next book to learn more!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    My copy of Spellbinder has the original cover, which gave an impression of a book quite different than this one. The newer, blue cover is far more accurate in illustrating the novel. (That's what I get for judging a book by its cover.)It is a book of strengths and weaknesses. Stringer is a good writer, and keeps the story moving swiftly, describing events and settings clearly, so one never feels lost, even in the strange worlds she evokes. Belladonna is a likable protagonist, and her cohorts, Steve (living school friend) and Elsie (ghost) provide a nice contrast.The story is essentially a quest saga. As the novel opens, we learn that Belladonna sees ghosts. Lots of them. Including her dead parents, with whom she still lives. The saga starts pretty quickly as the ghosts begin to rapidly disappear. Belladonna feels she must find out what is going on and stop it. With the help of the almost delinquent Steve and one mysteriously remaining ghost, Elsie.The problem for me was that the quest sent the characters all over the place, and every time they seemed to be in a really tight bind, rather than a clever plot twist to save them, in most cases something inexplicably magical would occur. Too much magical or supernatural goings on with no explanations - or explanations that felt thrown together after the fact.Also, with few exceptions, I am not a fan of series books. I like a book to have a beginning and an ending. This story does wrap up most things, but there are a number of smaller loose ends that are clearly left to be resolved in the next book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Not tremendously well written or well edited, but the ideas, like a girl living with the ghosts of her dead parents, are so interesting that they are keeping me wanting to know more.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is about a girl named Belladonna and she could see ghosts. She did not care for this power. Be until she finds out all ghosts have vanised plus her parents. She and her new friend steve and her ghost friend Eli go on an eventer to go find the ghosts. But on the way the nice friendly man who helped them Ach was up to it all. Now with the amulit and Belladonnas friends they go to defet Ach. with all Belladonna's power she said the words of power and stoped Ach. Belladonna reilized that her power isvery importent to her life and most of all ghosts. I gave this book a five star because it kept me on my toes. Thinking what will happen nexted. And when it something great happens my heart stars beating fast and I read faster. And when it's over I feel like I had just ran. This was so intertaning. I was heart brocken when it ended. I wish it could go on with the story. I wish the book could never end.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I bought this book a few months after I received the second book of the series. I found the second book interesting but I could not bring myself to read the two books out of order.I did not really understand that the book was set in England when I was first reading the book. There is nothing beside some odd wording to give it away. The point that I realized that they were not in America was when it only took three hours to drive to her house from London. Impossible otherwise. At this point I seemed to magically notice that Belladonna was calling her mother mum. I wish it had been a little more obvious.I found the beginning interesting because of the fact that Belladonna's parents are dead and ghosts from the very beginning. It seemed in the first chapter that Belladonna was in charge but it quickly became apparent to me that my first impression was very wrong. Her parents tell Belladonna nothing and nobody wants to hear what Belladonna has to say about anything. This seems to be the entire reason that the plot goes anywhere.For the first half of the book every time someone got contemptuous because she did not know something or annoyed when she tried to help them out I got so annoyed. It bugged me that they wrote her off because of her age. Even her family seemed to think that she was only a little more useful then a dead bug.Then I realized that the disbelief of everything that she suggests, everyone ignoring her, looking down on her, and generally everyone, including people her own age, acting like her opinion did not matter was the entire book. That is the plot.The even sadder part is that Belladonna does not do anything. At least consciously. For her part she just happens to do something that when she comes to ends up being helpful to her cause. I felt that the book would of had more action if it had been done in Steve's point of view. Maybe even more interesting. This book was a big let down for me because I don't think a chapter went by without me wanting to beat every single character mentioned at least twice. I hope that the second is more interesting and better written then the first book. Also I hope that Belladonna actually shows some character development because she did not change from wishing that she could just foist all of her problems off on the nearest adult. In fact that is exactly how the first book ends which disappointed me to no end.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Belladonna Johson didn't think that the family gift for seeing ghosts was much of a gift until after her parents died in a car accident. Then it gave her the ability to continue to see and speak to them, living her life just like she had before the accident. But all of a sudden, Belladonna's world, heretofore peopled with ghosts and the living starts to thin out. The ghosts are all disappearing, including her parents, and only the living are left. Her grandmother and aunt are keeping something from her, something she knows is incredibly scary and terribly important. So Belladonna and her mischievous, always in trouble science partner Steve set out to figure out what is going on and how to not only make it stop but to reverse it. Moving between our world and the land of the dead, aided by the ghost of a girl haunting the school, Belladonna and Steve encounter good ghosts, bad ghosts, and supernatural creatures intent on destroying the world. They also discover a hidden, magical world that exists alongside our own.There is a quest, heroism and all the makings of a modern middle grade myth here. Belladonna is a delightful heroine. Steve is annoying and funny. It is only his delinquency paired with Belladonna's dutiful studiousness that allows them access to the Land of the Dead to try to save the world. The adult characters are thinner than Belladonna and Steve in characterization and their knowledge and motivations are left frustratingly vague. The target age range won't find this terribly scary but they will be taken in by the charm and entertainment herein. While there were a few slow patches and some stereotypical bits including obstructionist adults unwilling to share knowledge with Belladonna, over all this was a fun read and one that would do well as the first in a series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Spooky but not scary, an enjoyable, fast-moving romp between worlds of the Living and the Dead. Usual situation where knowledgeable adults discount the abilities of the main characters, withholding information from them and so forcing them to strike off on their own to combat the disappearance of the ghost friends.Reminds me of Harry Potter, but better. Pair with Suddenly Supernatural by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel, which also features a young girl afraid others will notice her ability to see ghosts.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Belladonna Johnson has a gift for seeing ghosts. Her parents are killed in a car accident and so they continue to live at the house with her and cook for her. Suddenly ghosts all over town, including her parents begin to disappear. Belladonna along with her classmate Steve set out to figure out what is happening to the ghosts. The school and its characters have a quirky yet dreary feel to them. In some ways the story reminded me of parts of the Harry Potter books. I look forward to her next book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a fun YA read, even for adults. The main characters are endearing and seem like real people. The climax is a bit predictable, but it's a happy ending, which always pleases me. I was curious to know why the ghosts disappeared and the slightly steampunk-like villainous plan is fun to figure out. It was quite often funny and managed to be realistic even through its fantastic premise.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Good characters, interesting plot, it’s hard to tell exactly where this went wrong. It’s…ok, but not great. The length and references seem just a little bit advanced for the intended audience. There are far too many British references for the American public. I read lots of books from across the pond, but I shouldn’t have to look up Tizer, this stuff they kept drinking whenever they had a minute to stop. Make it something a little more generic, please – it doesn’t add anything to the story or the characters. It’s the little things that can take you out of the story and annoy you.Maybe it’s that it hits SO many of the YA fantasy cliches. Orphaned child finds that they have strange and magical powers, finds a friend with powers of their own, that while lesser, dovetails perfectly with main character’s powers. For various reasons, they can’t tell any adults the trouble they seem to have stumbled into. Together they save the world!I’d give it to kids who love ALL fantasy, I wouldn’t hand it to a kid who isn’t sure about fantasy or is particular.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I’ve left a number of comments about this book in other threads, so I won’t do a whole lot of repeating myself here, other than to say… the book disappointed me. I thought the concept was good: a young girl’s parents die, and then she realizes that she can see ghosts… but one day, the ghosts start disappearing, and the girl needs to find out what’s going on before her parents are gone forever!A promising premise. An interesting new author. An unfortunately very dull, very plodding book… and it’s long. Not only long for a children’s book, but it feels long because nothing really happens for a long time. I’d be surprised if it managed to hold any child’s interest for any period of time…Admittedly, it begins to pick up near the end, but the action feels forced, awkward, and unresolved. I suspect she may write a sequel in the future, but I can’t say I’d have any interest in it. Ultimately, this one was a disappointment, and I can only recommend it for the idea alone.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a cute book that I read in a few hours, as I didn't want to set it down. Belladonna makes a good heroine, and I enjoyed her growing friendship with Steve and how they learned to work together. They were joined in their adventure by Elsie, one of the few remaining ghosts left.One minor thing that annoyed me is how almost every child in YA fiction would rather jump into the deep end rather than ask adults for help. Granted, Belladonna's grandmother and aunt kept blowing her off when she tried to talk to them, but I'm sure they would have listened had she told them the important information!I did like that Belladonna, Steve, and Elsie did not have all the answers and seemed like believable 12 year olds, getting cranky when things didn't work out and bickering at each other when they were frustrated and tired. Even though Elsie was a ghost, she was still a girl and I enjoyed the trio's growing friendship.Gave this one a 4/5 rating as I enjoyed the story, liked the characters, and thought that overall it was well done. There were a few references I'm not sure the 9-12 age group would understand (Paladin, the Wild Hunt, oracles, etc.) but they can always check online. I'm looking forward to a sequel, as Ms. Stringer left the ending open enough for another adventure! If you enjoy YA books at all, I recommend this one!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Belladonna sees ghosts...she sees her parents, who died in an accident 2 years ago, but who still live at home with her and take care of her, although officially, she lives with her grandma who is still alive and who also sees ghosts.Things are going just fine, until her parents disappear to the Land of the Dead (THE OTHER SIDE) and she sets out to find them, and to prevent other dire and drastic occurences from happening. She is accompanied in this adventure by another ghost Elsie, who 'died' tripping over a tennis net 100 years ago when she won her match, and by Steve--the school's bad boy who turns out to be very handy at breaking and entering and slaying hounds, and all those other things a spare manchild can be useful for.This is a delightful book. I don't read a lot of fantasy, but this one had me turning the pages as fast as I could gallop along to find out what happened next. There are beasties, and baddies, and wicked Queens, and spells, and elixirs, and magic rulers. Everything one needs for a good old fashioned ghostie fantasy. It it due to be published this month, and I suspect it will become a runaway big seller. This is billed for 9-12 yr olds, YA LIT, but this is going to be enjoyed by all ages from about 9 up (I'd be more inclined to say 10 or 11 but....)Finally, I noticed,happily, that the ending left plenty of room for further adventures. I hope so. Belladonna is a real winner.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I am loving this book! The plot is fantastic, the British-ness of the characters and their dialog is what makes the book for me, I think. Belladonna sees dead people. Her parents are prime examples. Killed in a car wreck, Belladonna doesn't see much change in her daily existence until one evening they are gone. Not gone as in died twice but GONE. Poof! Enlisting the help on one of the few kids at her school who doesn't make fun of her, Belladonna and Stephen go off in search of a red door with the number "73" on it. It may be the only door to the Other Side. Or it maybe something entirely different and entirely worse!Any teen will love this book as did I and I haven't been a teen in 'way too long!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I think I found another new series. And it's not even about vampires or werewolves! It does have ghosts, but it is an unique take on the purpose behind ghosts that kept me turning the pages. In fact, I love the purpose behind needing ghosts in our world. Given my fascination with the supernatural, Ms. Stringer's take on them has more than a hint of plausibility that makes it oh-so-appealing. Spellbinder is heavy with British slang. Normally, that sort of thing does not bother me, and I can almost always figure out what is meant by the phrase just by the context. I struggled with this book and found that because I was unfamiliar with certain words and phrases that were supposed to be quite commonplace I was taken right out of the story. Considering this is a children's series, I question the heavy use of slang because I am not certain how many 10-year-olds are going to understand what Ms. Stringer means. Another caveat - this is a kid's series, which means that the character development, plot development, syntax and phrasing is not as adult as I would prefer. At times, it was downright clunky. However, this did not prevent me from finishing the book in one day. In fact, I couldn't wait to finish it and give it to my son to read. (If I can bribe him, I would really like him to write a review of it, so that everyone can see what a member of the target audience thinks about it.)Even though it is meant to be followed by additional books, I found Spellbinder quite fascinating as a stand-alone book. I do plan on continuing the series as the books are published, but I was very impressed with the detailed other world Ms. Stringer created. Equal parts eerie, scary, and intriguing, I really could not stop myself from reading. I highly recommend this to any fantasy lovers out there looking for a quick and easy read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a delightful book about a girl who can see ghosts (it runs in the family). It's good that she can see visitors from the other side because her parents are ghosts - killed in a car accident, but still taking care of her. One day, all the ghosts in the world begin to disappear, including Belladonna's parents. She and her friend, Steve, and her ghostly friend Elsie team up to discover what's happening.This was a book where I loved both the story and the characters. Ms. Stringer creates a believable world for her characters to inhabit. The heroine is smart, funny, competent, and imperfect. Her friends are just that - friends. As a trio they are successful because of their friendship. It was wonderful to read about a competent female character and her friendships. Ms. Stringer is a wonderful writer who has created a wonderful first book in what promises to be an entertaining ongoing series appropriate for ages 9 and up.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Twelve year old Belladonna can see ghosts. Despite the fact that her parents were killed in an accident two years before, she still sees them everyday and her mother still prepares Belladonna's meals. But something strange is beginning to happen. Her parents suddenly disappear one day and her father's last words send her on a quest to figure out what is happening and see if she can bring them back. Unfortunately, none of the adults involved take her seriously and systematically shut her out of all deliberations. She is frustrated by this and with the help of her friend Steve and a one of the few remaining ghosts, Elsie, she discovers much about herself, her family and the fact that there exist other worlds outside of hers. This tale was extremely engaging and I read with anticipation as I delved into this new world of wonder and magic. The language though extremely accessible to young teens is still very engaging for an adult. Though the book has elements of magic, this is not its central focus. Creatures of old populate this book. There are dragons, night hounds, ravens and there is even a wild pack of creatures straight out of hell. I doubt that this book is meant to conclude with just this book cause the end left many unanswered questions. But as much as I enjoyed this book, it definitely had its problems. It was very slow at certain points and seemed to meander with pointless happenings. I began to lose focus because of this but luckily things began to get interesting again. I think this would be an excellent read both for adults and teens.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a cute story involving a girl, her friend, and a bunch of ghosts including her parents who had died in a car accident the previous year. The ghosts start disappearing and she's finds out the doors to other dimensions are closing and it's up to her and a few zany characters to stop it. See in her world ghosts give you your dreams at night and without the ghosts you don't dream and if you don't dream you eventually die. So her job is to figure out how to get the ghosts back and set the worlds straight.I enjoyed characters. The adults at times annoyed me but I'm sure that was the intent. We all know how parents and adults alike can drive kids nuts and same goes for kids driving us adults nuts.This is definitely a book for the younger age groups, not that adults won't enjoy it because I did. It was a quick, enjoyable read. I would have no qualms recommending this book to people especially the younger crowd. I think they would really enjoy the fantasy aspect of the book.Received from Shelf Awarness/Publisher for review.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a very entertaining book filled with delightful characters engrossed in unstoppable action. Belladonna Johnson sits down to breakfast everyday with the spirits of her dead parents. Unlike her friends, she can see all the dead spirits in her town. That is until they start to disappear before her eyes. She will need all the help she can get from her classmate, Steve, who's major accomplishment so far is his penchant for getting in trouble. They follow the lost souls to the Land of the Dead, where Belladonna and Steve must master new found skills in magic and find new depths of courage to free the imprisoned spirits. The book is very well written. The action scenes and the dialogue flow smoothly and naturally, being well suited to hold the interest of older children and young adults. A great ghost tale for Halloween.