Spellraiser; Tim Hawken

I have never read a YA fantasy novelette quite like “Spellraiser” and I mean that in the best way possible. It’s a familiar storyline: a rich prep school where those of lesser means are constantly bullied and looked down upon, except that there is a magical mystery underfoot. In the world of “Spellraiser” magic is an accepted thing, so there’s no real need for the characters to explain what’s happening to one another, which helps given the novelette’s unique styling—100 chapters of only one hundred words. In this world, spells are basically spirits that give the wielder—or the person being possessed—a wish-like attribute, be it beauty, strength, invincibility, or even the ability to read minds. The catch is, you have to release the spell every day or risk being completely consumed, and you can’t have more than 5 in you at a time or you will literally burn up. That’s not our main characters problem though. Her problem is that students keep dying mysteriously and she, as an outcast, keeps getting blamed for their deaths.

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It's no surprise that this was a super interesting and quick read; the chapter structure at times gave this book a lyrical style that I really enjoyed. The illustrations are stunning and fit the tone of the story perfectly, I just wish there were more of them throughout the book! I think my only qualm is that, while I think the structure and format is really interesting and pays off very well at times, it did mean that certain aspects of the story and its characters could not be explored to their fullest, which is seen most toward the end, but maybe the author will write a sequel? The story is complete on its own, don’t get me wrong, but there is plenty left that the author could explore without being redundant to this book either, just saying. But that’s why I’m giving it 4 stars, I think I’ll remember this book more for its clever, experimental formatting than for its characters. Still, if you like quick and dark YA fantasy, I highly recommend “Spellraiser!” And thanks to the author for providing me with a copy for an honest review.