Book Review: Old Magic

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Title: Old Magic
Author: Marianne Curley
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Rating: 3

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Jarrod Thornton is mesmerizing, but Kate Warren doesn't know why. The moment the new guy walks into the room, Kate senses something strange and intense about him. Something supernatural. Her instincts are proven correct a few minutes later when, bullied by his classmates, Jarrod unknowingly conjures up a freak thunderstorm "inside" their classroom. Jarrod doesn't believe in the paranormal. When Kate tries to convince him that he has extraordinary powers that need to be harnessed, he only puts up with her "hocus pocus" notions because he finds her captivating. However, the dangerous, uncontrolled strengthening of his gift finally convinces Jarrod that he must take Kate's theories seriously. Together, they embark on a remarkable journey -- one which will unravel the mystery that has haunted Jarrod's family for generations and pit the teens against immense forces in a battle to undo the past and reshape the future.

 Review: I had a really hard time getting into this one. I started to read it a while back, then put it down because I wasn't interested. Recently, I took it back off my shelves to give it another try, but unfortunately, it still didn't click with me. I do enjoy reading fantasy, (some of my favorites are Harry Potter and Inkheart), not just contemporary and romance, so it's not like I didn't enjoy it because of the genre. For me, I think it was just too slow. 

 The characters also irritated me. Jarrod was a jerk. He knew Kate, went over to her house, talked to her when they were alone, but once they were at school it was a completely different story. He pretended not to know her, pretended she didn't exist, agreed with what the popular group said about her; everything people actually do in real life. During those particular moments, I sympathized with Kate because the same thing happens to me, but not with guys. With girls. I knew how she felt and she dealt with it way better than I do, but that was the only time I connected with Kate.

 Kate was so convinced that Jarrod had special powers, that every time she saw him she seemed to feel the need to talk to him about it. She didn't give him time to think about it. She didn't even give him time to breathe. I really wanted her to just back off - he was a jerk, let him think what he wants. LET HIM BREATHE. Except, that didn't happen. The whole"I-don't-know-you-Yes-you-do-You-have-powers" dragged on. Even when the two traveled back in time to hopefully break Jarrod's family curse I felt like the story lacked something. 

 There was one scene in medieval Britain that got the wheels turning in my brain. For Jarrod to survive, Kate makes an agreement with the evil sorcerer - she lives with him for the rest of eternity and Jarrod lives.  Kate goes to convince Jarrod that she fell in love with the evil sorcerer and wants to live with him, hoping Jarrod will just go home, forgetting about her in the long run. I'm a big Once Upon a Time fan, so this scene really stuck out for me. *cough, cough* Prince Charming and Snow White. *cough* Snow White did the same thing Kate did. She made a bet with Charming's evil step-father so he could live and had to lie to Charming's face about falling in love with someone else. Even though it took me a while to make the connection, I still figured it out. 

 Overall, I was disappointed by Old Magic. It was an okay read, but not my cup of tea.

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