Secondhand Charm

by Julie Gardner Berry

Overview

In a secluded village, magic sparkles on the edges of the forest. There, a young girl named Evie possesses unusually strong powers as a healer. A gypsy's charms-no more than trinkets when worn by others-are remarkably potent when Evie ties them around her neck. Her talents, and charms, have not escaped the notice of the shy stonemason's son. But Evie wants more than a quiet village and the boy next-door. When the prince's carriage arrives one day, and his footman has fallen ill, Evie might just get her chance after all . . .

Berry's debut novel garnered glowing reviews and strong sales-and now she's done it again with a beautifully woven tale to keep all readers, young and old, absolutely charmed.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781599906485
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	10/12/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
Lexile:	680L (what's this?)
File size:	755 KB
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

JULIE BERRY grew up in western New York. She holds a BS in communications from Rensselaer and an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College. She now lives in eastern Massachusetts with her husband and four young sons. The Amaranth Enchantment was her first book.
www.julieberrybooks.com
JULIE BERRY grew up in western New York. She holds a BS in communications from Rensselaer and an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College. She now lives in eastern Massachusetts with her husband and four young sons. The Amaranth Enchantment was her first book. www.julieberrybooks.com

Editorial Reviews

Gr 5–8—Berry's latest fantasy novel is laced with romance, intrigue, and adventure. Evie Pomeroy, 16, lives in the small village of Maundley with her grandfather. Her parents, both physicians, died during an influenza epidemic when she was just a baby. Evie herself is the village healer, all of her knowledge gleaned from her parents' old medical textbooks. When she is offered a scholarship to attend the university, she eagerly accepts. But the journey to Chalcedon is fraught with danger both on land and at sea. Along the way, new friends are made and astonishing secrets are revealed about Evie's heritage and special powers. And this is just the beginning.... Evie is a likable heroine who will capture readers' imagination. The secondary characters, though not as developed, provide the protagonist with suitable, and sometimes surprising, enemies and allies. The many plot elements are deftly woven together into a novel sure to please fans of Berry's Amaranth Enchantment (Bloomsbury, 2009).—Heather Miller Cover, Homewood Public Library, AL

School Library Journal

Berry's romantic fantasy teems with action, suspense and a bit of boy-next-door romance. In her small village in the fictional Kingdom of Pylander, Evie Pomeroy enjoys a reputation as a healer. She longs to travel beyond her village and eventually become a physician. While the dashing King Leopold III is visiting the village, Evie saves the life of his chancellor of the exchequer and is rewarded with a full scholarship to the University. Most of the plot centers on Evie's mishaps while traveling to the royal city and her role in thwarting a plot to assassinate the king. The story's main appeal is the discovery that she is a serpentina, endowed with both healing powers and a magical protector called a leviathan, a sea-serpent–like creature that can alter its size and speak with her telepathically. Evie's companion throughout is the handsome journeyman stonemason Aidan, whose interest in her will become more than friendship. A cast of strong secondary characters rounds out this mix of humor, light romance and mystery. An entertaining read—guaranteed. (Fantasy. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews