Hasani's magical journey continues with more tests and lessons for the young witch in this follow-up to 2022's Wildseed Witch.This time Hasani is back on her home turf at her old school, New Orleans' Riverbend Middle. Dee and Angelique, her fellow coven members from her summer witch camp, Les Belles Demoiselles, are back there with her for eighth grade, and so is deceitful ex-friend LaToya. Hasani is faced with balancing these elements of her new life with ones from the past, like best friend Luz, who is still unaware that Hasani is a witch. When a huge swarm of termites descends upon the school, Hasani is convinced that LaToya is responsible and is trying to undermine her. She's determined to prove this despite the doubts of others, including Miss Lafleur, her Belles Demoiselles mentor who shows up and offers to help find the source of the trouble. Hasani's fear of using her magic is highlighted as well as her challenge with balancing all the moving parts of her life. Will she be able to tap into her magic and grasp what is truly important, or will she allow her fears and biases to wreak havoc on her life and relationships? Dumas shows how Hasani's magical world gets enmeshed with her everyday existence and the complexities as she tries to navigate it. Readers will be best served by having read the first volume.A fitting sequel filled with magic and friendship. (Fantasy. 10-14)

Gr 5 Up— Hasani from Wildseed Witch is back in Charmed Life . After learning she is a witch and spending the summer at a fancy witch school, Hasani is ready to take on eighth grade at Riverbend Elementary with her friends. Sure, she has to keep her magic a secret, although she will tell her best friend once she figures out how. What could go wrong? For starters, LaToya shows up at Riverbend and tries to steal Hasani's friends. Then there is the mysterious termite infestation at the school. Thankfully, Miss Lafleur is there to help, even if she disagrees with Hasani that LaToya is behind the trouble. To prove she is right and save the day, Hasani learns more about the witch world but also starts to lose sight of what and who is important to her. Dumas once again presents readers with a fun magical story set in the modern world. The drama is a mix of magic related and of the typical middle school variety. Readers will enjoy the return of several faces from the first book of diverse characters and enjoy meeting new ones. To appreciate Charmed Life , one should be sure to read Wildseed Witch first, as the content in its successor does fully allow readers to grasp and enjoy without the predecessor. VERDICT Purchase where the first book is popular but pass where it has been a hard sell.— Amanda Borgia