BOOKS

With her creation of the Magnolia League, author Katie Crouch weaves a spellbinding tale of Southern hoodoo—a type of magical practice with roots in African tribes—and it’s ability to delight or destroy a group of high-‘n’-mighty homemakers and their too-perfect debutante daughters. All is certainly not what it seems.

Underneath the humorous gibes, the high school hierarchy drama and some inexplicable magical happenings, The Magnolia League offers an interesting look at how we define popularity—looks, wealth, academic and social success—and how people become popular in the first place. Would we want that life? Hmm…

What did I love most about this YA thriller? The spunky female characters. All of the main characters are goin’ their own way, even if it looks like they’re just following in their mothers’ footsteps. From Alex and grandma Dorothy to Hayes and Madison, these girls stick together and fight not only for what they believe in, but for what they want. We could use a few more heroines like that, right?

TALK BACK: Tell us what you think

Let’s get the conversation going with a few discussion questions. Feel free to address them (or not) in the comments!

1. If you were admitted into the Magnolia League, what spells would you want to use?

2. What positive lessons does Alex learn from her foray into the Magnolia League?

3. If The Magnolia League becomes a series, what do you think will happen next?

by Brittany Taylor | 2/1/2016