Jinx

Title: Jinx
Author: Meg Cabot
Rating:3.5/5
Summary: It's not easy being Jinx.

Jean Honeychurch hates her boring name (not Jean Marie, or Jeanette, just . . . Jean). What's worse? Her all-too-appropriate nickname, Jinx. Misfortune seems to follow her everywhere she goes even to New York City, where Jinx has moved to get away from the huge mess she caused in her small hometown. Her aunt and uncle welcome her to their Manhattan town house, but her beautiful cousin Tory isn't so thrilled. . . .

In fact, Tory is hiding a dangerous secret one that could put them all in danger. Soon Jinx realizes it isn't just bad luck she's been running from . . . and that the curse she has lived under since the day she was born may be the only thing that can save her life.

My Thoughts: Jean Honeychurch arrives in New York City thinking that her life can only get better after a stocker forces her to move from her small hometown in rural Iowa to live with her aunt, uncle and spoiled cousin Tory. There Jean finds out Tory has changed drastically from her five-year-old self who used to ford creeks and climb trees; now Troy is a little too into boys, likes to mess around with drugs and alcohol and even fancies herself a witch. 

And of course, the fact that Jean instantly falls for the boy next door, Zack, who likes the au pair who already has a boyfriend back in Germany. But don't worry, because Troy will stop at nothing to get Zack for herself even though she is dating Shawn with the agreement that they are really only friends with benefits. 

If that love triangle (or pentagon) isn't complicated enough for you, throw in the fact that Troy is practicing black magic, and Jean thinks she's cursed, and Shawn starts getting a little sloppy at his job as the local drug pusher at their elite Manhattan private school. That is when things really start to get good. 

Reading this book reminded my why I love Meg Cabot so much. While her romances are pretty formulaic and her characters tend to sound just about the same from book to book, Cabot really shines as a paranormal writer.