Review of "Norma Jean's School of Witchery: Book One: Jewel" (Norma Jean's School

I have to admit that I had my reservations about this series as I read the first few pages, but I ended up reading book one and two in one night, it was just that good of a storyline. While the ebook version I had of this book was riddled with typos, missing words, and doubled phrases it did not keep me from turning the page. It is fair to say that this was just a poorly edited version because the second book in this series was finely edited. What’s the big deal and why am I saying anything about editing? Well, I hate being pulled out of a story by poor editing, but thankfully Montague's cool characterization and amazing story telling skills helped me to look and read past any mistakes. Jewel was a reflective and sensitive young woman, which did not take away from her ability to kick butt. Of course, when your current family unit consists of Jade Smith, London Jane, and Jill, the Winter Queen of Faerie, (from Jade - book 1 and Jane - book 2 of the Three J'amigos book series), kicking butt is to be expected and so is being true to yourself. Jewel has lost a lot, but her new family knows something great lies within their new charge, even though none of them seem to know exactly how that will evolve or impact her future. Jewel starts school at Norma Jean's School of Witchery a place to hone her skills and her magic, although the magic part doesn't seem to come as easily as kicking butt. Jade, Jane, and Jill want everyone at school to know the family from which Jewel hails and they make a showing of it on her first day. One would think that this would make her life easier, but with her magic abilities sputtering, her first day is full of ridicule. Jewel shows her heart, though, as the friends she makes are amazing, accepting, talented and not the most popular. The secrets that Jewel begins to learn about herself, along with those things about her abilities that her family believes she should keep quiet begin to grow in numbers. Now she is keeping things from the family she has trusted, as well as the new group of friends that may have inadvertently helped her unlock something dangerous, but I digress. I don’t want to give anything too juicy away. Jewel is a strong and worthy female lead. This is the kind of character young readers should be reading about. I love to see a female character that is so able to take care of herself both physically and mentally. Beyond that, what Montague has created is a story that is enthralling, it sucks you in and doesn’t let go until you turn the last page and even then it leaves you hungry for more.