The Rosemary Spell

Reviewed by: Sheila Dube - Springvale Public Library, Springvale, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 6, 2016

Review

The trouble starts when thirteen-year-old Rosemary moves into the big empty room in the two hundred-year-old house that use to belong to Constance Brooks, a local poet. Rosemary and her friend Adam learn how powerful words can be when an old book and a poem make Adam's sister Shelby disappear, wiping her out of everyone's memories. It takes Rosemary and Adam on a quest, which at times builds new relationships and at other times puts them in life-risking situations. The author's passion for literature comes through this story that is heavy on Shakespeare but light on suspense building. Readers will learn how to work through the meaning of a sonnet and will be inspired to read some of the titles Zimmerman provides as an annotated list of 10 books in the back. Hand this story to bookish readers who secretly want the fantasies with spells and the magic of words to be true.

Overall Book Score: good