Secondhand Charm (Julie Berry) Review

Hardcover: 352 Pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books (October 12, 2010)
Book from Publisher

In a secluded village, magic sparkles on the edges of the forest. There, a young girl named Evie possesses unusually strong powers as a healer. A gypsy's charms—no more than trinkets when worn by others—are remarkably potent when Evie ties them around her neck. Her talents, and charms, have not escaped the notice of the shy stonemason's apprentice. But Evie wants more than a quiet village and the boy next-door. When the young king's carriage arrives one day, and his footman has fallen ill, Evie might just get her chance after all...(Source)

Review
SECONDHAND CHARM, by Julie Berry, was an exceptional tale about an ordinary girl who turned out to be anything but. This book really blew me away, from the synopsis I had no idea where this book would take me and I ended up on a fantastic journey full of romance and fantasy.

Evie was the sweetest girl. She was very simple and, in the beginning, full of simple thoughts. She is a great healer and never questioned her abilities. Given the opportunity to study at the University, Evie and a small crew travel together and meet an unsavory character. After the horrific meeting, Evie and Aidan (swoon) travel across the sea to reach their final destination, in this journey Evie discovers who she really is.

I loved (!) the new myth and history of the serpentina's and their bond to their leviathan (snake-like creature). Evie definitely matured very quickly when she realized what she was. She had to make tough decisions and ultimately be satisfied with who she was. Aidan was the only real thing in her life, and she was very lucky to have him as a friend. She was naive at times of his feelings for her, but she realized in due time that he really liked her, and she did as well.

Overall, this was a great book, with a fairy tale-esque quality. It was written masterfully with a fantastic plot twist and I am very gratefully for the opportunity to read it.

For more info, check out Julie Berry's website