Conjure by: Lea Nolan

Synopsis: Be careful what you search for…

Emma Guthrie expects this summer to be like any other in the South Carolina Lowcountry–hot and steamy with plenty of beach time alongside her best friend and secret crush, Cooper Beaumont, and Emma’s ever-present twin brother, Jack. But then a mysterious eighteenth-century message in a bottle surfaces, revealing a hidden pirate bounty. Lured by the adventure, the trio discovers the treasure and unwittingly unleashes an ancient Gullah curse that attacks Jack with the wicked flesh-eating Creep and promises to steal Cooper’s soul on his approaching sixteenth birthday.

When a strange girl appears, bent on revenge; demon dogs become a threat; and Jack turns into a walking skeleton; Emma has no choice but to learn hoodoo magic to undo the hex, all before summer—and her friends–are lost forever

Thoughts: Conjure is one of those stories that you just enjoy reading. It’s enchanting and entertaining with history weaving its way through the curses. The cover is beautiful and this book is fun, adventure, and magic all rolled up into one! Almost like a Pirates of the Caribbean for teens!

Jack and Emmaline, Emma for short, are twins who love spending their summer in the South Carolina heat with their close friend Cooper. They don’t expect much different this summer until they stumble upon a bottle with a strange message inside. On search of the treasure within the note, they come across a curse that unleashes itself on Jack. The curse is slowly eating away at Jack’s skin and will surely kill him if too much time is wasted. When a mysterious girl shows up and leads them to Hoodoo magic, Emma with the help of Cooper and others will have no choice but to save her brother before time runs out… if it’s even possible that is.

Firstly, the fact that Emmaline (love that name!) and Jack are twins totally pulls me in. I have a huge obsession with twins. The other thing I love about them is you can tell how connected they are, how much they care about each other. You certainly see this with Emma and how she takes risks she never thought she’d take, all for her brother. Plus the aspect of diving into Hoodoo was such an adventure and it hold a key part to the story so it was much more than just a magic touch. There’s also Cooper Beaumont who is an adorable hunk rolled in sugar. I loved Cooper’s role and I absolutely loved seeing Emma and Cooper evolve as the story plays on.

Overall, Conjure is a mystical story wrapped up with revenge, sacrifice, and romance. It’ll show you how tight some sibling bonds really are and how far sometimes you have to push yourself for the people you love. Definitely a fun read and definitely worth a pick up!