Crystal Magic

Finished May 31

Crystal Magic by Madeline Freeman

This teen novel is the first in a series set in a small town called Clearwater. Kristyl Barnette has been living with unusual occurrences that she doesn't understand. When she feels strong emotions, things around break or explode or move. She also sees images and scenes around people she knows. When she first shared these with friends, she found herself ostracized and now is just regarded as weird. 

When a tragedy in her life causes her paternal aunt to come get her and move her back to the house her aunt and father grew up in, in the small town of Clearwater, Michigan, she finds herself with a fresh start. 

She finds new friends quickly, but also makes an enemy, a girl called Crystal who is rumored to be a witch. She finds herself a target of bullying from Crystal's group of friends, but her own friend group is one that stands firm with her, and she finds herself developing feelings for one boy. When a situation at school results in one of her occurrences, she finds herself wondering about her own magical abilities. 

Her aunt tries to help, but Kristyl finds herself drawn to Crystal's group and a need to understand the truth. 

This novel ends with an interesting situation that definitely leads into the next book in the series. This is a teen read set in our reality, with a strong paranormal element and outcomes that are unexpected.