The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball by Risa Green

The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball by Risa Green

Release Date: September 14th 2010
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 320

After Erin's favorite aunt, Aunt Kiki (nicknamed Aunt Kooky by Erin's father), dies, Erin inherits a Pink Crystal ball with a set of cryptic instructions from her aunt. Thinking it is just some toy or joke from her crazy aunt, Erin doesn't think much of it...until one of her wishes comes true. The pink crystal ball her aunt left her looks like any other pink crystal ball toy sold at local stores, but Erin asks the ball one of her wishes one night, only to have it come true the next day! Her two best friends are instantly convinced that the crystal ball has magical properties.

Erin is slower to believe, but after another wish comes true, she decides to figure out her aunt's mysterious instructions. With the clues and the Pink Crystal Ball figured out, Erin and her friends may just have the key to their futures! The possibilities are endless--or are they? Erin better figure out her aunt's instructions or their adventure with the crystal ball might just go awry!

At the beginning, The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball felt like a tween book. But as the novel progressed, some parts became more YA geared, while other parts remained more tween-like. The lessons Erin learns are like the ones you would find in other YA books but the bullying that Erin's friend, Lindsay, faces (and how her friend deals with it) seems very much for tweens. It was nice to see Erin grow and learn from her mistakes and the situation as a whole.I was hoping Lindsay would stand up for herself more; at her age it was unusual to see how she reacted and went off to cry instead of defending herself. I'm not saying that there's no bullying in High School--there is--but by 10th grade, girls have much meaner and less childish ways to bully other girls.

Overall, The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball is a cute novel, but I think it's better for younger YA readers, or readers who are starting to make the transition from tween to teen/YA books.

Overall: 3.75 out of 5
Plot: 3.5 stars
Characters: 3.5 stars
Writing: 3.5 stars
Cover: 4 stars (It's a cute cover!)