Like a Curse - (Like a Charm) by Elle McNicoll

Book Synopsis

The fight to save the human and magical worlds is ON...but Ramya has to learn to control her powers before she can help. But when a friend is kidnapped, she may have to go, ready or not. It's a race to the finish in the stunning conclusion to the Like a Charm duology from the award-winning author of A Kind of Spark.

*"McNicoll paints a vivacious portrait of one neurodivergent tween's experience navigating the world." -Publishers Weekly, starred review

Ramya thought discovering she was a witch would make life easier. But mastering her powers isn't easy. And while she is stuck in Loch Ness struggling with spells, the wicked siren Portia is gaining control over the human and hidden worlds in the city.

Time is running out, but the more Ramya presses, the more her family insists she isn't ready to fight. Then an old friend is kidnapped, and Ramya can't wait any longer. Armed with a lot of bravery, a little magic, and a few new friends, Ramya hopes she has what it takes to defeat Portia and the sirens forever.

Review Quotes

"An immersive and intriguing fantasy with real depth." --Kirkus Reviews

"Bucking the trend of middle-grade adventure stories, in this one the adults handle the problems so that the kids don't have to--but young readers will still find lots to identify with in this exciting, imaginative novel." --The Horn Book

About the Author

Elle McNicoll is a bestselling and award-winning novelist. Her debut, A Kind of Spark, was a Schneider Family Honor title, an overall winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, and a Blackwell's Book of the Year. She has been nominated for the Carnegie Medal and was shortlisted for the Books Are My Bag Readers Awards, the Branford Boase Award, and the Little Rebels Children's Book Award. Her second novel, Show Us Who You Are, was a Blackwell's Book of the Month title and one of the Bookseller's Best Book of the year. She is an advocate for better representation of neurodiversity in publishing and currently lives in London.