Review: Trial by Charm

Trial by Charm by Jolene Buchheit

ISBN: 9780996842839

Pages: 209
Source: Author/Elephantine Publishing

Publication Date: April 27, 2016

Initial Reaction: 

Seventeen-year-old Julia Wright doesn't understand her friends' obsession with boys. She's never even had a crush, and proudly maintains her composure no matter who is in her presence. In fact, the hotter a guy is to her friends, the more annoying he seems to Julia. When she is blackmailed into being the manager of the men's swim team, she finds herself face to face with the worst of them all.

Team Captain Vander Thelxinoe is the typical self-assured jock, with a not-so-typical ability to change people's minds at will. It's a talent he uses often to get what he wants--only his charms don't work on Julia. Now he is anxious to figure out why, and the closer he tries to get, the more desperate she is to stay away--especially when he somehow awakens a side of her she never knew existed.

Their quite unexpected friendship puts Julia in the middle of a quest she doesn't quite understand. As her familiar world starts to unravel around her, Julia must partner with the one person who knows how to push her buttons--and, in doing so, discovers the unbelievable truth about who she really is.
Can Julia and Vander survive the trial set before them, or will they succumb to a more terrifying fate? 

Trial by Charm is a fun novel following Julia Wright who has no interest in boys and doesn't understand why her two best friends are constantly obsessing over them. When she gets blackmailed to be the manager of the man's swim team, she finds herself stuck with one of the most self absorbed jerks her school has to offer. Vander Thelxinoe has the ability to charm people's minds and is shocked when he finds himself unable to work his powers on Julia. The two form an uneasy alliance as Vander introduces Julia to the world he is from and the upcoming quest he must embark on.

This novel combines teenage angst with Greek mythology and the result is a witty novel that covers a wide range of interests. Julia and Vander are as opposite as day and night and they manage to compliment each other so well despite Julia's initial dislike to Vander. The whole idea behind Vander's ability and where he comes from was really interesting and well done. I don't want to say too much but it definitely added a lot to the overall story.

Reading Greek mythology growing up, I always liked Demeter and pinned her as one of the nicer Olympians but this book threw me in a loop. I guess it teaches that regardless of their character and nature, you shouldn't mess with a mother especially if she's an Olympian. The whole quest and pre-quest brought the story from a typical high school drama to one that was a bit more thrilling. To be honest, I still don't understand the rhyme, but the delivery of the pre-quest was really interesting.

The ending was hella confusing and definitely piques my interest for the upcoming books. As a novel alone, I enjoyed the story and it definitely sets the stage for the future books.

*I was sent a copy from Elephantine Publishing for review. All opinions are 100% my own.*

3.5 out of 5 stars

Foreverly Obsessed,