From Bad to Cursed

Title: From Bad to Cursed
Author: Katie Alender
Pages: 448

Rating: 4/5 stars

The book is an outstanding mixture of Mystery, Horror, and Supernatural and takes place in modern times United States. A high schooler, Alexis Warren, is your average teenager, almost. She and her family have just recovered from the possession of her sister, Kasey, by an evil spirit. But another problem comes up for Alexis, and the choices she has to make will either save her and her friends or destroy her life.

One day when Kasey comes home from school and asks Alexis to drive her to a friend’s house, Alexis is happy at first, happy that her sister finally made friends and even started a club, The Sunshine Club. But she soon finds out that the club is not as harmless as it seems. Kasey thinks she can fix the problem on her own but Alexis and her best friend, Megan, join the club to investigate and watch over Kasey. They find out what’s really going on, the girls are all of a sudden becoming beautiful and popular, and the price is their souls. Alexis and her best friend, Megan make plans to destroy Aralt, the evil spirit that is taking over the girls’ lives. They end up accidentally giving up their own souls, and with the help of Aralt become beautiful and successful. Why were they trying to destroy someone who gives them so much and asks for so little in return? It’s not until the end that Alexis realizes that it’s not only Aralt controlling her actions but herself as well. It shows how Alexis tries to fight her inner demon, literally, and leads us to the theme of the book. In the tragedy that is Alexis’s life, she’s had to make many choices. She’s had to fight herself to do what’s right instead of what’s easy, to give in. With Aralt the easiest thing to do is to give in. Why give up fame and success and beauty to stop Aralt?. So what if the next girls Aralt will choose end up succumbing to him?, iIt’s not her problem. Instead Alexis comes to her senses and tries to stop him, even if it means risking her life. That is the theme of the book, do what’s right instead of what’s easy.

I like that the book is a Supernatural book, but twisted into the life of a teenager. Alexis was a pretty normal person, with mild behavior issues. Add some spirits and possessed girls and you get an amazing story packed with action at every turn. What I wish was different is that it was at a higher reading level. I recommend this book to anyone in 7th grade or higher. Anyone who reads it will LOVE it! It won’t let you put it down so get ready to stay up all night!

Contributed by Taymae Mimouni