Book Review ~ "The Bewitching of Alison Allbright" by Alan Davidson

The Bewitching of Alison Allbright by Alan Davidson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Source: Received to Review
Genre: YA Fiction

Book Description: Alison Allbright has always sought refuge in day dreams - of having a glamorous mother and a lovely home, of being an exciting person, of doing all the things that the others at high school do - and more. When Mrs Considine appears, spinning her amazing web of fantasy and making those dreams come true, Alison is completely bewitched....until she discovers the catch.

My thoughts: This is a morbidly fascinating tale.

Alison doesn't like the fact that she comes from a poor family. She dreams of being rich and travelling the world. She longs to make the kids at school feel jealous and wish to be her.

She sees her dreams coming true when Mrs. Considine notices her. She is shown all of the wonderful things that can happen with money. She is taken to Italy, she is given a nice wardrobe to wear, she is taught how to speak and act. She sees the positive, but not the flip side to the wealth and lifestyle.

This book took a few twists and turns. I could see many of them coming. I could see how a young girl could be caught up in the moment and let life get out of hand. I could see how she made some of her decisions.

While I could see how decisions were reached, I didn't like them. I didn't like the feel of the story. As I stated in the opening sentence it's fascinating. It's like a train wreck, you can see it coming, but for some reason you can't take your mind or your eyes away.

The book is written well. The author's pacing is excellent. I liked that Alison learns some very important lessons about life and friendship.

I wouldn't recommend this book to younger readers. It's a little dark and gloomy. The book is very clean, it's just the feeling that you are left with at the end that may be more than a younger reader could handle.

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