Budding-psychic Reeno is the most accomplished teenage burglar in California, but one tiny screw-up and poof!—she's sentenced to Bad Girl School. And that isn’t even her worst problem. Her sister Haley’s dying of an illness no one can diagnose, and now she can’t even help.
But wait, maybe she can! The school psychics have found each other and formed their own club. With the help of her gay friend Carlos and the other Ozone Rangers, Reeno finds out Haley’s disease is the result of an ancient Mayan curse. And A.B., the group's sinister non-faculty adviser, claims he knows how to break it.
All Reeno has to do is time-travel to an ancient Mayan city and steal a little item A.B. needs to save the world. Since she’s an ace thief, he has complete confidence she can execute the task before the outraged Mayans can execute her.
But can she trust A.B.? Despite his cuddly appearance, she knows he’s a merciless predator and ruthless assassin.
And he's not even human.
Synopsis taken from goodreads.
Title: Cursebusters!
Author: Julie Smith
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Time Travel
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Publication Date: May 17, 2011
Format: Softcover
Source: Received from author courtesy of Teen Book Scene. Many thanks goes to Julie for sending me a copy of her book for review. I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
Tour: Teen Book Scene. You can follow along with the tour here, or by clicking through the banner located below the review.
Look for it: Amazon
My rating: 3.5/5
Reeno is a crackerjack at burgling houses, until one day she is foiled in her tracks by a cat. She is shipped off to Bad Girl School, and from there she needs to work towards redeeming herself. Her sister, Haley, is suffering from an unknown disease, and Reeno wants to be by her side. When she is shipped off to her new school, she realizes that the fastest way to get home will include being a perfectly good student. Things don't go according to plan when she finds out that she needs to travel back in time to a Mayan city to lift a certain item to save the world. Maybe she will find a cure for her sister's disease at the same time. She will need to rely on both her new psychic friends, and her sidekick, A.B. the immortal being masquerading as a cat.
Reeno is a hilarious, main character. Her impetuousness will have you grinning in no time as you realize what she's got up her sleeve. Infused with humour, her plans go awry, and you'll enjoy finding out how she reacts in certain scenarios. Another character that got quite a bit of face time is the "cat" A.B. He is the epitome of all cats everywhere, deigning to come over when he wants to, not when you call him. He is a being that can eviscerate or maim someone without the slightest provocation. However, Reeno's field goal comment, and the context within will have readers laughing or at least, cracking a smile.
Cursebusters! is a cute read, one that might make your brain hurt what with all of the time travel to different dimensions, and the rules and regulations for said time travel. Reeno's psychic friends add a colourful dynamic to the book and it was interesting to see some of them showcased at different points during the read.
All in all, Cursebusters! is a laugh out loud, outrageously fun read. I quite enjoyed it even though I wasn't fully invested in it, though that may be due to circumstances outside of the book. I find it similar in style to the Stephanie Plum series, as they both have a lot of humour infused throughout. A.B. will win you over, especially with his attitude towards certain elements within Cursebusters!
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