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Jinx
Jinx
Jinx
Ebook242 pages3 hours

Jinx

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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About this ebook

It's not easy being Jinx.

Jean Honeychurch hates her boring name (not Jean Marie, or Jeanette, just . . . Jean). What's worse? Her all-too-appropriate nickname, Jinx. Misfortune seems to follow her everywhere she goes—even to New York City, where Jinx has moved to get away from the huge mess she caused in her small hometown. Her aunt and uncle welcome her to their Manhattan town house, but her beautiful cousin Tory isn't so thrilled. . . .

In fact, Tory is hiding a dangerous secret—one that could put them all in danger. Soon Jinx realizes it isn't just bad luck she's been running from . . . and that the curse she has lived under since the day she was born may be the only thing that can save her life.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperCollins
Release dateOct 6, 2009
ISBN9780061971877
Jinx
Author

Meg Cabot

MEG CABOT’s many books for both adults and teens have included numerous #1 New York Times bestsellers, with more than twenty-five million copies sold worldwide. Her Princess Diaries series was made into two hit films by Disney, with a third movie coming soon. Meg currently lives in Key West, Florida, with her husband and various cats.

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Rating: 3.699806903474903 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

518 ratings30 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Find this review and more at On The Shelf!Tory’s secret wasn’t what I was expecting it to be, and neither was the book really, but not in a bad way. This story was a quick, enjoyable read; it would make a good book to sit and read in a day. Jean (or Jinx) is a nice character, but she was a bit too naive when it came to some things. Even if she was raised in a completely different state, she would have to be blind not to see some of the things going on. Zach was a really good character, very laid back, unlike uptight Jean, the preacher’s daughter. Tory was surprising. She would go to any length to get what she wanted and she was incredibly selfish and self-centered. Petra was one of my favorite characters. She was so nice and maternal; there for whatever you need. The narrator of the audiobook did pretty well. My favorite voice she did was Petra’s becuase of her accent and she made Tory sound like a malicious, immature child. The only voice she did that I didn’t care for much was Tory’s dad. I can’t really explain it, but it just sounded so…weird. This is the first Meg Cabot book I have read and I’m not yet sure how I feel about her writing based on this book alone. It was fast and clear, but also repetative. I still want to read her Abandon and Princess Diaries series, then I can decide what I think of her writing after reading more. Though I did enjoy the book, I wasn’t overly impressed with it. I look forward to reading more of her books. Quick, fun, good reader, a bit repetative.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    If it wasn't enough that Jean (aka Jinx) Honeychurch is an accident magnet, she was born in a thunderstorm, or that her mother is a pastor or that she's from Iowa, but she's had to leave home to go to New York because of a stalker. Her relatives are wealthy and live in a big house. They have a daughter about the same age as Jinx, Torrence (aka Tory, but she's trying to leave that nickname behind) who has fallen into some bad habits. Including black magic.Jinx has to try to make new friends, work out what the gorgeous Zack wants, and try to stop her cousin from harming her, and everyone around her, that and try to work out how to use her own powers of witchcraft.It's fun, light and a very quick read. Typical Meg Cabot fare.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I liked the mix of magic with Cabot's trademark Romance Lite. It's just fun to read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    First of all I have to note that this review is for the unabridged audio book and I really do think listening to books is a bit different than reading them. In this case it is even more important to note this as I think I might have enjoyed the story a little more had I read it.Jean Honeychurch has been known as "Jinx" for most all of her life. Even at the time of her birth lightning had struck the hospital causing a major evacuation of patients. Since that time her luck hasn't improved very much. Now Jean has moved from her native Iowa to her aunt and uncle's in NYC for reasons she'd rather not discuss. Reasons that unknown to anyone else, she feels completely responsible for. Despite her resolution to leave "Jinx" behind it seems like her luck isn't going to change just with her location and soon Jean is embroiled in even more trouble thanks to her cousin Torrance. This story was okay, but for some reason didn't seem to have the same appeal to me as some of Cabot's other work. It might have had to do with Jean, who I really did find kind of annoying, with her defeatist attitude and obtuseness when it came to witchy powers, relationships and her friendship with Zach. The words, "too stupid to live" actually entered my head more than once during the last few chapters. Or, my dissatisfaction could have been because of the reader. For whatever reason I seem to like male readers much more then female ones, but this one was even worse than most. When I started listening I actually cringed through the first chapter and thought about not finishing. I did finally adapt to the narrative, but I can't say that ever grew to really enjoy it. This is probably all personal preference and I wouldn't discourage anyone from listening to the audio book just because of my own reaction. Although I think this book could have been better all the way around, it is one that I had wanted to read for a while and I am glad I finally got the chance to, if not actually read, listen to the story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A fantasy that includes suspense, mystery, humor, romance, etc. A very fun and interesting classic by Meg Cabot about a girl, a cousin, a stalker, a new life, and a witch.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Moving from a small town in Iowa to New York City was the best way Jean Honeychurch and her family could think of to handle the problem she was having with a boy. The problem wasn’t just the boy, Jean had been having bad luck all of her life starting with the day she was born. She even received the nickname of Jinx from her family at a young age, because of her constant string of mishaps. Meeting her cousins friends and finding out that some of them believed themselves to be witches and those witches, including her cousin Tory, believing that she was a witch and wanting her to join their coven, left Jinx scarred that the true reason for her troubles was about to come out. What a fun story. Quick and fast paced, although it was predictable. The characters were great - a bunch of high school students, their dates, crushes and worries, popularity contests and all. I really liked Zach and Petra (one of the boys and the families au pair) they seemed to be great supporting characters for Jean. There is a point in the story were Jean is described as a good influence against the drugs, alcohol, smoking and witch craft but as Jean thinks about it - “God, no wonder she hated me so much! I hated me, hearing myself described in such a way.” Fun for young teens up. After finally trying a Meg Cabot book, maybe I will give one of her series a try.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Summary from inside flap of book: The only thing Jean Honeychurch hates more than her boring name (not Jean Marie, or Jeanette, just… jean) is her all-too-appropriate nickname, Jinx. Misfortune seems to follow her everywhere she goes—which is why she’s thrilled to be moving in with her aunt and uncle in New York City. Maybe when she’s halfway across the country, Jinx can finally outrun her bad luck. Or at least escape the havoc she’s caused back in her small hometown. But trouble has definitely followed Jinx to New York. And it’s causing big problems for her cousin Tory, who is not happy to have the family black sheep around. Beautiful, glamorous Tory is hiding a dangerous secret—one that she’s sure Jinx is going to reveal. Jinx is beginning to realize it isn’t just bad luck she’s been running from. It’s something far more sinister… and the curse Jinx has lived under since the day she was born might just be the only thing that can save her life.My review: I hate to admit it, but this is the first Meg Cabot book that I have read. I own many of her books, but I have never read them. I enjoyed Jinx. It’s not overly complicated or highly original, but I still liked it. The inside flap makes you think there will be something devious and “sinister” hidden in the plot, but really it’s nothing more than a jaded, spoiled, rich teenage girl pretending to play “witch-believe” with several equally snotty friends. The only thing sinister would be the personality of Tory, Jinx’s NY cousin. Talk about a character! If I had met this girl in high school, I could only imagine how awful my memories would be. Wow. Tory is by far the best description of a woman scorned I have read in YA fiction—witch craft aside, of course. On a human level, Tory is despicable. Back stabbing, deceitful, envious. The whole nine yards. She is pure evil in the disguise of outward beauty. Her friends were equally disgusting, although they weren’t mentioned much in the book. I got the impression they were meant to be more like groupies than supporting characters. For all of the negative vibes you got from Tory, Jinx gives you the exact opposite. She is the image of mid-west innocence; after all she is a preacher’s daughter. The quaintness of her character, combined with her gorgeous natural curly red hair make her an easy target for Tory’s wrath. Plus, it doesn’t help that Tory’s secret love is head-over-heels for Jinx. The characters were decent. You certainly felt sorry for Jinx during all of her mishaps, and you couldn’t help but dislike Tory. Unfortunately, that’s where the charm ends. The plot is pretty predictable. It’s a classic case, really: Pretty girl doesn’t realize she’s pretty. Pretty girl falls into the trap of equally pretty girl with disgusting personality. Pretty girl unknowingly wins heart of handsome boy. Love triangle ensues. Mean girl gets what she deserves while pretty girl realizes she has self worth and falls for handsome boy. The end. Yep, that’s pretty much it. Granted there were a few twists along the way, but nothing overly exciting. I did like that Zach (said handsome boy) seemed like a complete charmer. He had some personality traits that made him very likable. There were a few scenes in the book that had potential to be suspenseful, but it seemed like the majority of the story only skimmed the surface and never fully dove into a deeper plot. For a younger reader I’m sure it would be satisfying, but I like a little more depth in my reading material. Of course, I probably shouldn’t have expected anything more than what I got considering I bought this book for my classroom library. Overall, it was a fun, quick read. I enjoyed it. I’m sure if I was a middle school girl I would be enthralled with this novel. I would probably even imagine Zach Efron’s face for Zach in the book… if I were a middle school girl. But, alas, I’m not. (I really couldn’t imagine anyone that I felt would fit the characters when reading the book.) I gave the book 3 stars because it was decent. There were some funny parts that made me chuckle, and the descriptions were well written. My visualization abilities were working in overdrive throughout most of the book. However, it wasn’t exactly “mature” content like the jacket flap implied.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I love Meg Cabot. I want to be Meg Cabot (or, at least, her BFF. We'd make awesome BFFs. We could go get slushie drinks and chat about books and writing. It'd be fabulous.). She's an incredibly prolific writer who knows her audience like the back of her hand. Her books are all enjoyable reads and JINX is no exception.I picked this book up from the bargain shelf at Books-A-Million (Boy-howdy I love this shelf. Pair it with my teacher discount and I can walk out of there with a huge pile of books for my classroom that my kids are interested in reading. Yahoo.) and decided to make sure I read it myself. It was a quick and easy read, with fun (and nasty) characters that were easy to get behind and root for--and against.Poor Jinx (Jean) is sure she's cursed: she's a terrible klutz, always crashing into things and breaking stuff. Her first day in NYC and her aunt and uncle have forgotten her at the airport, no one is home at their house to greet her except for the nanny, and, when her cousin finally gets home, Jinx is completely embarrassed in front of her cousin's friends AND a super-cute guy (how else would you feel if your cousin announced to everyone you had to leave home because you were being stalked?).Tory, Jinx's cousin, is a great bad girl. She's evilly snarky, mean, back-biting...I just wanted to smack the black eyeliner right off her face (exactly the way I think you should feel about a bad girl!).Zack is a really sweet guy--the perfect foil for Jinx. Too bad she thinks he's in love with Petra, the nanny. But he shows her the town and she's happy to just be friends with him. He's actually a bit too sweet for my tastes. I like a little more bad boy to temper that sweetness.There were parts of the book when I was worried Jinx wouldn't get a stronger backbone and stand up for herself. However, she performs admirably when she has to (though I was reminded a bit of that movie THE CRAFT. Remember that one? With the group of witches and the crazy chick? Yeah, that.). All in all, JINX is a fun read. Go Meg, my new BFF!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Not as predictable as other Cabot novels. A quick enjoyable read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A very interesting book about a girl with the worst luck in the world that lives in a small town in Iowa but she moves to her Aunts and Uncles house in New York City. Her cousin who has changed a lot is convinced that she is a witch. She casts spells and stuff like that. This book was alright but the ending was a way too unlikely and really weird for my taste
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The book Jinx is about a girl whose real name is Jean. Her family calls her Jinx because if anything bad is going to happen, it will most definitely happen to Jinx. To get rid of her ex boyfriend, Jean moves to New York with her aunt and uncle. Jean was looking forward to spending time with her cousin Tori, until she sees how much Tori has changed. What Jean doesn't realize is that Tori hates Jean so much, she tries to take away her "witch" powers which could have killed her.I love Meg Cabot's books. This book was great to read. I love the suspense in it and the humor. What I do wish Meg Cabot would do is try to write in 3rd person. I would love to see how the book turns out.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Jinx feels like she has had more than her share of bad luck all her life. When she goes to live with her aunt and uncle in New York City after an incident in her hometown in Iowa, Jinx's cousin is determined to have her join her witch coven believing deeply in a family legend that they are descended from a great witch. A blooming romance with the boy next door and cousin jealously help to move the action along in this fun romance.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Where has Meg Cabot been all of my reading years? This is my first book by her and I could not put it down. I did very little house work yesterday because I kept thinking about this book. It starts off with Jean (Jinx) moving in with her Aunt and Uncle because of something that happened back Iowa where she lives. Jean is happy to be moving in with her Aunt and Uncle for a while. She hasn't seen her cousin Tory in a long time, she was thinking things would pick up where they left them years ago. But when she gets to her Aunt and Uncle's house Tory, now known as Torrence, has changed. Gone is her blonde hair and pretty clothes, instead they are replaced by dark hair and black clothes. Jean soon finds out that Tory knows about her being a witch and Tory wants her to join her coven. But when Jean declines it makes Tory mad and sets her on a mission to destroy Jean. But it gets worse when Jean falls for Tory's secret crush, Zach. This book was an amazing read. I have always liked reading about the Salem Witch Trials. So this book had witches, romance, and teen fun. Highly recommend this book!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Just finished this book. I really enjoyed it. I liked the main character Jean and The whole concept of the book. A good read. : )
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The story was fine... cute, fun, etc. I liked the main male character and the au pair quite a lot... it's just that the main character was so dumb sometimes. She made a few really ridiculous mistakes that really made you want to smack her... and really made the story feel a little more unrealistic.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Jean "Jinx" Honeychurch is a sixteen-year-old girl from Iowa. Believing she was born with bad luck, she goes to stay with her Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted in Manhattan, New York, to escape the most recent bout of it. However, the truth is that Jean had cast a love spell on her crush which turned out wrongly and caused him to become stalker-ish.

    Her cousin, Tory, is convinced that Jean must join her coven of pretend "witches". Jean denies being a witch, and refuses to join. This angers Tory, causing her to seek revenge. Tory is also jealous of Jean's relationship with Zack, a good-looking boy who lives next door. However, it is revealed that Jean might actually be the witch with special powers. Things start to turn bad, with Tory and her coven kidnapping Jean for a ritual, but in the end, the real witch wins. Jean realises that maybe she isn't that unlucky after all, and the book ends with her starting a romance with Zack, who reveals he has always liked her back.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Jinx is hard to put down once started. It's very fun and entertaining, with action and a bit of romance.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Jinx has a problem back home in Iowa, so she is sent to NYC to live with her cousin Tory's family in NYC. This book pays serious homage to the movie the Craft(1999). It's about girls who practice magic and don't pay enough attention to the consequences; then one goes to far. There is romance and magic, and if you haven't watched the Craft, you might be surprised. Otherwise Jinx is just a little too good and Tory is a little bit too bad. *Spoiler alert* I do have a major problem with Jinx believing that she brought having stalker on herself. I understand that they are trying to send a message about using black magic, but I just don't feel like it's a good thing to say.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Jinx always has bad luck and it doesn't stop when she goes to live with her Aunt and Uncle in order to escape the attentions of a stalker. Now she has to contend with a cousin who believes herself to be a witch and practices black magic to gain popularity and status. Jinx knows that's bad news and tries to stop her, which only makes her declare war on Jinx. This is a fun, can't put it down kind of book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    i was kind of "meh" about it. i saw the love interest coming a mile away. and to me, it was obvious what jean had done that required her to get away. but i'm not 13 anymore. still love meg cabot.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Jean “Jinx” moves in with her aunt and uncle after an incident back home. Upon arrival, she learns her cousin Tory (now refers to be called Torrance) thinks she is a witch. Tory reminds Jean that their great-great-great-grandmother was also a practicing witch and stated that one of her descendants will also be a witch. Naturally Tory believes it’s her, until Jean saves Zach’s, Tory’s neighbor and crush, life.Having read most of Ms. Cabot’s young adult novels last year, I was looking forward to reading Jinx. Unfortunately, this book didn’t grab me as her previous novels did. The mystery behind Jean’s move to live with her aunt is obvious as is the reason her family calls her Jinx.What really stood out to me was how similar the characters are with the characters from The Princess Diaries series. For instance, Jean reminded me of Princess Mia; Zach was a good guy like Michael; Tory was mean like Lana. At one point, I actually started seeing the Princess Diaries characters instead of these main characters. From this, I thought the plot seemed “a bit familiar” and too formula-based.Jean, the protagonist, came across as boring and naive. I often found myself wanting to shake her and say “Can’t you see what’s going on here?” It was so frustrating to see Tory repeatedly take advantage of her and for Jean to remain passive so she wouldn’t hurt Tory’s feelings.Although Jinx is not a favorite of mine by Ms. Cabot, I still plan to read my way through her young adult collection.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    To avoid an unpleasant ex-boyfriend, Jean moves from her small town to stay with her aunt and uncle in NYC. There, she's surprised at the dark changes her cousin Tory has undergone, but not surprised to learn that she's just as unlucky as ever. To protect herself from Tory's malign influence, Jinx slowly delves into her magical heritage, all the while unsure whether magic is real or not. The conflict was interesting; the romance was not. Jinx has a smart, common-sense approach to everything else in the novel, but she's completely blind when it comes to Zack. It wasn't a believable level of denial; it was clearly just to give the romance a little zing. That downgraded this book from a three star rating to a two.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Jinx has just moved in with her aunt, uncle and cousin because of an "incident" at her last school. She wants to avoid anything like that happening again, but her cousin is obsessed with being a witch and trying to get this one particular guy, who just so happens to like Jinx.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Sixteen-year-old Jean "Jinx" Honeychurch, the descendant of a witch, must leave Iowa to live with relatives in Manhattan after the first spell she casts goes awry, but she will have to improve her skills to stop her cousin from practicing black magic that endangers them and the boy they both like.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book was a page turner seeing the life of Jean who's appropriately nicknamed "Jinx" because of her perpetual bad luck. Throughout the book, she starts to discover that her bad luck is caused by her fear and learns to overcome her fear and empower herself; making life better than it has ever been before.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    The only luck Jean has ever had in her life is bad luck, hence her nickname Jinx. Jean has been sent to her aunt and uncle's in New York to get away from the culmination of her bad luck back home in Iowa. But Jean's bad luck sticks with her bringing conflict with her cousin Tory who is convinced that one of them is to inherit the strong magical powers that run in their family line. Now Jean must decide whether to embrace her potential magic powers to keep Tory from harming others, particularly their adorable neighbour Zach, on whom Jean has a massive crush.I'm a long time Meg Cabot fan but this novel fell short for me. While Jean was perfectly adorable and her flirtation with Zach as full of charm as Cabot is always capable of, I felt like the constant hinting around the bad thing that happened back in Iowa was dragged out too long. Also, as naive as Jean is, I had serious doubts that she'd be quite so obtuse. A quick read but not up to the standard I expect from Cabot.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Jean has always been know as Jinx since they day she was born, when a lightening bolt hit the hospital. Now she has been sent from her middle class Iowa family to live with weathly relatives in Manhattan. The change is a culture shock, and problems immediately ensue when her cousin, Torrence becomes jealous of Jinx's "powers". See there is a family legend that one girl will inherit the powers of the family witch who had died at the stake centuries before. Torrence thought it was her legacy until Jinx appears and starts to demonstrate her abilities. Jinx and Torrence both believe in magic but while Jinx thinks it is a bad thing, Torrence is all about it, right down to the Goth dress.I am a bit perplexed by this book. Is there really magic going on, or is it all coincidence? I agree that the end is sort of odd. I hope there is a sequel because there was some nice character development and more questions raised than answered.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Although the undertones of magic filled the story, it was your typical story of a girl who has everything she wants but doesn't know it. She thinks she's Jinxed, but her cousin knows better and tries to destroy her new life because of it. This book was one you could easily get wrapped up into - a good mixture of teenage drama, witchcraft, and blooming love.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    love it
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I usually am not to into reading, not that book was AMAZING!

Book preview

Jinx - Meg Cabot

CHAPTER ONE

The thing is, my luck’s always been rotten. Just look at my name: Jean. Not Jean Marie, or Jeanine, or Jeanette, or even Jeanne. Just Jean. Did you know in France, they name boys Jean? It’s French for John.

And okay, I don’t live in France. But still. I’m basically a girl named John. If I lived in France, anyway.

This is the kind of luck I have. The kind of luck I’ve had since before Mom even filled out my birth certificate.

So it wasn’t any big surprise to me when the cab driver didn’t help me with my suitcase. I’d already had to endure arriving at the airport to find no one there to greet me, and then got no answer to my many phone calls, asking where my aunt and uncle were. Did they not want me after all? Had they changed their minds? Had they heard about my bad luck—all the way from Iowa—and decided they didn’t want any of it to rub off on them?

But even if that were true—and as I’d told myself a million times since arriving at baggage claim, where they were supposed to have met me, and seeing no one but skycaps and limo drivers with little signs with everyone’s names on them but mine—there was nothing I could do about it. I certainly couldn’t go home. It was New York City—and Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted’s house—or bust.

So when the cab driver, instead of getting out and helping me with my bags, just pushed a little button so that the trunk popped open a few inches, it wasn’t the worst thing that had ever happened to me. It wasn’t even the worst thing that had happened to me that day.

I pulled out my bags, each of which had to weigh fifty thousand pounds, at least—except my violin case, of course—and then closed the trunk again, all while standing in the middle of East Sixty-ninth Street, with a line of cars behind me, honking impatiently because they couldn’t pass, due to the fact that there was a Stanley Steemer van double-parked across the street from my aunt and uncle’s building.

Why me? Really. I’d like to know.

The cab pulled away so fast, I practically had to leap between two parked cars to keep from getting run over. The honking stopped as the line of cars that had been waiting behind the cab started moving again, their drivers all throwing me dirty looks as they went by.

It was all the dirty looks that did it—made me realize I was really in New York City. At last.

And yeah, I’d seen the skyline from the cab as it crossed the Triboro Bridge . . . the island of Manhattan, in all its gritty glory, with the Empire State Building sticking up from the middle of it like a big glittery middle finger.

But the dirty looks were what really cinched it. No one back in Hancock would ever have been that mean to someone who was clearly from out of town.

Not that all that many people visit Hancock. But whatever.

Then there was the street I was standing on. It was one of those streets that look exactly like the ones they always show on TV when they’re trying to let you know something is set in New York. Like on Law and Order. You know, the narrow three- or four-story brownstones with the brightly painted front doors and the stone stoops. . . .

According to my mom, most brownstones in New York City were originally single-family homes when they were built way back in the 1800s. But now they’ve been divided up into apartments, so that there’s one—or sometimes even two or more families—per floor.

Not Mom’s sister Evelyn’s brownstone, though. Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted Gardiner own all four floors of their brownstone. That’s practically one floor per person, since Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted only have three kids, my cousins Tory, Teddy, and Alice.

Back home, we just have two floors, but there are seven people living on them. And only one bathroom. Not that I’m complaining. Still, ever since my sister Courtney discovered blow-outs, it’s been pretty grim at home.

But as tall as my aunt and uncle’s house was, it was really narrow—just three windows across. Still, it was a very pretty townhouse, painted gray, with lighter gray trim. The door was a bright, cheerful yellow. There were yellow flower boxes along the base of each window, flower boxes from which bright red—and obviously newly planted, since it was only the middle of April, and not quite warm enough for them—geraniums spilled.

It was nice to know that, even in a sophisticated city like New York, people still realized how homey and welcoming a box of geraniums could be. The sight of those geraniums cheered me up a little.

Like maybe Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted just forgot I was arriving today, and hadn’t deliberately failed to meet me at the airport because they’d changed their minds about letting me come to stay.

Like everything was going to be all right, after all.

Yeah. With my luck, probably not.

I started up the steps to the front door of 326 East Sixty-ninth Street, then realized I couldn’t make it with both bags and my violin. Leaving one bag on the sidewalk, I dragged the other up the steps with me, my violin tucked under one arm. I deposited the first suitcase and my violin case at the top of the steps, then hurried back down for the second suitcase, which I’d left on the sidewalk.

Only I guess I took the steps a little too fast, since I nearly tripped and fell flat on my face on the sidewalk. I managed to catch myself at the last moment by grabbing some of the wrought-iron fencing the Gardiners had put up around their trash cans. As I hung there, a little stunned from my near catastrophe, a stylishly dressed old lady walking what appeared to be a rat on a leash (only it must have been a dog, since it was wearing a tartan coat) passed by and shook her head at me. Like I’d taken a nosedive down the Gardiners’ front steps on purpose to startle her, or something.

Back in Hancock, if a person had seen someone else almost fall down the stairs—even someone like me, who nearly falls down the stairs every single day—they would have said something like, Are you all right?

In Manhattan, however, things were clearly different.

It wasn’t until the old lady and her pet rat passed all the way by that I heard a click. Straightening—and finding that my hands were covered in rust from where I’d gripped the fence—I saw that the door to 326 East Sixty-ninth Street had opened, and that a young, pretty, blond girl was peering down at me from the top of the stoop.

Hello? she said curiously.

I forgot about the old lady and her rat and my near-pavement-dive. I smiled and hurried back up the steps. Even though I couldn’t quite believe how much she’d changed, I was so glad to see her—

—and was so worried she wasn’t going to feel the same way about seeing me.

Hi, I said. Hi, Tory.

The young woman, very petite and very blond, blinked at me without recognition.

No, she said. No, I am not Tory. I am Petra. For the first time, I noticed that the girl had an accent . . . a European one. I am the Gardiners’ au pair.

Oh, I said uncertainly. No one had said anything to me about an au pair. Fortunately, I knew what one was, because of an episode of Law and Order I saw once, where the au pair was suspected of killing the kid she was supposed to be watching.

I stretched my rust-stained right hand out toward Petra. Hi, I said. I’m Jean Honeychurch. Evelyn Gardiner is my aunt. . . .

Jean? Petra had reached out and automatically taken my hand. Now her grasp on it tightened. Oh, you mean Jinx?

I winced, and not just at the girl’s hard grip—she was really strong for someone so little.

No, I winced because my reputation had so clearly preceded me, if the au pair knew me as Jinx instead of Jean.

Right, I said. Because what else could I do? So much for getting a fresh new start in a place where no one knew me by my less-than-flattering nickname. My family calls me Jinx.

And would continue to do so forever, if I couldn’t turn my luck around.

CHAPTER TWO

But you are not supposed to arrive until tomorrow! Petra cried.

The tight ball of worry in my stomach loosened. Just a little.

I should have known. I should have known Aunt Evelyn wouldn’t have completely forgotten about me.

No, I said. Today. I’m supposed to arrive today.

Oh, no, Petra said, still shaking my hand up and down. My fingers were losing all circulation. Also, the places I’d skinned grabbing the wrought-iron fence weren’t feeling too good, either. I’m sure your aunt and uncle said tomorrow. Oh! They will be so upset! They were going to meet you at the airport. Alice even made a sign. . . . Did you come all this way by yourself? In a taxi? I am so sorry for you! Oh, my goodness, come in, come in!

With a heartiness that belied her delicate frame—but matched her handshake—Petra insisted on grabbing both of my bags, leaving my violin to me, and carrying them inside herself. Their extreme heaviness didn’t seem to bother her at all, and it only took me a couple of minutes to find out why, Petra being almost as big a talker as my best friend, Stacy, back home: Petra had moved from her native Germany to the United States because she’s studying to be a physical therapist.

In fact, she told me she goes to physical therapy school every morning in Westchester, which is a suburb just outside of New York City, where, when she’s not in class, she has to lift heavy people and help them into spas, then teach them to use their arms and stuff again, after an accident or stroke.

Which explained why she was so strong. Because of the lifting of heavy patients, and all.

Petra was living with the Gardiners, paying for her room and board by caring for my younger cousins. Then, while the kids were in school every day, she went to Westchester to learn more physical therapy stuff. In another year, she’ll have her license and can get a job in a rehabilitation center.

"The Gardiners have been so kind to me," Petra said, carrying my suitcases to a third-floor guest room as if they didn’t weigh more than a couple of CDs.

It didn’t even seem like it was necessary for Petra to take a breath between sentences. Amazingly, English was not even her first language.

Which meant she could probably speak faster in her native tongue.

They even pay me three hundred dollars a week, Petra went on. Imagine, living in Manhattan rent-free, with all of your food paid for as well, and someone giving you three hundred dollars a week! My friends back home in Bonn say it is too good to be true. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner are like a mother and father to me now. And I love Teddy and Alice like they are my own children. Well, I am only twenty, and Teddy is ten, so I guess he could not be my son. But my own little brother, maybe. Here, now. Here is your room.

My room? I peered around the doorframe. Judging by the glimpses I’d had of the rest of the house on our way up the stairs, I knew I was going to be living in the lap of luxury for the next few months. . . .

But the room in which Petra set my bags down took my breath away. It was totally beautiful . . . white-walled with cream-and-gilt furniture, and pink silk drapes. There was a marble fireplace on one side—It does not work, this one, Petra informed me sadly, like I had been counting on a working fireplace in my new bedroom, or something—and a private bathroom on the other. Sunlight filtered through the windows, making a dappled pattern on the light pink carpeting.

Of course, I knew right away something was wrong. This was the nicest bedroom I’d ever seen. It was a hundred times nicer than my bedroom back home. And I’d had to share that bedroom with Courtney and Sarabeth, my two younger sisters. This would, in fact, be my first time sleeping in a room of my own.

EVER.

And never in my life had I so much as entertained the idea of having my own bathroom.

This was just not possible.

But I could tell from the casual way Petra was going around, flicking imaginary dust off things, that it was possible. Not just possible, but . . . the way things were.

Wow, was all I could say. It was the first word I’d been able to get in since Petra had begun speaking, down at the front door.

Yes, Petra said. She thought I meant the room. But really, I’d meant . . . well, everything. It is very nice, yes? I have my own apartment in this house, with a private entrance—downstairs, you know? The ground floor. You probably did not see it. The door is underneath the stoop to the townhouse. There is also a back door to the garden. It is a little private apartment. I have my own kitchen, too. The children come down at night sometimes, and I help them with their homework, and sometimes we watch the TV together, all snug. It is very nice.

You’re not kidding, I breathed. Mom had told me that Aunt Evelyn and her family were doing well—her husband, my uncle Ted, had recently gotten a promotion to president of whatever company it was he worked for, while Evelyn, an interior decorator, had added a couple of supermodels to her client list.

Still, nothing could have prepared me for . . . this.

And it was mine. All mine.

Well, for the time being, anyway. Until I messed it up, somehow.

And, me being me, I knew that wouldn’t take long. But I could still enjoy it while it lasted.

Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner will be so sorry they were not home to greet you, Petra was saying as she went to the side of the king-sized bed and began fastidiously fluffing the half-dozen pillows beneath the tufted headboard. And they’ll be even sadder that they got the days mixed up. They are both still at work. Teddy and Alice will be home from school soon, though. They are both very excited their cousin Jinx is coming to stay. Alice has made you a sign to welcome you. She was going to hold it at the airport when they greeted you, but now . . . well, perhaps you could hang it on the wall here in your room? You must pretend to be pleased by it, even if you are not, because she worked very hard on it. Mrs. Gardiner did not put anything on your walls, you see, because she wanted to wait to see what you are like. She says it has been five years since they last saw you!

Petra looked at me in wonder. Apparently, families in Germany lived a lot closer and visited one another a lot more often than families in the U.S. . . . or my family, anyway.

I nodded. Yes, that sounds about right. Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted last came to visit when I was eleven. . . . My voice trailed off. That’s because I’d just noticed that in the massive bathroom, the fixtures were all brass and shaped like swan necks, with the water coming out of the bird’s carved beak. Even the towel bar had swan wings on the ends. My mouth was starting to feel a little dry at the sight of all this luxury. I mean, what had I ever done to deserve all this?

Nothing. Especially lately.

Which was actually why I was in New York.

What about Tory? I asked, in an effort to change the subject. Better not to think about why it is I’m here in New York and not back in Hancock. Especially since every time I did, that pesky knot in my stomach clenched. When does she get home from school?

Oh, Petra said.

This Oh, however, was different from all the others Petra had let out. I noticed right away. Also, whereas before Petra had been speaking with undisguised enthusiasm, now she looked down and said uneasily, with a shrug, Oh, Tory is home from school already. She is in the back, in the garden, with her friends.

Petra pointed toward one of the two windows across from the bed. I went over to it, gingerly pushing aside the filmy white curtain liner—it was as fine as a spiderweb—and looked down . . .

. . . into an enchanted fairy garden.

Or at least, that’s what it looked like to me. And okay, I’m used to our backyard in Hancock, which is completely filled with my younger brothers’ and sisters’ bikes and plastic toys, a swing set, a dog run, Mom’s motley vegetable patch, and large piles of dirt, dumped there by Dad, who is forever working on a new addition to the house, which has never quite gotten done.

This backyard, however, looked like something from a TV show. And not Law and Order, either, but something along the lines of MTV Cribs. Walled on three sides by moss-covered brick, roses were growing—and blooming—everywhere. There were even rose vines wrapped around the sides of a small, glassed-in gazebo over in one corner of the garden. There was a wrought-iron table surrounded by chairs, and a cushioned chaise longue beneath the sweeping branches of a newly budding weeping willow.

But best of all was a low fountain, which, even with the windows closed three stories up, I could hear burbling. A stone mermaid sat in the center of the five-foot-wide pool, with water shooting up out of the

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