I am the wrong audience entirely.

Not bad, not bad at all, for an Amazon self-published book. In fact, one of the very few self-published I've found of any interest. It's not all that original (think, Buffy and Carrie, though Clearwater Witches is by no means a simple rehash of Joss Whedon or Stephen King), but it's still a fairly decent read. I got it because this first volume of a five-parter was a come-on freeb in the Kindle Store and I doubt I'll bother with the remaining four, but this is still a rare case of a self-published that's worth checking out in its Kindle freeb to see if you're interested in reading further. ( )

This story follows a young lady named Krystyl as she learns about the magic in herself, her past, and in the world around her (which includes crystals.) It is set in modern day America but goes back and forth in time. I really enjoyed the pace of this story. It was an easy read. I found the dialogue and thought process very believable for the age of of the characters. I really liked that the book did not end the way I expected it to. It left me wanting more. Good job. Looking forward to the next book by this author. ( )

I enjoyed this read and will watch for book #2. Well-developed story kept me interested. Twist at end was unexpected. Romance added to, but did not overpower, main story.
ARC provided for honest review ( )

“Crystal Magic” is an interesting, well-plotted book. Since it’s also the first book in a series, it doesn’t come to anything like a satisfying conclusion, instead it ends with a huge cliff-hanger.
Kristyl Barnette lives with her mom, her dad took off long ago. Kristyl has scary powers. When she gets upset, weird things happen, so the other kids call her a freak and pick on her. Since she has a reputation as a trouble-maker, she’s often in trouble in school. As she waits in the office for her mother to arrive after yet another episode, she’s informed that there was an accident.
After her mother’s funeral, she goes to live with her Aunt Jody. The first morning at her new school, a collision with another girl results in coffee spilt all over her clothes and a new enemy – who is also named Crystal. On the way to class, a boy named Owen gives her a sweatshirt to cover up the coffee stain, gives her a new nickname, Krissa, and leads the way to her first class. At lunch, Owen introduces her to his friends who welcome her into their group. Best of all, after a confrontation with the other Crystal, Kristyl doesn’t get the blame!
For the first time in her life, Kristyl has friends. She has a beautiful new room with her own bathroom. Aunt Jody, who has a new age store selling herbs, crystals and gem stones, even pays her for helping out in the store.
There’s something about this town, however. When she tried on a ring she found in her room, she had a vision of her father. Aunt Jody said it was her dad's ring. Her friends think that Crystal is a witch. Fox, a boy she’s met in school is a girl magnet – even when the girls are interested in other boys.
Aside from her powers, Krissa is a fairly typical teen, dealing with angst-ridden teen issues, but she has bigger problems which she meets head-on. I’m actually looking forward to the second book in the series. ( )