I read 'Jinx' ages ago. While I was never a fan of Meg Cabot, I remember thinking it was okay. It had a red-haired heroine, a decent love interest (meaning: he's not an idiot or a jerk), and a cousin who's an absolute psychopath.
In the beginning I'd thought it was a slice-of-life, contemporary YA book, but then it suddenly started mentioning witches and magic spells, which was weird and kind of unnecessary. Another reviewer on Goodreads has speculated that the witch element might have been suggested by Meg Cabot's editor because paranormal romances were popular then (and, disappointingly, still are). I love me some fantasy mixed with realism, but in the case of 'Jinx' it did seem forced. It even referenced 'Charmed' of all things. Nothing really naturally linked magic to the ordinary events happening throughout the book.
Also, Jean, the protag, didn't have much of a personality outside of being a "good girl" in comparison to her Gothically-dressed cousin Tory (yes, judging someone to be good or bad based on what clothes they wear is seriously insulting), even if she does have a past in dabbling in the dark arts for selfish reasons. Her bad luck "curse" - thus her nickname "Jinx" - barely contributed much to her character, or to the story for that matter, especially in the last third of the book. And the mean girls cliché is demeaning no matter the decade (though Jean did have a few female friends, thank goodness).
However, in spite of its flaws and the clichés which would become paramount and obliging in nearly all YA novels, 'Jinx' was a cute, harmless read for me as a growing teen. There was a sweet little romance, and Tory was entertaining in just how over-the-top maniacal she could be. The vaguely-there magic stuff made no sense, but the New York setting had atmosphere and the group interactions were fun and humble.
Final Score: 3/5
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