Grace and her four best friends, Jenny, Rachel, Adie and Una, are failed witches. But one night, they stumble upon real magical powers – and their notebook takes on a diabolical life of its own.
Can Grace and her friends stem the wave of powerful magic … before tragedy strikes?
Themes:
Adventure, School Life, Friendships, Fantasy, Other worlds
Grace and her four best friends, Jenny, Rachel, Adie and Una, are failed witches – and they have a notebook full of useless spells to prove it. But one night, they stumble upon real magical powers – and their notebook takes on a diabolical life of its own.
The girls watch, helpless, as, one by one, their spells start to work, moving relentlessly towards the worst one of all …
Can Grace and her friends stem the wave of powerful magic … before tragedy strikes?
Erika McGann grew up in Drogheda, County Louth, and now lives in Dublin. She is the author of The Demon Notebook, winner of the Waverton Good Read Children’s Award, The Broken Spell, The Watching Wood and The Midnight Carnival, the ‘Cass and the Bubble Street Gang’ series, and four picture books, Where Are You, Puffling?, Puffling and the Egg (which was nominated for an Irish Book Award) and Wee Donkey’s Treasure Hunt, all illustrated by Gerry Daly, and The Night-time Cat and the Plump, Grey Mouse, illustrated by Lauren O’Neill. Erika’s most recent book is Tabitha Plimtock and the Edge of the World.
the plot in this debut from first-time author McGann is set on high speed, with events piling up fast and furious…[a] fun and lightly spooky story
McGann’s debut is funny, a bit scary and surprisingly realistic, given the premise; she nails the relationships among the kids with ease. Preteens will enjoy the easy read, identify with the characters and ask for more
an entertaining book full of thrills, spills and lots of witchey goodness sure to delight any fan of middle-grade fiction! A fun, quick read with tons of action and great characters ... tone was youthful and fresh ... Fans of witches who love solid female friendships and plenty of adventure and mayhem are sure to love THE DEMON NOTEBOOK!
shades of Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer ... the characters are convincing and well developed, encouraging the reader to pursue the story to its satisfying conclusion ... enjoyable … recommend it to any children who enjoy stories about magic and friends finding their way out of trouble
the plot is very well executed, the characters are loveable, the magic is well conceived. Gets [my] seal of approval. Read it!
'gathers momentum as the situation becomes increasingly urgent … compelling'
'the teen dialogue is sharp and realistic, an excellent read'
written with a light touch and combines humour, fast-paced action and tension with strong dialogue and a convincing portrayal of friendship and school life. Will probably appeal most to 11+ girls
funny, entertaining and spooky ... no doubt there will be more good things to come from this talented writer ... a fast paced adventure story with plenty of excitement and bucket loads of laughs ... the dialogue is extremely funny and it is refreshing for a friendship between girls to be handled in such a positive manner
Erika McGann’s debut novel is a scary scorcher of a story. Fast-paced narrative, quick-fire dialogue and dramatic climax ... for girls in the 9-12 age bracket, it’s a great read.
'touches of humour make this story of magic and friendship a good read for lovers of paranormal fiction'
'don’t miss Erika McGann’s debut, The Demon Notebook'
'an entertaining read for girls of 12+' 'shot through with humour, the friendship between the girls is realistically portrayed'
'a spookily bewitching story'
'succeeds in creating a story with likeable characters, plenty of dramatic tension and even some humour' 'taps into the ongoing interest in YA fiction for all things supernatural' 'I look forward to seeing what McGann writes in the future'
'thrilling story full of twists for older readers'
spooky, scary and great fun ... a well plotted adventure with scares, thrills, friendship and laughs
Erika McGann talks to www.Gobblefunked.com about becoming an author.
