Sweep (Series)

Author: Cate Tiernan
Published: January 2001-September 2002 (Puffin)
Category: Teen Fiction

I read this series of fourteen books over about two weeks. I have this feeling that if I'd had all the books at once, I would've been done in a few days. However, Jennie loaned me most of hers, a couple at a time, and I had a few from take shelves.

The Sweep series is about a teenaged girl, Morgan Rowlands, who takes up Wicca with a number of her schoolmates. In doing so, she discovers she's a very powerful witch and is then exposed to that age-old question. Is power evil, or the person who wields it the evil one? When you add the fact that Morgan has some evil ancestors, she has to choose whether her magick will be used for good or bad. I should probably mention that I liked studying the whole "is man inherently evil" question in English class.

Of course, no teen fiction is complete without some angst. Morgan has fights with her best friends, experiences her first love, betrayal by loved ones, and finds a happy ending.... as well as nearly dying a few times. I felt like my high school career was a lot more boring in comparison to hers! Seriously, reading these books brings back all those adolescent emotions and I identified with all the insecurity Morgan went through. Some people might think that watching The O.C. and Laguna Beach will bring back the high school drama, but Sweep captures all those feelings so much better with words.

And to top it off, this series is Jennie approved for good reading. I find it funny that I'm using the Jennie-approval icon before Jennie, but thanks for telling me I "have to read them!"