LitPick Review
Caught Between Two Curses, a paranormal romance by Margo L. Dill, follows seventeen-year-old Julie Nigelson, whose world is turned upside down when she learns that her family is cursed. The curse, oddly related to the “Curse of the Billy Goat” on the Chicago Cubs, has plagued her family for decades and has struck again. Her uncle trapped in a mysterious coma, Julie must seek the help of her estranged grandmother in order to break the cryptic curse. On top of that, she also has to deal with her boyfriend’s increasing pressure to have sex, and her increasing attraction to her best friend Matt. Julie must solve the curse and get her love life sorted out before time runs out.
Opinion:
Overall, I enjoyed reading Caught Between Two Curses. I found it to be a quick, albeit fun, read, and I could relate to the realistic characters. I especially liked Julie’s family: her aunt and uncle, her grandmother, and her little cousin, Stevie. I loved the development of Julie’s family throughout the novel, and how they grew closer and stronger as a result of curse. Additionally, my favorite character overall was Julie’s best friend, Matt. He was a great love interest, immediately likable as well as cute and caring. Julie and Matt’s friendship was also awesome; I loved how open they were with each other. Furthermore, although I’m not a huge baseball fan, I liked how the author incorporated the real-life “Curse of the Billy Goat” with Julie’s fictional curse.
However, my main problem with Caught Between Two Curses was probably the curse itself. Although information was given on the origin of the curse, I would have liked more details about the magic surrounding the curse. Additionally, I found the resolution of the curse to be slightly anti-climatic and predictable. I also thought that Julie was a bit too focused on boys. She wanted to have a boyfriend senior year no matter what, even if she was in an unhealthy relationship. However, Julie grows a lot throughout the book, and ends up making wise decisions.
In sum, Caught Between Two Curses is a well-written, engaging read—even if it’s a bit predictable. I would recommend Caught Between Two Curses to anyone fond of cute romances, contemporaries, paranormal mysteries, or baseball. As sex is mentioned fairly frequently, I would also recommend that only people ages thirteen and up should read it.