Legacy

Cochran, Molly. Legacy.

Katy isn't happy when her father moves to New York City to be with his evil girlfriend "Mim", who is an executive at Wonderland, a store that has odd connections to Katy's past. Because of the move, Katy is sent to a boarding school nearby, Ainsworth Preparatory. From the time she arrives in the small New England town, everyone around her is weird. Cab driver calls her another name. Hot guy Peter practically spits at her. People talk behind her back about her mother, who apparently tried to kill Peter's brother and then killed herself in a house fire. Things do improve a little; she meets Hattie and is hired to work in her restaurant, and meets her aunt and great-grandmother. Katy also finds out that the community in Old Town Whitfield is full of witches, and she is one as well, although her father was not. Peter stops blaming her for his brother's handicaps, she learns about some magic, and Mim's attempts to take over a sacred field in Whitfield in order to build a new Wonderland store are comically ruined. Then the real problems arise. The Darkness is around, as it has been at times over the years, and harbingers suggest that it is nearer than anyone might think. Peter and Katy try to stop the Darkness, but this turns out to be difficult because of many factors. How can the two save themselves and the community from devastation?
Strengths: I have a very low tolerance for paranormal romances, but I kind of liked this one. The cover reminds me somehow of Lois Duncan, and even the blurb made me think of Down a Dark Hall, even though the school did not figure very largely in the plot. I liked Katy and Peter, liked the romance, found the town and all of the characters that Katy gets to meet somehow endearing. Would not mind a sequel.

Weaknesses: Did start to drag about halfway through. Found myself not caring exactly how the problems were solved, since I knew they would be, just wanted them solved. It was a bit odd that there was so little about school, but I did like the book.