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Jinxed (Jill McDougall, Walker Books, $12.95 pb, ISBN 9781921150593, May) **

Jinx is in trouble and not because of the jokes she tells. She needs money fast. A rogue totem tennis ball has broken the next-door neighbour’s python tank. If she doesn’t get the money to replace the tank she is going to end up working in her father’s bakery and wearing the uncoolest uniform ever. Rather than working to repay the debt Jinx is determine to find some quick moneymaking scheme to get her out of trouble. Unfortunately each scheme seems to get her further and further into trouble. The debts are mounting and everything she tries to get out of it seems to be jinxed. Even her jokes don’t seem to be getting her a laugh. Jinx’s attempts to find money while getting out of actually doing any work or appearing unpopular add some level of humour to the narrative. From Walker Books’ ‘Lightning Strikes’ series, this is aimed at those who haven’t yet developed an interest in reading and would be of greater interest to a female reader than a male. However, story is not going to keep a beginning reader’s attention for long. Finish this book and move on to something else.

Chris McDonough is the store buyer for Dymocks Brisbane

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2008, Thorpe-Bowker

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