For once its not Salem creating havoc! (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch: Bridal Bedlam - Diana G. Gallagher)

Member Name: AmyAmy

Product:	Sabrina, the Teenage Witch: Bridal Bedlam - Diana G. Gallagher
Date:	23/10/09 (29 review reads)
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Advantages: characters, plot, price

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American TV show 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch' tells the story of a teenage witch named Sabrina, who moved to live with her Aunts Zelda and Hilda, and their black cat familiar Salem, when she was sixteen years old. There at her Aunts' she learned how to use her powers after discovering she was a witch, as well as dealing with all the problems mortal teenagers have to deal with. The show was very successful, running from 1996 until 2003 with seven fantastic seasons. Along with its huge success, a range of merchandise was brought out for fans to enjoy. Among the dolls and magazines, there was a variety of books to be bought. You had your annuals, and your books about Salem, as well as the Sabrina Hand Book. However the collection that I find the most exciting is the books that tell Sabrina's stories, focusing on her life and antics. Although I never read them as a child, over the last few years I have been able to build up my collection, and I must say, I enjoy them quite a bit now!

In this selection there are a little over fifty numbered books, as well as a few special edition options. Book number #23 is 'Bridal Bedlam'. Before I read any of the Sabrina books I always check the author's name on the front of the book to see if I have heard of them. The Sabrina books are written by a series of authors, and this one in particular is written by Diana G Gallagher. She has written a few of the Sabrina books, including 'Eight Spells a Week', 'Shamrock Shenanigans' and 'Now You See Her, Now You Don't'. I have never felt left down by any of her work and always look forward to reading the books she has written.

Each Sabrina book has its own unique cover design. The cover of this particular book has a main colour of a gorgeous pastel blue. It is such a gentle soft lovely colour, so easy on the eyes and very attractive. On the front cover you will see the three Spellman witches in the show: Sabrina (played by Melissa Joan Hart), Aunt Zelda (played by Beth Broderick) and Aunt Hilda (played by Caroline Rhea). You can tell straight away by the hair colour of Sabrina that this is based around one of the first few seasons of the show as she is blond (her hair was darker towards the end). The books at the start of the collection tend to be my favourite, so I couldn't wait to read this one!

The book tells the story of yet another of the Spellman family's antics. Sabrina's Aunt Vesta, who lives in the Other Realm, is set to marry a mortal despite the fact that it is discouraged by the Witches Council. Sabrina has to try and convince Vesta its not right for her by making her live life as a mortal for a while, while Hilda and Zelda try and distract the groom from the idea.

One thing I like about this plot is that it is unique. Yes, it is quite gripping and is a very interesting story in itself, but some of the books in the collection are too similar to the television show episodes. Thankfully this one is comptely its own, making each event quite a surprise. It is definitely a delight to read for this reason alone, and has quite an unexpected ending too!

The book is aimed at children within the age bracket of 8-13, there is nothing to say that others who do not fall into this category cannot read it. The writing is quite a small size across its 170 pages so it is not too good for a less confident reader as the large amount of words on a single page might scare them. For the mature reader though it makes a nice light read which requires minimal thinking. For somebody who falls into the age category, it would provide them with an enjoyable read which challenges them slightly.

If you wish to buy this book, you will have to do so online. A few years after Sabrina the Teenage Witch stopped being filmed for television, the merchandise in stores began to slowly fade away bit by bit. However I find that it is much cheaper to buy the books online anyway. This book has an RRP of £4.99, but you can buy it for just £2.76 on Amazon.co.uk (1p for the book and £2.75 for the postage and packaging). It is a simply wonderful price and well worth every penny. It is also a lot cheaper than it would be if you bought it in a store!

This was one of the first Sabrina books I ever read, and is one that I would more than happily re read over and over again. The characters are as real as the cast from the TV series and the plot is incredible. The descriptions throughout are also so vivid that you do sometimes feel you are watching an episode from television. This is a great book for any Sabrina fan and is perfect if you are looking for a magical read.

Amy 2009

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