Gr 3–7—Featuring rich, expressive illustration, Sindu and Ali’s enchanting graphic novel follows Shakti who calls
upon a Hindu goddess to help save her new town of Amherst, MA, after she discovers it has been cursed by schoolbully witches. The result is a high-stakes narrative that braids mythology, family, and harmony into an enthralling
coming-of-age story.

Shakti and her moms move a lot, and now they've moved to Amherst, MA. When Shakti arrives at Amherst Regional Middle School (ARMS), she can tell right away that something is wrong. She and her new friend Xi, another new girl, realize that three popular girls (collectively known as HEK) have some kind of strange hold on the school: teachers only call on them, and never notice their bad behavior. Following HEK into the woods, they see them casting an ingratiation spell, and planning something even bigger for Halloween. Shakti calls on the power of Durga Ma for protection, but Kali Ma comes along as well, and Shakti has to find a way to convince Kali to leave the town before everyone sickens and dies - including one of Shakti's moms and her new baby sibling Rishi. ( )

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Edelweiss.)

-- 4.5 stars --

Twelve-year-old Shakti is tired of moving; Amherst-Pelham Regional Middle School will be her third school in six years. She either has trouble making friends - or, worse still, is forced to leave her friends behind. But her mom Terri is pursuing a doctorate in microbiology, so Amherst, Massachusetts should be their home for at least the next few years.

Unfortunately, the school year doesn't start out on the best note. While Shakti finds a friend in fellow new girl Xi, the pair quickly lands in the crosshairs of "HEK": Harini, Emily, and Kelly, Amherst-Pelham's resident Mean Girls clique. HEK seems to wield a weird power over everyone at the school, especially the teachers: despite their atrocious behavior, they never get in trouble.

Luckily, Shakti's other mom, Rita, is a witch. While anyone can practice magic - which is, after all, just a tool - the first-born children in Rita's line are blessed with a connection to Durga the Potector, and her magic. Because of Durga Ma's link with Kali the Destroyer, this comes with a connection to Kali's more chaotic energy as well. In some witches - like Shakti - the link with Kali is especially strong.

When HEK curses Shakti with the evil eye, Rita is quick to spot the source of her daughter's misfortune. Though she's long resisted teaching Shakti witchcraft - thanks to a babyhood mishap that destroyed the family home - Rita decides to show Shakti and Xi how to protect themselves (and their growing friend group of fellow outsiders) from HEK. But when Shakti and Xi discover HEK's plot to expand their ingratiation spell from the middle school to the entire town - effectively putting Amherst under their control - Shakti takes matters into her own hands. With her moms distracted by the imminent arrival of Shakti's baby sister, she steals Rita's spell book and calls forth Dura Ma for protection, unwittingly summoning Kali Ma as well. Can she purge the hate in her heart and send the goddesses back before it's too late?

SHAKTI is such a delightful and enjoyable read! I loved learning about the Hindu religion (Shakti is Indian-American), particularly Durga Ma and Kali Ma. (Apologies in advance if I misrepresent anything in this review.) The story about Meena and the tiger is especially moving. Shakti and her moms are pretty great; I love the family's dynamic, including how welcoming they are to Xi. Likewise, the artwork is lovely, and the panels featuring magic are quite enchanting.

While the core audience is middle schoolers, SHAKTI is the type of graphic novel that can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. ( )