Sugar and Spite

Jolena can't take Claudine's bullying any longer! The taunts and teasing are too much. Though Jolena knows going into her grandfather's potions lab is forbidden, she sneaks in one day to access the family magic: She brews a batch of gayuma, the powerful love potion.

And it works. The love potion conquers Claudine's hateful nature. In fact, Claudine doesn't just stop bullying Jolena -- now she wants to be Jolena's BFF, and does everything and anything Jolena asks.

But magic comes with a cost, and bad intentions beget bad returns. Controlling another person's ability to love -- or hate -- will certainly have consequences. The magic demands payment, and it is about to come for Jolena.

Magic and reality mingle in this brilliant new middle grade novel by Gail D. Villanueva that asks whether it's ever okay to take away someone's free will.