A 'Charmed' read: You'll be sad to finish it.

Byline: Sarah Fischer 20Below News Team The Register-Guard

BOOK REVIEW

Charmed Thirds By Megan McCafferty Crown, $21

The lowdown: "Charmed Thirds" is the third installment in the Jessica Darling series (preceded by ``Sloppy Firsts'' and ``Second Helpings''). It follows sarcastic, cynical Jessica (also known as Jess, J, Jessie) through her years at Columbia University.

She deals with her sort-of boyfriend Marcus Flutie, who's away at a Buddhist college in California, her mother's obsession with perfection (and Botox), and an internship at a witty magazine that turns out to be less than perfect. She doesn't feel quite like a New Yorker, but her New Jersey boardwalk hometown isn't her favorite place either.

The bottom line: Author Megan McCafferty has received some attention lately after a teen's much publicized novel was yanked from bookstores amid accusations of plagiarizing McCafferty's work. McCafferty writes "Charmed Thirds" through J's journal, but manages to pull it off because it doesn't read like a journal, but like a novel instead.

The good stuff: This book is not your typical teen novel. Jess isn't cute and perfect. She has frizzy hair and an acne problem. She is almost too smart for her own good, and sarcastic too. It's the type of book that can be devoured in a weekend, but is disappointing to finish because it's fun to read. I've yet to find another character who receives a Barry Manilow toilet seat cover as a gift (after begging for it).

The other stuff: Do not judge this book by it's cover! I admit, I was hesitant to read it, because it looked cheesy, but the cover is completely unrepresentative. The book is definitely PG-13, bordering on R. It is meant for readers about 16 to 18 years old (targeting girls).

Before you read it: Read "Sloppy Firsts" and "Second Helpings"

The final grade: A-