Character Analysis
Ever had somebody stare at you? Like, watch you really intently like they're taking mental notes about your activities so they can stalk you or steal your embarrassing collection of 90s boy band CDs? That's pretty much how Miracle feels when Juleen "The Brain" Presque starts watching her cast love spells. Miracle says:
Every time I saw her I got scared, and I felt this cold spot harden in the center of my chest. Any joy left in playing the love magician game died whenever she was around. (16.7)
We only get one real scene with Juleen in it in the book, but it's a zinger. Coming to Miracle's house under the guise of bringing her homework, she finally gets the chance to tell her that she knows the truth about her magic. As it turns out, Juleen's not a bully or a scary stalker—her heart is really in the right place. Why? Because her aunt was exposed for fraud in contacting the dead: "I was named after her," Juleen explains, "after a fake" (16.73). Bummer.
Here's the deal: If Juleen had been named Sarah or Alexandra or Rory or anything but her aunt's name, she probably wouldn't care so much about Miracle pretending to cast love spells. She might even join in on the fun. But carrying as the name of a relative who disgraced the family has to give a girl a particular way of looking at similar situations.
It takes a while, but Juleen's comments eventually do help Miracle. Barreling down the highway toward Tennessee after Gigi kidnaps her, Miracle realizes that "part of me had stopped believing in her the day […] Juleen Presque had called Gigi a fake" (28.52).
Want to learn more about how Juleen opens up Miracle's mind? Check out the "What's Up with the Epigraph?" section for more.