The Promise Witch (The Wild Magic Trilogy #3) by Celine Kiernan

224 pages

Publisher: Walker Books

Blurb

Witches Borough is dying, and no one knows how to save it. Into this scorched landscape, storms a raggedy witch named Magda, trailing ashes in her wake. She wants Mup. She wants Mup to fulfil a promise. And woe betide any who stand in her way.

Review

“In a situation like this, maybe all you can do is listen, and try to understand … and give everyone room to figure out the answers for themselves.” - Dad

Only a few days ago I finished The Little Grey Girl, the second title in this trilogy, and ended my review stating how much I was looking forward to the final story. I’m sorta glad I didn’t know quite how excellent the conclusion would turn out to be because even those few days would have been too much of a wait. I expected a wonderful story, what I got was a tale of breathtaking beauty.

Really, The Promise Witch is everything a good book should be. A gripping, tension-filled story that just begs you to keep on turning the pages. This is by far the most thrilling of the three stories. The sense of danger is there on the very first page and steadily increases until, just when everything appears lost, it culminates in a glorious finale, that brought tears to my eyes.

Mup is as lovely, inquisitive, adventurous and big-hearted as she was in the first book, but she has grown. She’s learned valuable lessons on her journey and it shows. Of course, she’s still the young, impulsive, and sometimes stubborn girl, but she has the biggest heart. Her actions may seem rash at times, but they always come from a place of love.

While Mup is without a doubt the star of these stories, she comes with a collection of colourful and vividly drawn friends and family. It’s impossible not to mutter ‘awww’ every time her little brother Tipper makes an appearance, be it as a little boy or as a lively dog. I adore Crow with his tough exterior and humongous heart, and sorta want to adopt him. I could go on, but I’ll limit myself to saying that all together, Mup and her family and friends portray the very best in life; a community, far from perfect but where ultimately everybody looks out for each other when push comes to shove.

Oh boy did I need to read this book today. In a world gone mad, this was exactly the tonic I needed. Who knew it would take a book aimed at 9-12-year olds to remind me there is such a thing as hope, that despite evidence to the contrary the world is filled with love, and that deep down, most people want to do what’s right? The book is a treasure trove of subtle pearls of wisdom, disguised as dialogue or a school lesson, and I took them to heart. In fact, there was one I loved so much, I turned it into a meme.

Long story short: I adore and highly recommend this fast-paced and magical adventure. I’m in awe of Celine Kiernan and her own personal magic of turning the meaningful into an adventure. Or maybe she fills adventures with meaning. I have no idea how she does it. I only know that she does it perfectly.

Related Reviews: Begone the Raggedy Witches | The Little Grey Girl

The Little Grey Girl (The Wild Magic Trilogy #2) by Celine Kiernan

Pages: 217

Publisher: Walker Books

Blurb

The old queen and her raggedy witches have fled Witches Borough, and Mup’s family has moved into the cold, newly empty castle. But the queen’s legacy lingers in the fear and mistrust of her former subjects and in the memories that live in the castle’s very walls. While Mup’s mam tries to restore balance to a formerly oppressed world, Mup herself tries to settle into her strange new home with her dad, Tipper, and Crow. When an enchanted snow blankets the castle, Mup’s family is cut off from the rest of the kingdom, and the painful memories of the old queen’s victims begin to take form, thanks to a ghost whose power may be too much for even Mup and Mam to handle. 

Review

I took my time before picking up The Little Grey Girl and I’m not sure why. The only thing I do know for sure that it didn’t have anything to do with any reluctance to read the story on my part. I adored Begone the Raggedy Witches and was very much looking forward to the rest of the story. But, given how ‘only’ reading the sequel now means I literally only have two days to wait before the third book releases, I think I may have accidentally (and subconsciously) made the right decision because I can’t wait to read The Promise Witch, the third and final story in this fabulous trilogy.

I loved reuniting with Mup, her parents, Tipper, her little (doggo) brother, and Crow. The mystery of who the little grey girl might be and what she’s up to or why had me on the edge of my seat. It was fascinating to watch Mup as she tries to figure out what is going on, who is causing it, and overcomes her fear to solve the situation. But most of all I adore Mup. She is one of the most engaging, well-rounded, and fabulous characters I’ve read in recent times because, despite her magical powers, she is a very real little girl trying to figure out life, adults, and herself. I’m so delighted she’s not perfect. She has her moments when she’s unreasonable and reacts or lashes out before thinking, but they are beautifully contrasted with instances when Mup realises what she’s done and learns from the experience.

Why do I love these stories so much, you ask? Well, the short answer, as illustrate above is: because they are captivating and thrilling reads. What’s not to love about a story filled with danger and mystery in which a charming and smart little girl with magical powers saves the day (and her family and friends). The longer answer goes something like this. These books blow me away because there is so much more in them than ‘just’ the compelling story (and trust me, I’d read and love them for the story alone). What makes these books truly magical (pun intended) for me is Celine Kiernan’s amazing skill when it comes to writing books, aimed at juvenile readers, without ever writing down to them. What’s more, she manages to introduce subjects such as friendship, loyalty, grief, fear, and bravery without ever preaching about them. They’re just there, an integral part of the story while at the same time conveying subtle messages to the readers, showing them that it’s okay to be afraid, that there’s no shame in anger, that it is possible to be upset with a friend without it meaning the end of the friendship. And, maybe the most valuable ‘lesson’ in this book, that it is important to try and understand what motivates others, that first impressions don’t always reveal the truth, and that often an act of kindness, understanding, and compassion may achieve what anger and violence can not.

Long story short. I’m in awe of this author. I want to live in her imagination and, failing that, I can only be grateful that she shares her fabulous creative vision with us through stories which are, without fail, captivating page-turners. Only two more days before I’ll be able to get my hands on what will, without a doubt, be a grand finale. 

Bring. It. On.

Related review: Begone the Raggedy Witches

Pumpkin Heads by Rainbow Rowell & Faith Erin Hicks

Graphic Novel

Juvenile Fiction

Blurb

Deja and Josiah are seasonal best friends.

Every autumn, all through high school, they’ve worked together at the best pumpkin patch in the whole wide world. (Not many people know that the best pumpkin patch in the whole wide world is in Omaha, Nebraska, but it definitely is.) They say good-bye every Halloween, and they’re reunited every September 1.
But this Halloween is different? Josiah and Deja are finally seniors, and this is their last season at the pumpkin patch. Their last shift together. Their last good-bye.

Josiah’s ready to spend the whole night feeling melancholy about it. Deja isn’t ready to let him. She’s got a plan: What if instead of moping they went out with a bang? They could see all the sights! Taste all the snacks! And Josiah could finally talk to that cute girl he’s been mooning over for three years . . .

Review

“It’s about being the flipper not the pinball.”

Pumpkin Heads, or rather Deja’s life philosophy was exactly what I needed to pick me up today. I absolutely adored this story about friendship, loyalty, honesty, and embracing life.

This book literally has everything going for it. It’s a delightful, charming, funny, and uplifting story featuring diverse characters and filled with body-positivity. Which is not to say the book is either boring, preachy, or bland. In their quest to get Josiah to introduce himself to the girl he’s been admiring from a distance for three years, Deja and he learn about friendship while Deja shows Josiah that life needs to be lived rather than endured and that sometimes rules are meant to be broken. And while it may seem as if Deja has it all worked out and knows exactly where she’s at, it turns out that even she still has a lesson to learn about appreciating what you have rather than speculating about what might be.

Deja is, without a doubt, one of the best female characters I’ve read in recent times. She embraces life and shares her happiness and kindness with anybody willing to receive it. She’s also a fount of wisdom, as the quote I started this review with shows, just as this one does:

People all sort of look the same until I talk to them.

That’s when they start to get interesting. That’s when they start to…shimmer.

As I said, this story is very body positive. Deja isn’t your usual skinny (or white) heroine. Here we have a well-formed girl with brown skin who loves food and isn’t afraid to indulge. What’s more, the story makes it clear that not only is she very popular, the people she works with are also attracted to her. She’s the one with a string of past flings, not Josiah.

I have to admit that I have nothing with Halloween and that a lot of the food and activities mentioned in this story were new to me. And that didn’t matter at all. I laughed, smiled, and grinned my way through this book, delighted to spend time with Deja and Joshua as they cemented their friendship and discovered that sometimes what you think you’re looking for is something you already have.

I’m not much of a graphic novel reader either, because I usually prefer to paint my own pictures in my head rather than rely on somebody else’s interpretation of a character, but the artwork in Pumpkin Heads was inspired. Even my own, very vivid, imagination couldn’t have improved on the pictures of either the characters or the pumpkin patch.

If you’re looking for something to lift your mood and leave you smiling, I highly recommend Pumpkin Heads.

Autism Awareness Month - Blog Hop

Autism fact

You can see signs of autism in infants as young as six months

Hopes and Dreams

My primary hope and dream are one and the same, not very original, and can be described in one word: Peace

Peace from war, of course, but also peace in general. Peace for each and every one of us to live our lives as we want to. Peace to be who we were always meant to be. Peace as in the absence of strive and intolerance. Peace as in patience, as in allowing others the time and space they need to function. In short, my wish for each and every one of you is that you may live your life in peace.

The next part of this post is going to be different from what (most) other contributors are doing. I recently read a most wonderful book featuring a charming main character on the autism spectrum. This book is juvenile fiction, aimed at readers age nine and upwards. However, I highly recommend The Guggenheim Mystery and its prequel The London Eye Mystery to any reader over the age of nine who enjoys well written stories which convey a worthy message without hitting the reader over the head with it.

The Guggenheim Mystery by Robin Stevens

(Based on an idea by Siobhan Dowd)

299 pages

Publisher: Penguin

Juvenile Fiction 9-11

Blurb

My name is Ted Spark. I am 12 years and 281 days old. I have seven friends.

Three months ago, I solved the mystery of how my cousin Salim disappeared from a pod on the London Eye.

This is the story of my second mystery.

This summer, I went on holiday to New York, to visit Aunt Gloria and Salim. While I was there, a painting was stolen from the Guggenheim Museum, where Aunt Gloria works.

Everyone was very worried and upset. I did not see what the problem was. I do not see the point of paintings, even if they are worth £9.8 million. Perhaps that's because of my very unusual brain, which works on a different operating system to everyone else's.

But then Aunt Gloria was blamed for the theft - and Aunt Gloria is family. And I realised just how important it was to find the painting, and discover who really had taken it. 

Review

“It might have something to do with my funny brain that works on a different operating system to other people’s. It makes patterns like the weather very important to me, and makes me notice things that no one else could. I see the way things connect, and I connect things that other people do not seem able to. […] There are patterns everywhere you look.”

I first ‘met’ Ted Spark in 2011 when I read Siobhan Dowd’s wonderful The London Eye Mystery. Siobhan had been contracted to write two Ted Spark mysteries but unfortunately her untimely death made that impossible…until now. And I can only say that Robin Stevens did an amazing job picking up the baton and running with it seamlessly.

The blurb tells you all you need to know about the story, so below I’ll share some of the many thoughts I had while reading the book.

Because Ted is on the spectrum he takes life very literally which is confusing to him and provides food for thought for the readers, because it makes us think, for example, why we often say things that mean the exact opposite of what they sound like. Ted’s literal mind also means that he explains what happens to him in great detail, which allows the author to introduce subjects into the story that might be too complicated for the readers this book is (primarily) aimed at, if it wasn’t for those explanations.

Both the mystery and the setting work brilliantly in combination with the way Ted’s mind work. Patterns speak to him and The Guggenheim is a structure created in patterns. Having said that, Ted learns that just because something appears to be impersonal doesn’t necessarily mean there won’t be (confusing) feelings involved:

“I had thought that a missing painting would be a simple mystery to solve, with no emotions in it, but it had turned out to be very difficult to understand.”

Ted’s observations about himself and the world he tries to find his way in made me smile at times.

“Most people are better at lying than I am.”

His pride because he has managed to tell eight lies (yes, he is keeping track) is as revealing as it is touching. The fact that he also keeps track of the amount of people he considers friends (seven) would be heartbreaking except that Ted takes pride in those friendships and doesn’t worry about the number not being higher.

Ted’s methodical mind works according to a system made famous by Sherlock Holmes:

"Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth."

And the system works as well for him as it did for his more famous (but not necessarily more clever) predecessor.

Just like its prequel, I think this book is a little gem. First and foremost it provides the reader with a most fascinating main character in Ted as well as a brilliantly plotted mystery. But more than that, this story gives the reader a wonderful insight into the workings of a mind somewhat different from their own. These books provided me with the opportunity to understand Ted and, through him, the workings of an autistic mind somewhat better without ever making me feel sorry for Ted.

“Sometimes when I want to shake my hand out, or groan, and I know I can’t, I get that built-up feeling in my head. It wraps itself around everything, like a low-lying mist, until I can’t tell where I am or what I’m thinking, just the way someone stuck in a mist doesn’t know which way they are going, or where they have been.”

In fact, almost from the start Ted has been for me a special MC in that he and the way he thinks stand out, not because they are less than, but because they show that thinking and feeling differently can come with a set of benefits all of their own. Truth be told; I’ve managed to fall for Ted over the course of these two books and find myself somewhat heartbroken that, in all likelihood, there won’t be any more mysteries featuring him.

These books were written for kids aged 9-11 (approximately) but I can confidentially say that older youngsters should enjoy this story too and, if I’m anything to go by, the same will be true for most (young) adults. Honestly, if you enjoy an intriguing mystery with a fascinating protagonist, I highly recommend these books.

You can read my thoughts on The London Eye Mystery on my old blog, here.

Giveaway

As you may have noticed, I’ve decided against promoting one of my own books here. The review above has turned this into a more than long enough post without me adding more images and blurbs. Since I will be giving one of those who leave a comment below the opportunity to pick a title from my backlist, which can be found here: Amazon Author Page, I guess you could say I managed to find a promo opportunity after all J Just don’t forget to leave a comment. The winner will be announced and contacted Sunday April 15th.

For RJ Scott’s Master Post, please click here: Autism Awareness Month

Begone the Raggedy Witches by Celine Kiernan - Review

The Wild Magic Trilogy Book 1

276 pages

Publisher: Walker Books

Juvenile Fiction – Middle Grade – 9-11

Blurb

On the night that Aunty dies the Raggedy Witches come for Mup's mam. Pale, cold, relentless, they will do anything to coax Mam back to Witches Borough.

When they kidnap Mup's dad, Mup and her mam must leave the mundane world to rescue him.

But Mam is strange on this side of the border - striding, powerful, and distant. Even if they can save Dad, Mup is not sure anything will ever be the same again.

Review

Celine Kiernan has done it again, and then some. Once again she’s managed to ensnare me in one of her magical stories, leaving me mesmerised, enthralled, delighted and, dare I say it, bewitched. J

I sometimes forget that just because a book was written for children doesn’t mean it can’t get toe-curling scary.

“Like strands of seaweed around a corpse, they held Mam at their centre, and she, as lifeless as a corpse beneath the water, floated in their arms.”

‘They’ being the witches who have come to abduct Mup’s mother now that they think she’s no longer under Aunty’s protection.

And so starts a story in which Mup’s life will be set on its head and during which she will learn a lot about the world, about good and evil, about compromise and about love and family. I love that this book is so very many things. First and foremost, Begone the Raggedy Witches is a magical adventure story about a young girl who sets out to save her family from the evil queen who is determined to tear them apart and destroy them. It is filled with the weird and wonderful. As I said, there’s magic (well what do you expect in a book about witches?), but there is also people shifting into animal forms, and flying caravans, not to mention rhyming crows and outlaw magic. The way the story is structured, with the tension starting on page one and not really letting up at all, this book is like a juvenile thriller in which, with a few exceptions, it’s not quite clear who can and who can’t be trusted.

And that is one of the strokes of genius I admire Celine Kiernan for most. She has an enviable talent to infuse a page turner with deeper meaning without taking the reader out of the story or laying it on too thickly. Almost without being aware of it the (young) reader comes face to face with discrimination, politics, right versus wrong, neglect, and diversity. And while all these topics are dealt with in a thoughtful manner, I was most struck by the way the story deals with trying to distinguish between good and bad, making it perfectly clear that the answer isn’t always clear-cut; that good people can sometimes find themselves doing bad things and that even those who are bad may occasionally do a good deed.

I could go on forever, because there wasn’t anything in this story I didn’t love but I’ll limit myself to the following, probably somewhat cryptic (and I hope curiosity evoking) statements:

-      My heart broke for the boy/bird called Crow and couldn’t help cheering Mup on as she slowly wins his trust.

-      I loved how Mup would ask herself how a certain situation or outcome would make her feel in order to figure out whether something she had seen or done was either good or bad.

-      I was struck by the idea of forcing a group of people (the men/crows) to rhyme in order to curtail what they can say.

-      On a lighter note, Mup’s baby brother, Tipper, changing into a dog when they enter Witches Borough, the way he talks, and the questions he asks, were a stroke of genius and a pure delight.

-      And I’m delighted that in Mup we’ve been given a diverse main character (she’s half Nigerian – half Irish) who recognises that people run into being deemed other and discriminated against for various reasons and in all worlds.

I’m sorta afraid that with all of the above I’ve made this book sound heavy and preachy. Allow me to reassure you Begone the Raggedy Witches is neither. This is a fascinating, highly original, well plotted, magical, and totally engrossing adventure story. The fact that it also touches, in a most sensitive and unobtrusive way, on several issues kids (and adults) will be able to relate to, is the icing on an already glorious cake. The only thing I regret is that I’ll have to wait for almost a year before I’ll be able to read the next instalment.

GRACEFULLY GRAYSON

Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonski

 

Pages: 208

Date: 08/11/2014

Grade: 5

Details: Juvenile Fiction ages 10+

  Received from Hyperion

            Through Net Galley

Kindle

The blurb:

“Grayson Sender has been holding onto a secret for what seems like forever: """"he"""" is a girl on the inside, stuck in the wrong gender's body. The weight of this secret is crushing, but sharing it would mean facing ridicule, scorn, rejection or worse. Despite the risks, Grayson's true self itches to break free. Will new strength from an unexpected friendship and a caring teacher's wisdom be enough to help Grayson step into the spotlight she was born to inhabit?”

My thoughts:

In this review I will be referring to Grayson as ‘they’ because neither he nor she feels 100% appropriate. This is my personal interpretation and not meant to offend or confuse anybody. This gender issue doesn’t surface in the book itself since the story is told in the first person from Grayson’s perspective.

Up until recently twelve year old Grayson had been able to look in the mirror and see who they should be rather than who they were. Lately the strategy hasn’t been working anymore. No matter how hard they imagine and pretend all Grayson sees is the reflection of a boy rather than the image of the girl they really are.

Having lost their parents at a very young age, Grayson lives with his Aunt, Uncle and two cousins. Because Grayson holds the secret of their identity close, they haven’t been interacting with other kids their age for years. The happiness when it seems that Grayson may have found a new friend after four years without, broke my heart.

“(...) until I feel up to explaining to Aunt Sally and Uncle Evan that I have plans with a friend for the first time since second grade”.

When Grayson auditions for the female lead in a school play and gets the role it appears to be a dream come true at first glance. It isn’t long before reality comes crashing in. That reality is very well dealt with in the book. It’s not all pain and soul searching. Grayson’s life is far from easy but it isn’t unbearably heard all the time either. It would have been easy to turn this story into a tear jerking drama; easy but lazy and unsatisfactory for the reader. The way the story is told I got a wonderful appreciation of the shifts taking place in Grayson as they balance between the joy of being allowed to portray a girl and the fear of making themselves the focus of ridicule and bullying.

“Everything keeps flip-flopping back and forth, from bad to good, over and over again. Sometimes everything is light. Other times, everything is dark.”

It would have been very easy to dislike, if not hate Aunt Sally but a lot of her reasons for wanting to stop Grayson from taking the female lead in the play have to do with her worrying about them (and his cousins) getting bullied in school. Having said that, it got a bit harder to feel sympathy for her once she reflected on how Grayson’s choice would reflect on her parenting skills. Still, all those fears on Sally’s part are undoubtedly worries every parent of a transgender child would have. What did bother me though was the fact that especially the adults in this book were a bit one dimensional; either understanding and supportive or the opposite. While that may work very well for the age group this book is aimed at (and I’m not even sure about that, it’s easy to underestimate kids), it left me rolling my eyes once or twice.

I really appreciated that this book ended on a positive but not miraculous note. Grayson has come a long way but the author doesn’t suggest and the reader doesn’t walk away with, the illusion that all Grayson’s problems have been solved. This is the (very difficult) start of a complicated journey. Grayson has taken the first steps and, we are led to believe, found the inner strength to be true to their real identity. Nothing else is promised.

It was hard to read this book without comparing it to ‘Wonder’ by R.J. Palacio and I don’t mean that in a bad or derogatory wayl. Like ‘Wonder’ this book deals with a youngster who doesn’t quite fit in because they don’t conform to the norm. In both books the main character has to face their otherness in relation to the rest of the world and both characters manage to come out on the other side maybe not so much victorious but definitely intact and empowered.

“(...) when I look at myself in the giant floor-to-ceiling mirrors, I finally see myself the way I’m supposed to be - my inside self match up with my outside self. And now, everyone else will finally see it too.”

Overall this was a wonderful book I’d recommend to any reader aged 10 or over. Understanding otherness is something we can’t teach our kids or ourselves early enough.