Skip to main content

Gift of the Unmage

By
Gift of the Unmage
By Alma Alexander
Enos, 2007. 389 pgs. Chapter book.

If any book could be called the complete opposite of Harry Potter, this is that book.

A celebrity from the moment of her birth, Thea is the seventh child of two seventh children. By all rights she should be one of the most powerful mages ever born. Much to the embarrassment of herself and her powerful parents, Thea shows not the faintest glimmer of magic. It looks like she will have to attend The Wandless School, a unique institution that teaches its students how to get along without magic in a completely magical world.

Overall I found this book enjoyable. Though it was a little slow getting started, I was soon drawn into the story as it got going. Once Thea got to The Wandless School the plot became even more exciting. I do wish I could have learned more about the school and Thea’s fellow students. This group of friends don’t really show up until the last third of the book, so there wasn’t much time to focus on their backgrounds. Of course, this is only the first book so I guess there is plenty of series left to flesh out more about these extremely interesting kids who each have a different reason for attending a school completely devoid of magic. I look forward to reading future installments.

Kids who love the Harry Potter and Charlie Bone series will find this a fascinating read.
Labels:

Comments

curlyq said…
I thought this was a fun book. The beginning is a tad slow but then it picks up. I love the imagery that describes the magic involved. The ending is a little bizarre but I liked the different take on this magical tale.
September 5, 2007 at 1:49 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Funny Farm by Mark Teague 2009

By Anonymous
There are things I liked about Mark Teague's newest book, Funny Farm , and things I didn't like. Where should I start? I'll do the "didn'ts" first. The illustrations show animals personified. Well, some of the animals are. The main characters, Edward, and his farm family relatives, all dogs, are humanized. They stand upright, do farm chores, eat at a table, wear clothes, knit (yes, with paws) and sleep in beds. Most everybody else on and around the farm, who are also animals, act like animals. They are outside, roll in mud, live in the barn, and require care from their owners. It struck me the most on the page spread where there are pigs playing in puddle in the rain and Edward, a black and white boxer, watches from inside the house. I thought "You're a dog! Go play with them!" But, alas, he can't, seeing as how he goes through his entire visit to the farm wearing a suit and red bow tie. Another picture that bothered me was the maple syrup pa...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester 2008

By Anonymous
J Fiction 328 pages I almost didn't finish this book. I got to Chapter 4, and was just about ready to quit (a kind of slow story about a girl, name of Piper McCloud, who discovers she can fly, parents freak out, she becomes a social outcast, yadda, yadda) but suddenly, right there in Chapter 4, the story takes a sharp turn and becomes really interesting . Piper finds herself in the company of others like her, but not "fliers", and under the care and authority of Dr. Hellion. I won't even tell you any more. Read this book. Forester does a great job of keeping you wondering who's the good guy and who's the bad? Piper is a likeable, strong, endearing character that girl readers will enjoy. But don't NOT give it to boys! The main male character is an extremely intelligent young man who is one of the ones you wonder about . . . good or bad? This is a good one, well worth your time.
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Super Boba Cafe

By
Super Boba Café By Nidhi Chanani New York: Amulet Books, 2023. Comics. 215 pages. 14-year-old Aria is excited to spend her summer in San Francisco getting quality time with her Nainai. She loves helping at her grandmother's Super Boba Café. But she can't help but notice that her grandmother is acting strange and secretive. She refuses to let Aria into the kitchen at all and she disappears at the same time each night without telling Aria where she goes. Meanwhile, Aria is eager to drum up more business for Super Boba Café. She gets a major windfall when the shop cat, Bao, surprises them by having kittens, and Aria realizes this is a major social media opportunity. She knows this will help Nainai's shop, but she is apprehensive to get back on social media after a terrible cyberbullying experience she had back home. As the shop starts to get busier, Nainai is more and more anxious about her secret project. This prompts Aria to investigate with help from her Nainai's neighb...
Post a Comment
Read more