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A review by louiza_read2live
A Pinch of Magic by Michelle Harrison
3.0
2.5-3 stars. I don't normally read middle grade books although I always make plans in my head to read some.
In this story, we follow three sisters, Charlie 6, Betty 13, and Fliss 16 year old, that try to break the curse that has been hurting their family for generations.
I found the story and adventure very enjoyable. However, I felt that the epilogue felt flat in comparison to the rest of the story.
Moreover, there were some issues with the characters. The youngest sister as cute as she was at times, she didn't seem to be matching her age. At times, she sounded much older and more mature than a 6 year old. On the other hand, the 16 year old sounded at times much younger and clueless, while we are told basically that she uses her beauty to flirt with every boy who falls for her pretty face.
The 13 year old sister is the mastermind behind everything, as she is braver and smarter than her sisters, and she sounds older.
I just felt that there was not enough to make me feel a strong connection with the characters. The side story of Sosha was written much better, and it was much easier to feel sympathy for Sosha and feel a connection with her.
Nevertheless, the book would have been much better if it wasn't for the (brief) references about the 16 year old character, Fliss, kissing boys she barely knows, and to which in my opinion the book makes light of it and makes it sound Ok. This is unnecessary and it adds nothing to the story or to the character's development.
On a positive note, the bond between the 3 sisters and their loyalty for each other is the best part of this book. This was a story with great potential, but the execution was amiss.
Maybe I haven't read enough contemporary middle grade books to get a feel for them because it looks like most people gave it 5 stars.
I will definitely add some more middle grade books to my reading list. A pinch of Magic is the first of 3 books as I found out after I started reading it. Eventually, I might read the 2nd book to see how it compares to the 1st one. I would have loved to give this one 4 or 5 stars for the storyline, but it missed it.
In this story, we follow three sisters, Charlie 6, Betty 13, and Fliss 16 year old, that try to break the curse that has been hurting their family for generations.
I found the story and adventure very enjoyable. However, I felt that the epilogue felt flat in comparison to the rest of the story.
Moreover, there were some issues with the characters. The youngest sister as cute as she was at times, she didn't seem to be matching her age. At times, she sounded much older and more mature than a 6 year old. On the other hand, the 16 year old sounded at times much younger and clueless, while we are told basically that she uses her beauty to flirt with every boy who falls for her pretty face.
The 13 year old sister is the mastermind behind everything, as she is braver and smarter than her sisters, and she sounds older.
I just felt that there was not enough to make me feel a strong connection with the characters. The side story of Sosha was written much better, and it was much easier to feel sympathy for Sosha and feel a connection with her.
Nevertheless, the book would have been much better if it wasn't for the (brief) references about the 16 year old character, Fliss, kissing boys she barely knows, and to which in my opinion the book makes light of it and makes it sound Ok. This is unnecessary and it adds nothing to the story or to the character's development.
On a positive note, the bond between the 3 sisters and their loyalty for each other is the best part of this book. This was a story with great potential, but the execution was amiss.
Maybe I haven't read enough contemporary middle grade books to get a feel for them because it looks like most people gave it 5 stars.
I will definitely add some more middle grade books to my reading list. A pinch of Magic is the first of 3 books as I found out after I started reading it. Eventually, I might read the 2nd book to see how it compares to the 1st one. I would have loved to give this one 4 or 5 stars for the storyline, but it missed it.