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libreroaming's review against another edition
2.0
A magical realism book about Rose, dubbed "Little Luck" who was destined to inherit her gifted father's talent for catching magic and putting it in jars...only to discover she "may not be meant for magic."
What started off as a promising hook to explain why the narrator would be oblivious about an abusive homelife, and give reasons why she might be a bit of a bully herself, stumbled after the set up. There is good foreshadowing of why Rose idolizes and emulates her father, yet still have readers empathize with her fall from favor. Especially when her relationship sours with her best friend and sort of second best friend.
But as actual world building the whole "people go to a special place and gather magic in jars" it is not thought through at all and the weight of these plot holes collapses the meaningfulness of the story. Magic is revealed to be only temporary but there isn't an explanation for how this society relies on such temporary things to the point where kids don't know how clocks work without magic. Most kids may not pay too much attention to the massive amount of contradictions, but as the story progresses and the nature of magic consumes the narrator's identity, it's hard to ignore the flaws.
It also undercuts the better written relationship issues, compounded by the revelation of a non-magical family that exists in the magic town that people simultaneously avoid and don't know about. Who are also secretly related to Rose's family. Rose's fractious relationship with Ginger over real friendship hurts and slights turn into a simple conflict of Rose being bullied for being non-magical and the whole town turns against her.
The pros were that Haydu started a great idea and a protagonist who is both empathetic and unlikeable, a victim and a bully and a continuation of her father's narcissism. The cons are that, the more Rose identifies herself as not being made for magic, the further the writing gets from nuance and falls into a mess of erratic fantasy pitfalls.
What started off as a promising hook to explain why the narrator would be oblivious about an abusive homelife, and give reasons why she might be a bit of a bully herself, stumbled after the set up. There is good foreshadowing of why Rose idolizes and emulates her father, yet still have readers empathize with her fall from favor. Especially when her relationship sours with her best friend and sort of second best friend.
But as actual world building the whole "people go to a special place and gather magic in jars" it is not thought through at all and the weight of these plot holes collapses the meaningfulness of the story. Magic is revealed to be only temporary but there isn't an explanation for how this society relies on such temporary things to the point where kids don't know how clocks work without magic. Most kids may not pay too much attention to the massive amount of contradictions, but as the story progresses and the nature of magic consumes the narrator's identity, it's hard to ignore the flaws.
It also undercuts the better written relationship issues, compounded by the revelation of a non-magical family that exists in the magic town that people simultaneously avoid and don't know about. Who are also secretly related to Rose's family. Rose's fractious relationship with Ginger over real friendship hurts and slights turn into a simple conflict of Rose being bullied for being non-magical and the whole town turns against her.
The pros were that Haydu started a great idea and a protagonist who is both empathetic and unlikeable, a victim and a bully and a continuation of her father's narcissism. The cons are that, the more Rose identifies herself as not being made for magic, the further the writing gets from nuance and falls into a mess of erratic fantasy pitfalls.
courtneyps's review against another edition
Corey Ann Haydu’s wiring is just gorgeous. She manages to tell a story of a lot of difficult, important questions—how do you figure out who you are when your parents are telling you otherwise, where does your own power come from, how a home can be scary and Not Okay—with so much beauty and understanding and sparkle.
jameyanne's review against another edition
5.0
This book broke me a little but in the best way. Definitely recommend.
sarahd7276's review against another edition
4.0
This story touches on the abuse of power and how that arm extends into the home. What starts off as a promise to Rose Alice Andrea, “Little Luck”, to capture all of the magic she could wish for, turns sour and embarrassing after she only catches ONE SINGLE jar. She begins to doubt herself, the value of magic, and every “truth” she believed her father promised her.
Not all is lost. Rose finds new friends, family, and TYE truth about magic: it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
Not all is lost. Rose finds new friends, family, and TYE truth about magic: it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
tomwright's review against another edition
When I got this title from a Goodreads recommendation, I didn't realize it was middle-grade. I wonder if I would have liked it more if I'd read it at age 12. I'm just not the target age for this book.
cateemma's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Toxic friendship, and Child abuse
Minor: Medical content
jrfehr's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. I think I may have already found my favorite book of 2022. Beautifully written, and so poetically thought provoking.
“‘Mad isn’t a forever thing. It’s not even the most powerful thing. It’s just a thing you feel sometimes, before you feel something else.’”
“‘Mad isn’t a forever thing. It’s not even the most powerful thing. It’s just a thing you feel sometimes, before you feel something else.’”
greergreer's review against another edition
2.0
Well, I thought I was going to read a magical book. It kinda was till the end when it picked up a completely different story in a direction I was not expecting. Trying not to spoil this for anyone.
I can say I was disappointed.
I can say I was disappointed.
sarahwuzhere's review against another edition
4.0
What a lovely book with a sort of dark twist to it. I wasn’t really expecting this at all in a children’s book and I think maybe mature 5th graders could handle this.
Rose is kind of famous because her dad is famous. Her father is the most magical person in town and everyone expects Rose to be just as magical if not more. When things don’t go as planned on New Years Day, Rose now has to figure out what she really wants and if she needs to fix anything about herself.
I loved the dedication as well.
Rose is kind of famous because her dad is famous. Her father is the most magical person in town and everyone expects Rose to be just as magical if not more. When things don’t go as planned on New Years Day, Rose now has to figure out what she really wants and if she needs to fix anything about herself.
I loved the dedication as well.