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hales1026's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
reading_leaf's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Frikkin fantastic book oh my lord YES! Can’t wait for the final one!
emilyadams's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
mistressviolet's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A fun continuation in the Wizard for Hire series. I'm in love with Skye's ultra quirky characters. And he teases around the question of rather or not magic exists. It keeps you thinking, while the characters keep you laughing.
Lighthearted, whimsical and clever.
the_fabric_of_words's review against another edition
5.0
I can imagine it would be exceptionally hard to keep up the rational, plausible explanations for Rin's "magic" through a second book, and the author doesn't really try in this one, not by the end.
First off, Ozzy is running into the ocean in trances. He's asleep or unconscious when he does it, and almost drowns. It becomes a thing Sigi and Clark are worried about, throughout. It has a purpose, although the explanation / significance isn't explained until the end. It has to do with becoming an "apprentice."
Secondly, Rin doesn't play as big a part in this book, although he's a presence. His magic is not up for question, not like it was last time.
In this one, Ozzy matches wits with the mastermind behind his parents' kidnapping and disappearance. He makes a bunch of mistakes, not the least of which is assuming Rin's magic is behind a a plane ticket to New York and a thumb drive that show up on his doorstep. He just doesn't think things through, he's so eager for the "magic" explanation to be the true one and for Rin to appear and rescue him -- again.
In addition, secret-weapon Clark is a secret no longer. In fact, he's a prized trophy, if the new bad guy can catch and hold onto him (easier planned than done).
Ozzy learns what his parents discovered, and that he has the key to it, and he's pursued by hired mercenary Jon after they escape the villain in New York.
Jon kinda loses it -- professionally and emotionally -- and his ability (or not) to capture Sigi, Clark and Ozzy gets personal, real fast.
Sheriff Wills is on the teens' side this time, trying to keep them safe from Jon, not that he's terrifically effective.
I won't spoil the ending. Read and enjoy!
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: http://amb.mystrikingly.com/
First off, Ozzy is running into the ocean in trances. He's asleep or unconscious when he does it, and almost drowns. It becomes a thing Sigi and Clark are worried about, throughout. It has a purpose, although the explanation / significance isn't explained until the end. It has to do with becoming an "apprentice."
Secondly, Rin doesn't play as big a part in this book, although he's a presence. His magic is not up for question, not like it was last time.
In this one, Ozzy matches wits with the mastermind behind his parents' kidnapping and disappearance. He makes a bunch of mistakes, not the least of which is assuming Rin's magic is behind a a plane ticket to New York and a thumb drive that show up on his doorstep. He just doesn't think things through, he's so eager for the "magic" explanation to be the true one and for Rin to appear and rescue him -- again.
In addition, secret-weapon Clark is a secret no longer. In fact, he's a prized trophy, if the new bad guy can catch and hold onto him (easier planned than done).
Ozzy learns what his parents discovered, and that he has the key to it, and he's pursued by hired mercenary Jon after they escape the villain in New York.
Jon kinda loses it -- professionally and emotionally -- and his ability (or not) to capture Sigi, Clark and Ozzy gets personal, real fast.
Sheriff Wills is on the teens' side this time, trying to keep them safe from Jon, not that he's terrifically effective.
I won't spoil the ending. Read and enjoy!
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: http://amb.mystrikingly.com/
onemanbookclub's review against another edition
5.0
Check out www.onemanbookclub.com for more content aware book reviews and recommendations!
The Value of a Star: Ratings Explained
The Wizard for Hire Trilogy wasn’t exactly what I expected, but what do I know? What I found was WAY better than what I thought I was going to get.
I know Obert Skye from the Levin Thumps series, which I remember enjoying despite the whimsy. So when Wizard for Hire was published a couple of years ago and I came across the AWESOME art and Obert Skye's name on the cover, I added to my list. The final book in the trilogy was published a couple of months ago, so it was finally time to jump in.
What I expected was a magical fantasy adventure. What I got was definitely an adventure, but the magic was more in the moving story, charming characters, and laugh-out-loud silliness than in the fantastical. It worked, and I LOVED it. So much.
Ozzy was 7 when his scientist parents were kidnapped in front of him. He’s lived alone in a house in the woods of Oregon ever since. Traumatized, lonely, and naive, he's now 14 and wants to experience High School and figure out what happened to his parents. Sneaking into High School and posing as a student isn't too tough--but it is hilariously awkward. Getting help finding his parents without letting on that he's a kid living alone? That's much harder. Luckily he sees an ad in the local paper: Wizard for Hire. Perfect!
Let the adventures begin! Problem solved! He's IS a wizard, right? Right? Right...
It’s up for debate, but Wizard or not, the fun is absolutely magical!
This story is about trust, doing hard things, believing in yourself, forgiving others, and being a good friend. The message is delivered via a touching story with outstanding characters and exceptionally funny dialogue. Expect to smile, make satisfied sighs, laugh out loud, stay up late reading, and maybe even shed a happy tear as you close the page on the final book.
Wizard for Hire has no content issues and is family friendly. Best for independent readers 12 and up, but also would be great as a read-aloud with the younger kids too. Kirby Heyborne also gives a fantastic performance on the audio books!
Happy Reading!
The Value of a Star: Ratings Explained
The Wizard for Hire Trilogy wasn’t exactly what I expected, but what do I know? What I found was WAY better than what I thought I was going to get.
I know Obert Skye from the Levin Thumps series, which I remember enjoying despite the whimsy. So when Wizard for Hire was published a couple of years ago and I came across the AWESOME art and Obert Skye's name on the cover, I added to my list. The final book in the trilogy was published a couple of months ago, so it was finally time to jump in.
What I expected was a magical fantasy adventure. What I got was definitely an adventure, but the magic was more in the moving story, charming characters, and laugh-out-loud silliness than in the fantastical. It worked, and I LOVED it. So much.
Ozzy was 7 when his scientist parents were kidnapped in front of him. He’s lived alone in a house in the woods of Oregon ever since. Traumatized, lonely, and naive, he's now 14 and wants to experience High School and figure out what happened to his parents. Sneaking into High School and posing as a student isn't too tough--but it is hilariously awkward. Getting help finding his parents without letting on that he's a kid living alone? That's much harder. Luckily he sees an ad in the local paper: Wizard for Hire. Perfect!
Let the adventures begin! Problem solved! He's IS a wizard, right? Right? Right...
It’s up for debate, but Wizard or not, the fun is absolutely magical!
This story is about trust, doing hard things, believing in yourself, forgiving others, and being a good friend. The message is delivered via a touching story with outstanding characters and exceptionally funny dialogue. Expect to smile, make satisfied sighs, laugh out loud, stay up late reading, and maybe even shed a happy tear as you close the page on the final book.
Wizard for Hire has no content issues and is family friendly. Best for independent readers 12 and up, but also would be great as a read-aloud with the younger kids too. Kirby Heyborne also gives a fantastic performance on the audio books!
Happy Reading!
littlefoot1919's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
ghumpherys's review against another edition
4.0
This is the second book in this series and I enjoyed listening to the audio version. I love how the author keeps you second-guessing as to whether there is actually magic involved or not. And Rin's little "words of wisdom" are classic. I noticed this time around there are a lot of similes and other examples of figurative language - a great way to point that out to younger readers!
teenage_reads's review against another edition
2.0
Plot:
Remember how the lawyer walked into the polar bear exhibit, and the women got up on stage to sing? They said they “blacked out” and did not remember how they got there, or what happened during their incident. Ozzy feels similar to that, as he woke up on the beach to Sigi and Clark screaming at him for trying to drown himself. Before his midnight swim, Ozzy’s life was normal. He had school to attend, he lived with Patti and Sigi, even though Rin disappeared, Ozzy was putting the horrors of the last few months behind him. He still visited the cloak house, only by motorcycle this time instead of walking, and from his parent's safety deposit box has a new picture of the three of them together and some music to remember them by. Where he was still attracted to the past, he was ready to move on. Yet, him blacking out and walking into the ocean scared him, and with no Rin to ask, how was he supposed to stop it from happening? When a weekend ticket for him came to the house one day, to a hotel whose initials spell RIN, Ozzy knew he had to go, in case this was the wizard trying to contact him. Sigi, who would not let Ozzy go by himself, and Clark insisting he must also attend, the two children and bird flew across the country in search of the missing wizard. However it was not Rin waiting for them at the hotel, but Ray. The man that helped kill Ozzy parents, who wanted what his parents were working on. Almost kidnapping the kids, Ozzy and Sigi managed to escape with the help of the hard to contact wizard Rin. The children, wizard, and the bird need to figure out several things that include how to stop Ray from hurting them, figure out what is wrong with Ozzy, find out if Rin truly is a wizard, and find some metal that is willing to hold a decent conversation with Clark, not necessarily in that order.
Thoughts:
Obert Skye is continuing his “real magic could exist” world in this next installment of the series. The story picks up a few weeks after the first one ended, with Ozzy in a more settled place. The town, including the police force, knows he exists, he has a lawyer settling out the legal bits of him being an orphan, and Ozzy is living with Sigi and her mom at their house. Yet for the boy who grew up in the woods by himself, normal was never going to last for him. Almost immediately Skye has Ozzy, Clark, and Sigi up for some maybe-magical adventure, this time with the children flying to New York City. Ozzy's character has developed through this novel, as he is no longer the naive woods boy he was, but starting to get this world, and really pushes Rin in this novel for the truth of if he truly was a wizard, or not. Sigi also gets more of a spotlight in this novel, as she helps out her friend, and begins to open up about how having an absent wizard for a father has affected her growing up. Clark and Rin, still annoying characters with little developed, and decreasing likeability as the story goes on - mostly for Clark. This story, like the last, also does not explain if magic or real, following a similar plot to the first of nothing really happening, until the end with one giant event that leaves readers, as well as Ozzy and Sigi questioning if Rin is a wizard or not. Frustrating, because on that topic this book does not explain any more than the last book did about magic, leaving the final determination for the next book, making this one seem a bit pointless. Honestly for the size of the novel, and the content you needed from it to finish the series (a bit of character growth and 3 things), this novel was kind of drawn out with not a lot of meaningful stuff going on that can have past-this-book effects on the characters. Where Skye is really pushing for this series to be a trilogy, this book suffers the fate that too many middle books feel, that it is unnecessary with only two lines of actual substance that will be relevant in the final installment of the series.
Remember how the lawyer walked into the polar bear exhibit, and the women got up on stage to sing? They said they “blacked out” and did not remember how they got there, or what happened during their incident. Ozzy feels similar to that, as he woke up on the beach to Sigi and Clark screaming at him for trying to drown himself. Before his midnight swim, Ozzy’s life was normal. He had school to attend, he lived with Patti and Sigi, even though Rin disappeared, Ozzy was putting the horrors of the last few months behind him. He still visited the cloak house, only by motorcycle this time instead of walking, and from his parent's safety deposit box has a new picture of the three of them together and some music to remember them by. Where he was still attracted to the past, he was ready to move on. Yet, him blacking out and walking into the ocean scared him, and with no Rin to ask, how was he supposed to stop it from happening? When a weekend ticket for him came to the house one day, to a hotel whose initials spell RIN, Ozzy knew he had to go, in case this was the wizard trying to contact him. Sigi, who would not let Ozzy go by himself, and Clark insisting he must also attend, the two children and bird flew across the country in search of the missing wizard. However it was not Rin waiting for them at the hotel, but Ray. The man that helped kill Ozzy parents, who wanted what his parents were working on. Almost kidnapping the kids, Ozzy and Sigi managed to escape with the help of the hard to contact wizard Rin. The children, wizard, and the bird need to figure out several things that include how to stop Ray from hurting them, figure out what is wrong with Ozzy, find out if Rin truly is a wizard, and find some metal that is willing to hold a decent conversation with Clark, not necessarily in that order.
Thoughts:
Obert Skye is continuing his “real magic could exist” world in this next installment of the series. The story picks up a few weeks after the first one ended, with Ozzy in a more settled place. The town, including the police force, knows he exists, he has a lawyer settling out the legal bits of him being an orphan, and Ozzy is living with Sigi and her mom at their house. Yet for the boy who grew up in the woods by himself, normal was never going to last for him. Almost immediately Skye has Ozzy, Clark, and Sigi up for some maybe-magical adventure, this time with the children flying to New York City. Ozzy's character has developed through this novel, as he is no longer the naive woods boy he was, but starting to get this world, and really pushes Rin in this novel for the truth of if he truly was a wizard, or not. Sigi also gets more of a spotlight in this novel, as she helps out her friend, and begins to open up about how having an absent wizard for a father has affected her growing up. Clark and Rin, still annoying characters with little developed, and decreasing likeability as the story goes on - mostly for Clark. This story, like the last, also does not explain if magic or real, following a similar plot to the first of nothing really happening, until the end with one giant event that leaves readers, as well as Ozzy and Sigi questioning if Rin is a wizard or not. Frustrating, because on that topic this book does not explain any more than the last book did about magic, leaving the final determination for the next book, making this one seem a bit pointless. Honestly for the size of the novel, and the content you needed from it to finish the series (a bit of character growth and 3 things), this novel was kind of drawn out with not a lot of meaningful stuff going on that can have past-this-book effects on the characters. Where Skye is really pushing for this series to be a trilogy, this book suffers the fate that too many middle books feel, that it is unnecessary with only two lines of actual substance that will be relevant in the final installment of the series.