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jennifermreads 's review for:
The Gilded Girl
by Alyssa Colman
Wealthy daughter of a magitect, Emma Harris is used to the best of everything. She joins Miss Posterity’s Academy for Practical Magic but, soon after her arrival, her father dies leaving her penniless and with a tremendous debt owed to the school. In order to pay what she owes, Emma becomes a servant at the school. Fearing she will never be allowed to have her magic now that she is a servant, she sees hope when stubborn servant Izzy offers a pact: Izzy will help Emma survive as a servant if Emma teaches Izzy all she knows about magic.
A little spark of hope for a light, magical tale of friendship ignited into a flame! What a treasure lies between the covers of this book. You won’t even realize the lessons being imparted as you read of Emma & Izzy’s blossoming friendship and Emma’s eyes being opened to the worth of a human regardless of their material wealth.
Characters bounced off the pages with detail and, for many, names that will stick long after you finish the story. Of course, Emma and Izzy shone as the main characters. But the secondary characters were just as memorable. Miss Posterity brought to mind Carol Burnett’s portrayal of Miss Hannigan in the movie Annie: cruel and selfish while thinking quite highly of herself. And it was quite fun to have the inspector mis-remember her name as Miss Posterior! Then there was Figgy Pudding, the resident cat, er, house dragon, at the school. Here, I immediately pictured Salem from Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. He was wise, a teensy bit snarky, and I grinned every time he succumbed to his craving for gravy. And, dear Frances, the awkward, struggling student who hadn’t a friend in the school until Emma and Izzy took her under their wings. The author cleverly gave Frances the trait of dyslexia – without ever naming it – and Emma saw in Frances the same things her father struggled with: “My papa always learned best by heart, not by head. You’re like that too, I’ll bet.”
This was 300+ pages of pure delight with stories of friendship taking the lead in a tale that is peppered with magic. I dare say it is reminiscent of Harry Potter … and I do not use that comparison lightly. Ever.
A little spark of hope for a light, magical tale of friendship ignited into a flame! What a treasure lies between the covers of this book. You won’t even realize the lessons being imparted as you read of Emma & Izzy’s blossoming friendship and Emma’s eyes being opened to the worth of a human regardless of their material wealth.
Characters bounced off the pages with detail and, for many, names that will stick long after you finish the story. Of course, Emma and Izzy shone as the main characters. But the secondary characters were just as memorable. Miss Posterity brought to mind Carol Burnett’s portrayal of Miss Hannigan in the movie Annie: cruel and selfish while thinking quite highly of herself. And it was quite fun to have the inspector mis-remember her name as Miss Posterior! Then there was Figgy Pudding, the resident cat, er, house dragon, at the school. Here, I immediately pictured Salem from Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. He was wise, a teensy bit snarky, and I grinned every time he succumbed to his craving for gravy. And, dear Frances, the awkward, struggling student who hadn’t a friend in the school until Emma and Izzy took her under their wings. The author cleverly gave Frances the trait of dyslexia – without ever naming it – and Emma saw in Frances the same things her father struggled with: “My papa always learned best by heart, not by head. You’re like that too, I’ll bet.”
This was 300+ pages of pure delight with stories of friendship taking the lead in a tale that is peppered with magic. I dare say it is reminiscent of Harry Potter … and I do not use that comparison lightly. Ever.