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A review by 2treads
Conjure Island by Eden Royce
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
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? No
5.0
I firmly believe that Royce sprinkles a little conjure in her books because they grab onto you and your feelings and don't let go even after you have read the last page. It was like that with Root Magic and it is the same here.
Del is a young girl with a military father and a loving yet secretive gramma. When she has to leave to stay with a great-grandma she never knew she had, we begin to see how hard she has to work to adjust and how she has been affected by the constant upheaval in her life.
One huge reason I love reading middlegrade is the characters. Children at a certain age are honest, guileless, which sometimes can be used in nefarious ways, but when they are given the page to just be, it is magical. I think Eden Royce understands this and this awareness translates into her stories, making her characters loveable, intuitive, and precious.
These are some of the feelings I had while reading #conjureisland. Del as a character is vulnerable yet strong, witty yet quiet, yearning for friendship yet afraid to reach for it. And we get her from the beginning of the story. The further we get and the more we see her open herself up to the opportunity of forging more bonds as she learns and searches for family history through community, is the more we want the whole world for her.
The supporting characters here are also great, looking out for each other, being empathetic and actually moving with the actions of a community as preached. This is true and wholesome storytelling and it feels like a warm hug that you just want to pass on and on, letting the energy of community magic and beauty wrap around everyone it touches.
I adore child characters because they can be so genuine in their interactions and yet also have the capacity for immense resilience whenever the situation calls for it.
Del is a young girl with a military father and a loving yet secretive gramma. When she has to leave to stay with a great-grandma she never knew she had, we begin to see how hard she has to work to adjust and how she has been affected by the constant upheaval in her life.
One huge reason I love reading middlegrade is the characters. Children at a certain age are honest, guileless, which sometimes can be used in nefarious ways, but when they are given the page to just be, it is magical. I think Eden Royce understands this and this awareness translates into her stories, making her characters loveable, intuitive, and precious.
These are some of the feelings I had while reading #conjureisland. Del as a character is vulnerable yet strong, witty yet quiet, yearning for friendship yet afraid to reach for it. And we get her from the beginning of the story. The further we get and the more we see her open herself up to the opportunity of forging more bonds as she learns and searches for family history through community, is the more we want the whole world for her.
The supporting characters here are also great, looking out for each other, being empathetic and actually moving with the actions of a community as preached. This is true and wholesome storytelling and it feels like a warm hug that you just want to pass on and on, letting the energy of community magic and beauty wrap around everyone it touches.
I adore child characters because they can be so genuine in their interactions and yet also have the capacity for immense resilience whenever the situation calls for it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent