A review by ielerol
Will Do Magic for Small Change by Andrea Hairston

challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

I'm not sure how to rate this book. I didn't dislike it, but one problem is I really didn't like the audiobook narrator. But also for the past few years I've really struggled to read in print any book that doesn't immediately grab me, and this was not a very grabby story for me. I was able to keep listening more steadily, but also had to struggle a bit to separate my feelings about the story from my feelings about the narration style. 

Another problem is that Cinnamon spends a lot of time surrounded by very unpleasant people, not least her mother. Her mother is depicted with care and depth, it's clear she's had a difficult life and a lot of her unpleasantness comes from her own suffering, but man, it's just a rough ride to have to listen to her be so cruel to her teenage daughter. 

Still, I found the chronicles of the wanderer very interesting, the themes of the story (about the importance of memory and storytelling and identity) are always favorites of mine, and I like Cinnamon herself. Things get a bit better for her once she's able to make some theater friends. And I was pleased to get some glimpses of Aiden and Redwood, who I still really love from Redwood and Wildfire.