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A review by phyrre
The Time of Green Magic by Hilary McKay
5.0
You can read my review on my blog, The Bookwyrm's Den, here.
The Time of Green Magic is a gorgeous, heartwarming book about a blended family trying to learn what exactly it means to be “family,” in a new house that has its own quiet magic.
I had so many warm, fuzzy feels during this book, guys. I’m not usually one for character-driven books, but this was a quick afternoon read, and it’s just positive, light, and full of good vibes. Not going to say it’s all bright and cheery, because it’s not. These kids have been through a lot, and adjusting to their new life is anything but easy, but they just won my heart over and over again until the ending, where, I’m not gonna lie, I definitely teared up, okay? It was just too freaking sweet and perfect.
My Thoughts:
- The story focuses on a blended family (Abi and her father, who marries Louis and Max’s mother) and this is a dynamic I want to see in more middle grade books. The family dynamic brings something unique to the narrative, because being in a blended family is hard. It follows a similar trajectory as the found family trope, because even though this family doesn’t necessarily choose each other to start with, they need to learn exactly what it means to live together and, in fact, be a family. Anyone who’s been part of a blended family will know the struggle of finding your situation turned on its head and then having these small, annoying beings invading your space. Or worse, you’re forced to go invade theirs. McKay doesn’t sugar coat this struggle, but faces it head on, with all the honest clumsiness of kids trying to adjust to a new situation. I appreciated the honesty and earnestness with which this concept is handled. I loved the way McKay allowed the children this time to grow, both independently and together. The result was just breathtaking and so well done.
- These children will steal your heart, guaranteed! They’re just so stinking sweet and relatable that I can’t even with them. They all deserves hugs, every one of them.
- It isn’t just the children, though. These parents, Tom and Polly, are fabulous and doing their best, despite struggling, and attentive, loving parents in middle grade books is always magical. Tom and Polly are a united front from the very beginning, recognizing the struggles of merging their families but doing their best. McKay doesn’t shy away from the ugly realities of these struggles, either, like not being sure they can afford a new house for all of them and being forced to work late hours and run ragged to make it work. As far as I’m concerned, this is such an important aspect for middle grade books, because two working parents is such a common thing, and the way this is presented in the book is easy for children to grasp how much the parents sacrifice for their children, while simultaneously still being there. Despite working long hours, Tom and Polly still go out of their way to make time for the children, with Polly advocating for Abi and Tom reading Louis bedtime stories and taking care of Max. It was so refreshing seeing the parents fall into a normal parenting role for all the children and providing a united parental unit. This was really part of the magic of the blended family for me, that the parents try so hard to make it work, which is a fact that isn’t missed by the kids, either.
- Despite being character-driven, there’s a small air of mystery in this book as the house itself becomes almost a character, weaving small feats of magic around the family. It’s magical realism at its finest. McKay has a gorgeous writing style that sounds dreamy in its own right, which lent itself nicely to the subtle hints of magic. It comes up almost immediately at the start of the book, though it’s easily mistaken, and I enjoyed how it unfolded little by little but was never quite solid and defined. The real mystery is around Iffen, a cat-thing that Louis discovers one night that seems to appear out of nowhere. Which the adults can’t see because … of course they can’t. Adults are boring. Pfft. While Iffen is adorable, the mystery wasn’t a huge selling point for me, and it was resolved a little easily. The charm was really in watching the kids work together to solve the problem.
The Time of Green Magic is a gorgeous, heartwarming book about a blended family trying to learn what exactly it means to be “family,” in a new house that has its own quiet magic.
I had so many warm, fuzzy feels during this book, guys. I’m not usually one for character-driven books, but this was a quick afternoon read, and it’s just positive, light, and full of good vibes. Not going to say it’s all bright and cheery, because it’s not. These kids have been through a lot, and adjusting to their new life is anything but easy, but they just won my heart over and over again until the ending, where, I’m not gonna lie, I definitely teared up, okay? It was just too freaking sweet and perfect.
My Thoughts:
- The story focuses on a blended family (Abi and her father, who marries Louis and Max’s mother) and this is a dynamic I want to see in more middle grade books. The family dynamic brings something unique to the narrative, because being in a blended family is hard. It follows a similar trajectory as the found family trope, because even though this family doesn’t necessarily choose each other to start with, they need to learn exactly what it means to live together and, in fact, be a family. Anyone who’s been part of a blended family will know the struggle of finding your situation turned on its head and then having these small, annoying beings invading your space. Or worse, you’re forced to go invade theirs. McKay doesn’t sugar coat this struggle, but faces it head on, with all the honest clumsiness of kids trying to adjust to a new situation. I appreciated the honesty and earnestness with which this concept is handled. I loved the way McKay allowed the children this time to grow, both independently and together. The result was just breathtaking and so well done.
- These children will steal your heart, guaranteed! They’re just so stinking sweet and relatable that I can’t even with them. They all deserves hugs, every one of them.
- It isn’t just the children, though. These parents, Tom and Polly, are fabulous and doing their best, despite struggling, and attentive, loving parents in middle grade books is always magical. Tom and Polly are a united front from the very beginning, recognizing the struggles of merging their families but doing their best. McKay doesn’t shy away from the ugly realities of these struggles, either, like not being sure they can afford a new house for all of them and being forced to work late hours and run ragged to make it work. As far as I’m concerned, this is such an important aspect for middle grade books, because two working parents is such a common thing, and the way this is presented in the book is easy for children to grasp how much the parents sacrifice for their children, while simultaneously still being there. Despite working long hours, Tom and Polly still go out of their way to make time for the children, with Polly advocating for Abi and Tom reading Louis bedtime stories and taking care of Max. It was so refreshing seeing the parents fall into a normal parenting role for all the children and providing a united parental unit. This was really part of the magic of the blended family for me, that the parents try so hard to make it work, which is a fact that isn’t missed by the kids, either.
- Despite being character-driven, there’s a small air of mystery in this book as the house itself becomes almost a character, weaving small feats of magic around the family. It’s magical realism at its finest. McKay has a gorgeous writing style that sounds dreamy in its own right, which lent itself nicely to the subtle hints of magic. It comes up almost immediately at the start of the book, though it’s easily mistaken, and I enjoyed how it unfolded little by little but was never quite solid and defined. The real mystery is around Iffen, a cat-thing that Louis discovers one night that seems to appear out of nowhere. Which the adults can’t see because … of course they can’t. Adults are boring. Pfft. While Iffen is adorable, the mystery wasn’t a huge selling point for me, and it was resolved a little easily. The charm was really in watching the kids work together to solve the problem.