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A review by katymul
The Time of Green Magic by Hilary McKay
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
This book is so beautifully written that it briefly made me unable to write my current work-in-progress.
McKay handles the blended family politics with as much care and delicacy as the careful rollout of the magic, which is my favorite kind: a simple, intuitive rule that cascades into unexpected consequences for the characters to unravel. In some ways, the book feels quiet, but I appreciate the subtlety and the way that the magical elements are blended with everyday life -- which echoes the way in which living together and trying to care for each other day in and day out are what ultimately bond the new siblings and their now shared parents. There are little moments that the characters mark as transformation that are more like mile markers that help them realize how far they've come. It is a gentle book for all the danger of the magic around them, for all the spookiness and the real emotional turmoil, the book holds you tight and treats the mundane pieces with as much care and seriousness as the fantasy.
McKay handles the blended family politics with as much care and delicacy as the careful rollout of the magic, which is my favorite kind: a simple, intuitive rule that cascades into unexpected consequences for the characters to unravel. In some ways, the book feels quiet, but I appreciate the subtlety and the way that the magical elements are blended with everyday life -- which echoes the way in which living together and trying to care for each other day in and day out are what ultimately bond the new siblings and their now shared parents. There are little moments that the characters mark as transformation that are more like mile markers that help them realize how far they've come. It is a gentle book for all the danger of the magic around them, for all the spookiness and the real emotional turmoil, the book holds you tight and treats the mundane pieces with as much care and seriousness as the fantasy.