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A review by somewheregirl7
Magic or Madness by Justine Larbalestier
3.0
Her entire life Reason Cansino has been warned about her grandmother, Esmerelda, the wicked witch. Reason's mother, Sarafina, told her that Esmerelda sacrified small animals, ate babies and did other horrible things. To escape her, mother and daughter have been on the run for as long as Reason has been alive. However, when Sarafina goes insane and has to be locked up in a mental hospital, Reason finally falls into her grandmothers grasp and discovers that magic IS real. She steps through a door and moves form Sydney to New York in a second, only to fall into worse clutches than her grandmothers.
This first book in the Magic or Madness trilogy was well written with excellent pacing, dialogue, description and characterization. Reason is a fascinating blend of powerful and naive and it's hard to know who to trust. The dilemas that Reason faces are anything but easy and anything but expected. I like how the author has characterized magic in her world, giving a plausible explanation for it and providing real consequences for it's use. This is an excellent start to the series and I am currently reading the sequel.
This first book in the Magic or Madness trilogy was well written with excellent pacing, dialogue, description and characterization. Reason is a fascinating blend of powerful and naive and it's hard to know who to trust. The dilemas that Reason faces are anything but easy and anything but expected. I like how the author has characterized magic in her world, giving a plausible explanation for it and providing real consequences for it's use. This is an excellent start to the series and I am currently reading the sequel.