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A review by unchainedreader
The Time of Green Magic by Hilary McKay
3.0
The Time of Green Magic by Hilary McKay
Summary:
Abi has found herself in a mixed family which includes her father Theo, his new wife Polly, and her children Max and Louis. The family moves into an overgrown house (they call it the Ivy House) that they are surprised they can afford. Strange things begin happening to the children after the move. Abi finds herself participating in the books she is reading. Louis has a new night visitor that he refers to as Iffen.
Abi, Max, and Louis find themselves on an adventure to understand where Iffen came from, and how to get him back while growing closer as a family.
Thoughts:
The author does a great job describing objects. Readers will be able to create a magical mental picture while they are reading. The author also did a great job with character building: we start the story with three siblings who are struggling to get along for multiple reasons, and we end the story with three siblings who would do anything for each other.
There were several continuity errors that had me backtracking because I was afraid that I had missed something; for example the story barely mentioned Abi’s grandmother’s return to Jamaica. These errors and subsequent back-tracking made it hard for me to stay completely immersed in the story line.
I also think there was a missed opportunity with the use of French in the book. Children reading the book would appreciate a translation and potentially a pronunciation guide. It was easy for me to follow the parts of the book which included French because I have a basic understanding of the language, but the target audience would be less likely to be familiar and would want to use it as a learning opportunity.
As I neared the end of the novel, I began to worry about the lack of action. I wish the concluding action had been a little more drawn out and dramatic - the author definitely could have done a lot more with it.
Target Audience:
Middle grade readers will probably enjoy the atmosphere that the author created.
Conclusion:
I wouldn’t recommend this to just anyone. I would be hesitant to recommend it in general because I don’t want struggling readers to be confused by and lose their love of reading. More advanced middle grade readers will probably be fine with the continuity errors - they will automatically fill in the gaps that have been left in the story because that is precisely what makes them advanced readers.
I think McKay has a great talent for writing, but also has some growing to do as a writer. That being said, I would definitely read additional work written by her.
Stars: 3
Summary:
Abi has found herself in a mixed family which includes her father Theo, his new wife Polly, and her children Max and Louis. The family moves into an overgrown house (they call it the Ivy House) that they are surprised they can afford. Strange things begin happening to the children after the move. Abi finds herself participating in the books she is reading. Louis has a new night visitor that he refers to as Iffen.
Abi, Max, and Louis find themselves on an adventure to understand where Iffen came from, and how to get him back while growing closer as a family.
Thoughts:
The author does a great job describing objects. Readers will be able to create a magical mental picture while they are reading. The author also did a great job with character building: we start the story with three siblings who are struggling to get along for multiple reasons, and we end the story with three siblings who would do anything for each other.
There were several continuity errors that had me backtracking because I was afraid that I had missed something; for example the story barely mentioned Abi’s grandmother’s return to Jamaica. These errors and subsequent back-tracking made it hard for me to stay completely immersed in the story line.
I also think there was a missed opportunity with the use of French in the book. Children reading the book would appreciate a translation and potentially a pronunciation guide. It was easy for me to follow the parts of the book which included French because I have a basic understanding of the language, but the target audience would be less likely to be familiar and would want to use it as a learning opportunity.
As I neared the end of the novel, I began to worry about the lack of action. I wish the concluding action had been a little more drawn out and dramatic - the author definitely could have done a lot more with it.
Target Audience:
Middle grade readers will probably enjoy the atmosphere that the author created.
Conclusion:
I wouldn’t recommend this to just anyone. I would be hesitant to recommend it in general because I don’t want struggling readers to be confused by and lose their love of reading. More advanced middle grade readers will probably be fine with the continuity errors - they will automatically fill in the gaps that have been left in the story because that is precisely what makes them advanced readers.
I think McKay has a great talent for writing, but also has some growing to do as a writer. That being said, I would definitely read additional work written by her.
Stars: 3