A review by katymul
Upside-Down Magic by Emily Jenkins, Lauren Myracle, Sarah Mlynowski

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

The skill it takes to create a book this tightly constructed yet this charming and fun is astounding. The three authors have crafted an intricate world, and complicated family dynamic, and a heartbreaking plotline centered around accepting yourself as you are -- while somehow leaving plenty of room for entertaining magical hijinks in under 200 pages. The fact that this set up a whole fun magical world for later books in the series to play within just adds to the feat.

It does feel like many elements are un- or under-explored, but the book resolves enough that the story feels like it's reached one of the many endpoints that are part of growing up. Also: it's a great deal of fun.