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katymul 's review for:

Upside-Down Magic by Emily Jenkins, Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle
4.75
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: Complicated

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.