What’s it all about?:
Twelve-year-old Natalie has a lot to handle this year, what with the bullying and the sudden development of her rather unusual abilities. But a circus is approaching, a storm is brewing, and with them comes the arrival of Beausoleil the Magician, his daughter, Louisa, his mysterious doll, and Natalie’s biggest challenge yet!
What did I think?:
I was contacted by the author of this children’s book aimed at middle-grade readers and asked if I would like a copy in exchange for an honest review. Of course I’m always happy to give any book a chance and support independent authors and it’s at times like these that I really love being a blogger and having these opportunities, because I think this book is something really special and deserves all the publicity it can get.
The story revolves around two main characters, Natalie and Phillip who have known each other for their whole lives but may have a little more in common than they think as their mothers have been keeping huge secrets from them. Both children have always known that they are a bit different and unfortunately this usually makes them the target for the school bullies but neither could have imagined that they are gifted in magical abilities. The secrets start to come out on a trip to the circus as they are watching a magic show, where a doll appears to come to life, something strange and frightening happens to Natalie. As a result, their mothers have no choice but to tell them the truth and help them understand and control their powers.
Unfortunately, there’s some bad news as well. Natalie and Phillip have so far been living under their mothers magical protection spells due to the existence of some very real and dangerous evil that has played a part in Phillip’s fathers strange disappearance and threatens all their lives. Both children must learn all they can about their gifts and how they can best use them and, with the help of their new friends from the circus, keep each other safe from the deadliest and cruellest of enemies.
I was pulled into this wonderful story immediately with the appearance of two main characters that were so readable and that I instantly cared about, a plot that was exciting and filled with tense, edge of your seat moments and a bit of magic which let’s face it, is always a bonus in a story for me! I also enjoyed the issues that the author explored including friendship, bullying, love, greed, the importance of family and basically, “how to be a good human being,” all essential bits of information for the younger reader but with morals I believe adults could still get a lot out of too. The drama never stops and there are some real cliffhanger moments that will have you dying to read just one more chapter. It’s also beautifully set up at the grand finale for the next installment in the series, The Worlds Traveler which I’m delighted to be reviewing tomorrow as part of a blog tour for the author. I can see this book being read both inside and outside of the classroom by the young, old (and in-between, of course!) and I highly recommend you give it a try!
Would I recommend it?:
But of course!
Star rating (out of 5):