by Julie Abe (Author)
Sometimes all you need is a pinch of magic... Eva Evergreen is determined to earn the rank of Novice Witch before her thirteenth birthday. If she doesn't, she'll lose her magic forever. For most young witches and wizards, it's a simple enough test: One: Help your town, do good all around. Two: Live there for one moon, don't leave too soon. Three: Fly home by broomstick, the easiest of tricks. The only problem? Eva only has a pinch of magic. She summons heads of cabbage instead of flowers and gets a sunburn instead of calling down rain. And to add insult to injury, whenever she overuses her magic, she falls asleep. When she lands in the tranquil coastal town of Auteri, the residents expect a powerful witch, not a semi-magical girl. So Eva comes up with a plan: set up a magical repair shop to aid Auteri and prove she's worthy. She may have more blood than magic, but her "semi-magical fixes" repair the lives of the townspeople in ways they never could have imagined.
Only, Eva's bit of magic may not be enough when the biggest magical storm in history threatens the town she's grown to love. Eva must conjure up all of the magic, bravery, and cleverness she can muster or Auteri and her dreams of becoming a witch will wash away with the storm.
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Gr 3-7--Fans of Kiki's Delivery Service will feel right at home in this middle grade fantasy set in Rivelle Realm, where magic is dwindling. Magical late bloomer Eva must complete her first independent mission if she wants to become a witch before her 13th birthday. Not completing the quest comes at a horrible cost--being forever stripped of the little magic she does possess. Eva has a loving family with a magical mother and nonmagical father, yet she cannot help comparing herself to her high-achieving mother, and fears she will never become a successful witch. Eva has a magical condition that causes her to feel physically drained each time she practices, although she knows practice will make her stronger. Her quest leads her to coastal Auteri, where she faces skepticism from community leaders, garners the support of a town sponsor, makes a frenemy-turned-friend, and establishes lasting relationships with small business owners as she practices her magical specialty: repair work. Eva stretches her abilities and struggles to find her footing as the sole local witch while making small inroads with her own practice. Her frequent, rapid fluctuations in confidence level, while mirroring the human experience, make for an odd reading experience, along with a plot that doesn't arc so much as build and then meander. Eva's ultimate solution to save the town appears spontaneously without narrative development. VERDICT Despite its occasional storyline waffling, this middle grade fantasy is worthwhile. Memorable characters accompany strong messages of believing in yourself, working hard, and choosing who you love. A novel well worth the read. Recommended for fiction collections.--Lauren Younger, Univ. of Dallas Lib.
Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.In Rivelle Realm, Apprentice Witch Evalithimus Evergreen, 12, is prepared to embark on the quest that will grant her Novice Witch status, the first phase to following in her Grand Master mother's footsteps. But Eva's stores of magic are so meager that she falls asleep after casting the simplest of spells, and if she fails her quest, the Council of Witches and Wizards will strip her of magic altogether. With only a month to prove her worthiness, Eva travels to the littoral town of Auteri, whose domineering mayor allows her to stay under one condition: she must protect the town from "a strange, cursed force of nature" known as the Culling, a near-impossible task even for full-fledged witches. Eva's only hope is to combine her affinity for repair magic with mundane solutions, no matter how unorthodox a witch it makes her. In this thoroughly charming debut, Abe centers Eva's ingenuity, resilience, and adaptability, as well as the strength of friendship. Though the subtle but unmistakable Japanese influence in this bildungsroman invites comparisons to Miyazaki, Abe's combination of magic and modern technology in an original world ensures this series starter has a place all its own. Ages 8-12. Agent: Sarah Landis, Sterling Lord Literistic. (Aug.)
Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.