Magic Misfits is probably the cutest book for young readers I’ve read in a long time! It’s full of mystery and magic and it is definitely going to appeal to readers who love The Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. It’s got a very similar air to it.
I liked the narrator’s voice – it did tend to overshadow Carter’s voice at times, but I’ve always been a fan of insightful narration in middle grade (I thouroughly enjoyed The Series of Unfortunate Events as a kid, which also uses heavy narration throughout). So all-in-all I thought the narration was a strength, not a weakness (and I read it to myself in the voice of Barney from How I Met Your Mother, because I could definitely picutre Neil Patrick Harris as Barney telling this story in a bar somewhere and that made me so freaking happy).
I also liked all of the interesting magical abilities. I love when books feature unique powers, and this is definitely a fun unique read for young readers (or the young at heart).
But most of all I really liked that this is a fast, action-packed book that draws readers right into the thick of things. It’s a book that takes a premise – Is magic real? Do YOU believe? – and really follows it through to the end. By the final page it’ll have you second guessing your answers.
Rating: 5/5 stars