Sunday, August 31, 2014

Bad Magic by Pseudonymous Bosch

This story is an adventure in imagination.  Clay thinks magic is bad.  It's fake and tricks don't count as magic.  He doesn't believe in it.  He should...

Little Brown Books for Young Readers and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published September 16th, so watch for it then.

Clay has been sad and upset ever since his brother went away two years ago.  He left a note saying not to worry about him but that didn't make it better.  Since he's been gone, his life is more boring and he's lost his best friend.  The friends at school are OK, but it's not the same.  

His class is doing a Shakespeare play and he's not enthused.  However, everyone must participate and he does.  When they are asked to write about their experience he can't find a thing to say.  His teacher gives him a journal and tells him to take it home and write something there.  Even there he can't find anything to say so he just writes Magic Sucks! and signs his name.

When he gets to school, he notices everyone looking at him differently but can't imagine why.  Then his friend shows him the big graffiti on the school wall that just happens to say Magic Sucks with his name.  He didn't do it, how did it happen?  While he is pondering that, the principal wants to see him and he's suspended from school.  His parents take it in stride, but he has to go to a summer camp to help him mature and aid him in getting into seventh grade.  Trying to find something he can do and won't do drive him nuts makes him choose Earth Ranch.  Bad choice...

Once he gets to Earth Ranch, which is on an island with a volcano, things get really strange.  And it doesn't get better.  There's lots of mystery and adventure in this story.  If you figure one thing out, there's a new mystery in no time.  Nobody is really friendly and he's not sure who is telling the truth and who is telling lies.  Would you do as well as Clay at this quest?  I'm not sure I would.  Read it and tell me what you think.

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