A Most Magical Girl by Karen Foxlee
A Most Magical Girl by Karen Foxlee
Illustrations by Elly MacKay
On Sale Date: August 2, 2016
Juvenile Fiction \ Fantasy & Magic
Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7
Knopf Books for Young Readers, 304 pages
Source: Publishers
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
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From the author of Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy comes the story of a friendship between two girls set in Victorian England, with magical machines, wizards, witches, a mysterious underworld, and a race against time.
Annabel Grey is primed for a proper life as a young lady in Victorian England. But when her mother suddenly disappears, she’s put in the care of two eccentric aunts who thrust her into a decidedly un-ladylike life, full of potions and flying broomsticks and wizards who eat nothing but crackers. Magic, indeed! Who ever heard of such a thing?
Before Annabel can assess the most ladylike way to respond to her current predicament, she is swept up in an urgent quest. Annabel is pitted against another young witch, Kitty, to rescue the sacred Moreover Wand from the dangerous underworld that exists beneath London. The two girls outsmart trolls, find passage through a wall of faerie bones, and narrowly escape a dragon, but it doesn’t take long for Annabel to see that the most dangerous part of her journey is her decision to trust this wild, magical girl.
Sparkling with Karen Foxlee’s enchanting writing, this is a bewitching tale of one important wand and two most magical girls.
A Most Magical Girl by Karen Foxlee is a charming tale filled with magic, adventure, friendship and girl power. With gorgeous prose, smart humor and a touch of danger, this is a story for those who still want to believe in the magic.
Set in Victorian England, young Annabel Grey is the perfect example of a proper young lady on the outside, on the inside, she hides her strange magical abilities, namely those that give her the ability to see visions in puddles, even though she doesn’t believe in magic. Annabel soon finds herself in the care of her two decidedly eccentric, very witchy, aunts when her mother unexpectedly travels abroad. Now, instead of being taught proper etiquette, our Annabel is learning about the best way to wash a witch's dress, all kinds of strange magical (and stinky) ingredients and the proper care of one’s broom. When danger comes in the form of the villainous Mr. Angel and his hungry army of shadowlings, Annabel is sent on a quest to Under London, a place of magic, creatures and, of course, magic, to retrieve a wand of great power before the dastardly Mr. Angel and his gang of Shadowlings overtake of London.
One thing that often impresses me when reading juvenile fiction is the wonderful examples of friendship, overcoming hardships and personal growth our young hero and heroines go through. A Most Magical Girl is a great example of these positive themes. Annabel, who hides her very magical nature, ends up on a quest where this very uniqueness, is what makes her special … needed, and, A Most Magical Girl.
If the thought of travel in an underground London, one riddled with magic and traps that must be overcome, while battling creatures and foes, sounds appealing, then young readers may want to grab this story up. Karen Foxlee introduces a heroine full of heart and who is not afraid to get dirty when it comes to saving the day. Along the way, we meet a most unusual and feisty girl named Kitty with an affinity for nature, a sweet and brave troll girl, and a magical broomstick that will have young readers grabbing theirs out of the parents broom closets in hopes it will do what Annabel’s does.
From the rooftops of London to beneath its hidden realms, A Most Magical Girl sweeps readers in an adventurous quest that pits an unlikely young witch against an evil villain along with plenty of adventure to please the most scrupulous young readers.
