Review: Secret Magic (Evie Everyday Witch #1), by Elena Paige

Title: Secret Magic (Evie Everyday Witch #1)
Author: Elena Paige
Format: ebook
Source: BookSirens

From Goodreads: "Funny magical adventure series perfect for kids ages 7 and up

My name is Evie Everyday and I’m a witch. But all I’ve ever wanted is to be a Lamron. That’s the word normal spelled backward. Anyways, now I have the chance to go to a regular school and be a regular girl I’ll do whatever it takes to fit in.

Fitting in is easy. All I have to do is:

Keep my magic a secret Swap my favorite colorful clothes for boring black ones Suck up to scary Mrs. Rogers, the school principal Keep my pet cat, bat and corncob from causing any trouble And stay away from Izzy. She’s all colorful and funny and awesome…. and not helpful for fitting in.

But when everything starts to go wrong, there’s only one way to save my new school… use magic. And only one person who can help me… Izzy!

Evie Everyday Witch is a series of chapter books that kids and parents will love. Ideal for reluctant readers. Evie's quirky, funny personality will sweep kids off their feet, and get them reading again!"

My Opinion:  Evie is a witch who wants more than anything to be normal, which to her means dressing normal, having normal friends, and by all means, acting normal. She really, really wants to go to a normal school instead of the school for witches that she attends, and against all odds, she gets her parents to agree to this!! She shows up her first day dressed in her most colorful outfit, but she quickly realizes that the other kids are all dressed in black, with one exception, a girl by the name of Izzy. While Evie secretly admires the way Izzy acts and dresses, she decides that to be "normal" she can't hang out with or  be friends with Izzy. As Evie does her best to fit in, she realizes that it's not as easy as she thought it would be to change everything that makes her, her.

I thought this was a very cute book with a great message. The pacing was quick and the book was very easy to read, and Evie really great into herself over the course of the story.

I think this is a great MG book, full of magic, which would appeal to younger readers that like fantasy, or to introduce them to this genre. 

I'm giving this book 5/5 stars.

*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Review: The Magicians Convention, by Elena Paige

Title: The Magicians Convention
Author:  Elena Paige
Format: ebook
Source: BookSirens

From Goodreads: In a world of mages and illusionists, one orphan must find the magic within himself to save the ones he loves . . .

Twelve-year-old Toby would give anything to see his parents one last time. But since they died tragically ten years ago, he knows it’s an impossible wish. Raised by his grandfather, who’s a little too protective, Toby yearns for adventure. So when he wakes up one morning and realizes his grandfather is missing, he follows the clues that will lead to his rescue. Toby is soon engulfed in a secret world of magic and illusion.

In this unfamiliar world, Toby is joined by two new friends: Wesa, a runaway mage, and Thatch, a security boy who’d give anything to practice magic. The three friends are instructed to find a magical hat before an evil magician gets his hands on it first.

Failing will mean the deaths of those they love and create a dangerous divide in the world of magic.

The Magicians Convention is the spellbinding first book in a trilogy of middle-grade fantasy novels.

My Opinion: Toby, a 12 year old boy who is being raised by his over-protective grandpa, wishes for excitement, for an adventure, and whether good or bad, he gets his wish. One otherwise ordinary day, he is looking out his window when he sees a long line of people, dressed very strangely, queued up outside a neighbor's door, waiting to enter. He calls his grandpa up to witness this strange occurrence, but his grandpa thinks he's making it up because he, himself, sees nothing. And thus begins the very adventure he was wishing for.

This is the first book in a new series, but there is a prequel that I recommend you read before starting this one. You could definitely read The Magician's Convention without reading the prequel, and would understand it completely, but the prequel sets the tone and gives a bit of background that makes it easier to understand just what is happening and who some of the characters are.

As for the characters, they are written very, very well, in my opinion. The back story of each of them is written seamlessly into the story line, and they are able to grow and learn as the story progresses. The plot is easily followed but not predictable, and the pacing of the story is just right.

I like to review MG books because I have a seventh grader who doesn't mind my picking his brain to get an idea of what works in a story and what doesn't, and I can report that he gave this book 2 thumbs up and said that he really enjoyed reading it and is looking forward to reading the next book in the series, which was my opinion, as well.

In summary, I am giving this book 5/5 stars, and can enthusiastically recommend it for fans of all ages who could use a little bit of magic in their lives.

*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.