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The Trouble With Magic by Madelyn Alt

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I started this early in 2010, got about a 5th of the way through, and put it aside. I only picked it up again this month. This is sign--I question whether I should have picked it up again.

Unobjectionable but uninspired writing.

Heroine I just couldn't really ever seem to like.

Problematic presentation of paranormal spirituality.

"Too good to be true" supporting characters.

Villains too obvious to be interesting.

Plot I figured out about a quarter of the way through. In a good mystery you should finally suspect the right person just a teensy bit ahead of the "crime solver." You should not go through most of the book saying to the heroine, "You stupid idiot chick--it's ________________! Pay attention!!!" Really--thinking the protagonist is hopelessly clueless is not a recipe for a good reading experience.

Meh.

P.S. I noticed the third installment in the series in the bookstore Friday. Apparently mine is a minority opinion.



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