A Pinch of Magic by Michelle Harrison, reviewed by Dawn Finch

Image copyright Simon and Schuster

First the blurb...

Three sisters trapped by an ancient curse.

Three magical objects with the power to change their fate.

Will they be enough to break the curse?

Or will they lead the sisters even deeper into danger? ...

Okay, so that's a pretty short blurb, but was more than enough to tempt me into reading this. Covering my tick list pretty efficiently here. An ancient curse, tick. Magical objects, tick. Sisterhood, tick. Danger and adventure, tick.

The only thing that held me back from reading this book sooner was the huge number of superlatives being thrown around in other reviews for it. "Phenomenal", "spellbinding", "brilliant", "breathtaking", "glorious"... the list goes on, and that kind of makes me hold off a bit. I hate being told I'll love something.

The trouble is.... THEY ARE ALL RIGHT!!

This book is absolutely wonderful. It is a perfect example of how to unfold a story. There is exactly the right balance of description and dialogue and every character feels well-rounded and well-placed. The dialogue is natural and at times I was so swept away by the story that I properly lost track of time. I had those wonderful times when I sat down to read and hours later I looked up and found the room in darkness and my tea cold (don't you love it when that happens?!)

I suppose I should give you more detail about the story, but I really don't want to ruin it. The story of the Widdershins sisters doesn't need a longer blurb than the one above and I hate reviews that spoiler. All you need to know is in those few lines above. This fairytale/Grimm type story feels traditional, but with a whole load of new ideas and sparkling adventure. It never veers into stuffy or dull and will make a great novel to read aloud and share. This is exactly the kind of book that you will start reading aloud, and your audience will quickly be sneaking it off to read ahead!

Another thing worth mentioning is the stunning cover of this book. The design is by illustrator Melissa Castrillón and her work also peppers the text with tiny silhouettes and a fantastic map. I love it when a cover acts as a teaser for elements of the story, and this one really does make the book the full package. It makes such a difference when a publisher takes the time to make a book a desirable physical object. Book ownership is an important part of the journey to becoming a lifelong reader, and making printed books a glorious thing to own is vital.

A Pinch of Magic has the quality and feel of a classic children's book, and I hope it will take its place among the best of them.

A Pinch of Magic is written by Michelle Harrison (and illustrated by Melissa Castrillón). It is published by Simon and Schuster.

Review by Dawn Finch, children's author and librarian.

@dawnafinch

www.dawnfinch.com

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UNREST by Michelle Harrison: Reviewed by Tamsyn Murray

Michelle Harrison is best known for her award-winning Thirteen trilogy - The Thirteen Treasures won the Waterstones Prize and the subsequent books were equally well received. Her latest novel, Unrest, is aimed at an older audience and allows her to explore much darker themes, which I'm delighted about as I think she has a definite gift for the macabre.

Unrest is the story of seventeen year old Elliott, who starts to suffer from horrific nightmares following a hit and run accident. The dreams follow a pattern and he starts to suspect that they are not dreams, but contact with the spirit world. Desperate to shake the nightmares, he takes a sleepover job right on top of a haunted hotspot. Then the horror really begins. Elliott realises that while he's roaming the dream world, something is occupying his body. And one day, it decides not to give it back.

From the electrifying first chapter right through to the breathless climax, this book gripped me. Even when I was terrified and squeaking under the duvet, I couldn't stop reading. The descriptions are sumptuous and evocative; Past Times, the working museum where Elliott goes to work, is brilliantly conceived and described. I also liked the skilful way Michelle Harrison unfolded her characters' secrets, showing only enough to move the story along and never giving anything away until she's ready, so much so that I'm starting to wonder if she is secretly Derren Brown. Ophelia, Elliott's colleague at the museum, was especially fascinating and I really felt for Elliott's long-suffering father. Fom the very first moment, I could picture their squalid flat and imagine the dull drudgery of their day to day existence. I wanted to read on as fast as possible but also to linger over the masterful use of words. What I longed to do more than anything was to give Elliott a big motherly hug.

If you're after for a high quality ghost story then look no further; as scary as The Woman In Black but with a truly terrifying concept at its heart - anyone who has suffered the nameless dread of sleep paralysis will shudder in recognition at some scenes, and probably wonder whether there really was something lurking in the darkness as they lay there, unable to move. I know I did.

I read this book before going to sleep each night and it kept me awake long after the light went out. As Mummy to a one year old, the only places I get a bit of peace and quiet are in bed or soaking in the bath. Thanks to Unrest, I won't be relaxing in either for a while.

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