Thursday, January 7, 2010

The Chronicles of Crestomanci by Dianna Wynne Jones

Volume 1: Charmed Life

Summary:
Cat has always lived in the shadow of his older sister Gwendolyn and has never seemed to mind. She's much better at magic and always seems to be there when he needs help. Her magical talents have the both of them sent to Chrestomanci Castle to learn magic. But when denied learning more advanced magic, Gwendolyn causes such havoc that Cat must be the one to finally stop her.

Assessment: The cover of this book said, "Mad about Harry? Then try Dianna." Never before have these words been absolutely true. All I can add is that I wish I discovered Dianna years ago. Then by this time, as I write this, I would have read all her books. Her stories are fun, full of adventure, and make you feel as though you've stepped into the story itself. Even though these books have a numbered order, you can read any one out of order as each one is different; they are united by the fact that they have the Chrestomanci make an appearance in each. Because of this, I will treat each one as a separate story. In Charmed Life, you will have a great time watch Cat go from a shy young boy to one confident in his magic as he understands that the sister he once thought was protecting him was really just using him. And even though you'll really dislike Gwendolyn, you won't help but be amazed and a bit amused at her magical antics to get noticed in Chrestomancy Castle. Overall, you'll love this book!

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