Tuesday 6 May 2014

Review: Maggie Malone and the Mostly Magical Boots by Jenna McCarthy, Carolyn Evans

You know I love middle grade books; but this book is the one I can't recommend to everyone.. Read on!


Original Title: Maggie Malone and the Mostly Magical Boots
Author: Jenna McCarthy, Carolyn Evans
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Release Date: May 6th, 2014
Source: Review copy from the publisher
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

For Maggie Malone every day is Freaky Friday with the help of her very special new boots

When Maggie Malone's Aunt Fi gives her a pair of used, scuffed, plain brown boots for her birthday, she's less than impressed. Why couldn't her life be more like Tween pop sensation Becca Star? Instead Maggie's stuck going to a new school in ugly boots. Until she wakes up in Becca's shoes-literally. Maggie's new boots are magical. They won't make broccoli taste like macaroni and cheese, but they will let her spend a day in the life of anyone she chooses.

REVIEW

Maggie Malone is having the worst day of her life.  Her new school Pinkerton is just the real hell she don't want.  Why does her father has to change her schools all of a sudden?  How is she ever going to make new friends?  This is not getting any better when her best-presents-giving-aunt gives her a battered boots as her 12th birthday gift.

But, these boots are something special.  Wear the boots and enter into someone else's world just as that someone else.  And nobody told Maggie about that and now she is the popular Pop star, Becca Starr!  For one day!  She IS her favorite rock star, Becca!  Literally!  Oh well, things are not always what they seem...

This is a new to me author, so I didn't have any expectations.  And this is a very safe genre - middle grade..you can't go wrong very bad here.  So, when I picked it up, I was open to whatever they throw at me.  Actually, although I was not surprised big time, I really enjoyed this one.  There is no engaging message or plot.  This is a simple one day from a celebrity's life.  And I enjoyed knowing it.  I was always attracted to 'behind the scenes' activities casted on television.  So, this naturally made me enjoy.

I still felt like I still don't know enough of Maggie here.  It's a short read and as I said it's just a sheet in the life of some celebrity.  So, there is not much covered about the main character.  But, in this short span of reading time, I felt like I have known the celebrity, Becca Starr, better than Maggie.

And yeah, about the boots!  Well, it's a middle grade 'fantasy', after all.  And except for moving you to someone else's life, the boots doesn't do anything much.  So, if you expect some sparkling Tinker-Bell fantasy here, please back out.  This is more like Dorothy's shoes, just a very minor version.

The prose style is simple and easy for the kids to enjoy.  Middle graders will devour it, if they are interested in behind-the-scene information.  But, adults can just get this in a library for a short read..this is not a keeper for you.

3.5 STARS!

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...