Magic or Madness

Magic or Madness by Justine Larbalestier
Reason for Reading: YA Reading Challenge
Rating: 4/5

I've been following Justine Larbalestier's blog for a while because I think she has interesting things to say on it, but I had honestly not read a single one of her books before. So at the library one day, I decided to rectify the situation, and I checked out Magic or Madness.

MOM is about a girl named Reason who is being sent to live with her wicked witch old grandmother, the woman she and her mother have spent her whole lifetime running away from.

Reason knows from the stories her mother's told her that her grandmother, Esmeralda believes in magic and all sorts of nasty things, like killing cats and hurting people with charms. Reason knows it isn't real, but her mother, now crazy as a loon and locked up in a mental hospital, has warned her not to trust her grandmother.

I can't say too much more about this book without giving everything away, but you're probably already guessing (and the book cover reveals) that magic is real, and Reason will have to review what she believes and who she trusts.

Larbalestier creates an interesting take on magic that keeps this book more firmly in the real world than your usual fantasy. I liked that element, as well as learning Australian slang from main character Reason, who's an Aussie.

This book kept me reading because I wanted to learn more about magic and what it would end up meaning for Reason and her friends. My only complaint is that by the time everything was explained, the book was almost over and I was ready for more. I know there are two other books in this series, which I will need to pick up from the library at some point.