Magic, Madness, and Mischief by Kelly McCullough

Abstract

Reviewed by: Magic, Madness, and Mischief by Kelly McCullough Sarah Sahn Mccullough, Kelly Magic, Madness, and Mischief. Feiwel, 2018 [288p] Trade ed. ISBN 978-1-250-10783-1 $16.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-1-250-10782-4 $9.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 6-9 At thirteen, Kalvan does his best to take care of his reality-impaired mother and puts up with his short-tempered stepdad Oscar for her sake. When Kalvan's dreams of fire start to manifest in real life, however, he discovers that his mom is so fragile because the fire magic that runs in their family damaged her mind, and Oscar seems to be in league with a dark entity that has taken up residence in the tunnels that run underneath the city. It's up to Kalvan to gain control of his new powers and figure out what Oscar's up to, with the help of his best friend Dave and a fire elemental named Sparx, whom Kalvan accidentally summoned in a mishap involving a nail in an electrical socket. (Like most thirteen-year-old boys, Kalvan doesn't always make the best decisions.) McCullough smoothly blends family drama, school story, and magical coming of age in this entertaining fantasy. Kalvan is artsy and introspective, fitting in perfectly at his alternative school (where, it turns out, a lot of other students and even some teachers have magical abilities), but he's also restless and impulsive, which gets him into constant trouble. Sparx is a hilarious magical mentor, offering sardonic commentary from the sidelines when he's not telling Kalvan off for his latest misuse of magic or helping him investigate Oscar's intentions. The plot, involving a mystical crown that's supposed to change hands with the seasons, gets a little tangled, but the humor and action make that easy to overlook. Fans of Percy Jackson will be eager to hop into Kalvan's world. SS Copyright © 2017 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois