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book_gremlin42's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Death
nobody7734's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
I ADORE the tongue in check meta narrative of hey this book series is a magic manual
Very much one of the books id specifically have my kid read to influence their subconscious into understanding magic principles
Very much one of the books id specifically have my kid read to influence their subconscious into understanding magic principles
whimzee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
lfsalden's review against another edition
3.0
Not quite to my taste.
Was that because it takes place in a city?
Or it was text instead of audiobook?
The set-up was perfect! Mysterious book leads to adventure, young characters grows in confidence!
Maybe the antagonist was too big. Maybe I'm too old.
Was that because it takes place in a city?
Or it was text instead of audiobook?
The set-up was perfect! Mysterious book leads to adventure, young characters grows in confidence!
Maybe the antagonist was too big. Maybe I'm too old.
roseofbattles's review against another edition
5.0
Just as good now as it was when I read it first, twenty years ago.
lumilammas's review against another edition
5.0
I really don’t have any idea how I didn’t come across this when I was young, but I’m glad to have found it now!
dylan_tomorrow's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, I am in love with this series! The descriptions of the speech and magic alone are so entrancing, and then on top of that the wonderful friendship between Kit and Nita, wonderful. Why is there no German translation? Do I have to translate it myself? :D
Oh, and I went and bought all of them for just 16$, muahaha!
Seriously everyone, go and buy this series now :D. (There are also free samples to star off with of course ^^)
Oh, and I went and bought all of them for just 16$, muahaha!
Seriously everyone, go and buy this series now :D. (There are also free samples to star off with of course ^^)
babymac's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
badseedgirl's review against another edition
3.0
I’m pretty sure I should not have had as much trouble getting started in So You Want to be A Wizard by Diane Duane as I did. This novel just did not catch me in the beginning, and I’m not sure why. I suspect I found this novel too late in life. If I had read it as a tween/young teen it might have resonated more than reading it as a middle age woman. I guess one thing that threw me off was the bantering amount of physic terminology that I found distracting in preteen kids. Once I got past that, I did enjoy the novel.
Because it is a novel about young wizards learning their skills, much comparison is made between this novel and “Harry Potter.” I think it is really unfair to both novels. First off, although people may have discovered it after “Pottermania,” So You Want to Be a Wizard was actually written in 1983, more than 10 years before JK Rowling spawned her adorable brood of wizards. In Ms. Duane’s novel, the children are basically left to themselves to learn magic by trial and error from a text book. To me this novel reminded me more of Michael Ende’s marvelous The Neverending Story. A story about a young child who becomes engrossed in books, because of an inattentive parent. I know Nita’s parents try to be supportive of her, but let’s be honest, they fail. This child(ren) saves the world on their own, and learns how powerful they are in the process will resonate with any child struggling to fit into a world.
I think it is also important to remember that this novel is about children of color, years before this was an issue with media attention. Although not much is made of it in the novel, Kit (Christopher) is in fact Hispanic, and starts to learn magic because he keeps getting beat up because of his accent.
I’m not sure if I will read more of these novels. There is just a ton of them, 10 in all, and I’m not sure I want to invest more time in them. Not because they were bad but I just don’t know if I can appreciate them like I would have as a young person. 3 of 5 stars
Because it is a novel about young wizards learning their skills, much comparison is made between this novel and “Harry Potter.” I think it is really unfair to both novels. First off, although people may have discovered it after “Pottermania,” So You Want to Be a Wizard was actually written in 1983, more than 10 years before JK Rowling spawned her adorable brood of wizards. In Ms. Duane’s novel, the children are basically left to themselves to learn magic by trial and error from a text book. To me this novel reminded me more of Michael Ende’s marvelous The Neverending Story. A story about a young child who becomes engrossed in books, because of an inattentive parent. I know Nita’s parents try to be supportive of her, but let’s be honest, they fail. This child(ren) saves the world on their own, and learns how powerful they are in the process will resonate with any child struggling to fit into a world.
I think it is also important to remember that this novel is about children of color, years before this was an issue with media attention. Although not much is made of it in the novel, Kit (Christopher) is in fact Hispanic, and starts to learn magic because he keeps getting beat up because of his accent.
I’m not sure if I will read more of these novels. There is just a ton of them, 10 in all, and I’m not sure I want to invest more time in them. Not because they were bad but I just don’t know if I can appreciate them like I would have as a young person. 3 of 5 stars