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A review by whatsmacksaid
Magic or Madness by Justine Larbalestier
2.0
I read this once before, nearer when it first came out. The one thing I remembered from that was thinking that the title was better than the actual story.
It wasn't quite the case this go-round, but I was disappointed by how shallow everything was. It's a plot-driven YA book, perfectly suitable for an enjoyable read. There was no interrogation of what "madness" actually entailed, or what--if anything--made the magic-driven madness that plagues Reason's family made it different from regular mental illnesses or mood disorders. We get to meet Reason's mother exactly once, and she's portrayed as a dim version of herself because she's hopped up on antidepressants and antipsychotics.
All in all, it's fine. It's just not great, either.
It wasn't quite the case this go-round, but I was disappointed by how shallow everything was. It's a plot-driven YA book, perfectly suitable for an enjoyable read. There was no interrogation of what "madness" actually entailed, or what--if anything--made the magic-driven madness that plagues Reason's family made it different from regular mental illnesses or mood disorders. We get to meet Reason's mother exactly once, and she's portrayed as a dim version of herself because she's hopped up on antidepressants and antipsychotics.
All in all, it's fine. It's just not great, either.