FANTASTIC FRIDAY: A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd
ABOUT THE BOOK
Introducing an extraordinary new voice---a magical debut that will make your skin tingle, your eyes glisten . . .and your heart sing.
Midnight Gulch used to be a magical place, a town where people could sing up thunderstorms and dance up sunflowers. But that was long ago, before a curse drove the magic away. Twelve-year-old Felicity knows all about things like that; her nomadic mother is cursed with a wandering heart.
But when she arrives in Midnight Gulch, Felicity thinks her luck's about to change. A "word collector," Felicity sees words everywhere---shining above strangers, tucked into church eves, and tangled up her dog's floppy ears---but Midnight Gulch is the first place she's ever seen the word "home." And then there's Jonah, a mysterious, spiky-haired do-gooder who shimmers with words Felicity's never seen before, words that make Felicity's heart beat a little faster.
Felicity wants to stay in Midnight Gulch more than anything, but first, she'll need to figure out how to bring back the magic, breaking the spell that's been cast over the town . . . and her mother's broken heart.
REVIEW
There are some books that just feel right because they click with the reader. For me, this was one of those books. The book made me smile, laugh, and cry, sometimes all at once. I read it slowly on purpose to savor the beautiful writing and imagery. I found Felicity to be a truly unique character with a delightful voice. There were times while I was reading where I just wanted to leap into the book and give her a hug.
Felicity wants more than anything to have a permanent home, but with her mother's wandering heart it doesn't seem like a remote possibility. But when Felicity and her mother and sister arrive in Midnight Gulch, Felicity quickly falls in love with the place and the people, but it's clear her mother doesn't intend to stay long. But maybe with the help of her new friend, Jonah, a local do-gooder named the Beedle, and her own special gift of seeing words hovering over people, just maybe she can find the home she has always yearned for and help her mother do the same.
There isn't a ton of action in this book because it's a story about the personal sorrows of not only Felicity and her family, but the whole town. Sorrows that have yet to heal. Yet despite the struggles that Felicity sees in herself as well as the others around her, her heart continues to hope and the book left me with a really good feeling. And I loved getting to know other members of the community. As soon as I finished it I wanted to pick it up and read it again, it was that good. Highly recommended!
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