I am pleased to finally be able to finish A Pinch of Magic by Michelle Harrison courtesy of my growing fondness for this picture I took earlier this month. The concept was actually inspired by a favorite middle-grade book of mine that I read a year ago titled The Storm Keeper's Island by Catherine Doyle in which the characters used candles as the medium of their magic. A brief glance at the new title seemed to pitch the idea and in an instant I found myself cradling the book and some candles for a spontaneous photo session.
A Pinch of Magic follows the story of the three Widdershins sisters on the island called Crowstone. Fliss is the oldest, prettiest, and very proper; the second daughter Betty is very adventurous and determined; while the youngest Charlie is the most curious of all. They live with their Granny who runs a family business: an old inn called The Poacher's Pocket while their father is far away in prison.
Even though not even once have they ever left the island, it never occurred to Betty that it is all because of a curse passed down for generations. When Granny finally lets them in on the secret along with some magical possession, Betty feels like her world just turns upside down. Together, the sisters try to go on a quest to break the curse. But it seems like an impossible thing to do, especially when a lot of things don't go as they planned.
As expected from the start, this book was full of magic. Even though the map did not cover every place the sisters set foot in, I still considered it really pretty. Michelle Harrison's writing style was very easy to follow and the pacing of the story was perfect. It was also really interesting trying to figure out the origin of the curse alongside Betty and her sisters especially because of how badass they were for a middle-grade book's characters.
Like every other reader, I might not have any clue regarding why or how did the curse happen in the beginning chapters, but even then, I had been quite certain that the ending would be fulfilling and heartwarming. With that belief, I should have been more relaxed, more content as there was nothing to be so anxious about. What happened was quite the opposite though: I couldn't help feeling frustrated (and truthfully slightly irritated) every time the three sisters were being too naive. I was fully aware that they were still children, but the quest you guys were into was far more than dangerous, shouldn't you be more careful and cooperate? I held my scream.
Thankfully, the character development was great that in the end I loved their bond so much. It also turned out that I had correctly predicted the vibes of the ending: albeit a part of it was too good to be true, the fairy tale-like closing was still very adorable. If this book was ever turned into an animated movie, wouldn't it be so cool? Maybe it has to do with the ending being like that, but somehow I imagine the vibes would be a lot like Disney's Tangled where Rapunzel has two sisters and a more risky task to do.
In conclusion, I quite enjoyed A Pinch of Magic and the tale in it. If you want to read a middle-grade book with Disney's vibes in it, I think this book should be amongst your list.
Actual rating: 3.2★
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