Overall: 5/5 star review!
Summary:
Linus Baker is an uptight caseworker with no personal life. He works for the Department in charge of Magical Youth and follows the rules everyday. One day, Extremely Upper Management tells him that he will be going on a top-secret case- an orphanage on an island.
He goes to the island to find the children here are dangerous. The town’s people are afraid of the occupants there too. But as Linus stays, he bonds with the children. He also bonds with the master of the orphanage, Arthur. Linus is a rules and regulations follower. But the orphanage, does not always follow the rules. Will Linus shut the orphanage down? Or will Linus start to think that sometimes the rules are meant to be broke.
My Thoughts:
I cannot tell you how much I loved this book. I do not like fantasy or magical books. This book is not like any other book that I have read. It was so good. I will recommend this book for years to come. This book is one of my favorites this year!
The story just flowed. T.J. Klune is a great storyteller. I fell in love with the story and characters.
I laughed, cried, shouted for joy, and gasped throughout this novel. It was a magical ride clear until the last page! I sure hope this novel is turned into a movie! I have been picturing Kaos from Skylanders as Lucy (even though Skylanders is a cartoon)! Their humor and demeanors are so similar! I also want a sequel to this novel really bad! Every single character was so complex. I thought 6 kids in the orphanage, how on earth will I keep them all separate in my head. But they were so detailed and different that it was easy to tell each one apart.
This story touches on feeling a part of something bigger, feeling a part of a family, discovering yourself, and not letting work take over what truly matters. It is also about standing up for something that you believe in regardless of the backlash. It is about changing hateful minds and seeing the good in everyone. It is so much more than just a story about magic. Here are two quotes that explain it better:
“How can we fight prejudice
if we do nothing to change it? If we allow it to fester, what’s the point?”
“hate is loud, but I think you’ll learn it’s
because it’s only a few people shouting, desperate to be heard. you might not
ever be able to change their minds, but so long as you remember you’re not
alone, you will overcome.”
Conclusion: I could not put this book down. I truly was hesitant about reading this due to the magical elements, but so glad that I did pick it up. It was well worth the hype surrounding this book. I cannot wait for more books by this master storyteller!