GJSHS book reviews

New York City really has magic after all.  And fairies and ogres and trolls and pixies.

Katie moved to NYC a few years ago to live with some friends from college and get away from running the family feed store in Texas.  She hasn’t had much luck though.  No boyfriend, tiny paycheck, and a boss that is an ogre.   When she just can’t take it anymore – the blind dates every weekend, walking miles to and from work because she can’t afford the subway, and tiptoeing around the bosslady – she receives a strange email from Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc offering her a job.  They sell spells to the magical population of NYC and it seems Katie has the one ability they don’t – she is totally unmagical.  Magic just doesn’t work on her.  She can’t see it or feel it and a spell doesn’t affect her.  MSI needs her to spot fake spells, catch hidden clauses in contracts with clients and competitors, and detect magically disguised intruders.  After being so average for so long, Katie begins to feel special.  Having a crush on the super cute, very shy, ultrapowerful head of Research and Development adds some drama to an already exciting story about fighting the evil black magic in the world.

I loved the part where Katie’s new coworkers take her out one Friday night to find some princes – kissing frogs in the local pond.  It’s a sweet story with a happy ending and a new way to look at all those wackos NYC.

-M. Funke, Librarian