The Magic Misfits by Kyle Hinton, Lissy Marlin, Neil Patrick Harris Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on November 21, 2017
Pages: 256
Goodreads
From award-winning actor, Neil Patrick Harris, comes the magical first book in a new series with plenty of tricks up its sleeve.
When street magician Carter runs away, he never expects to find friends and magic in a sleepy New England town. But like any good trick, things change instantly as greedy B.B. Bosso and his crew of crooked carnies arrive to steal anything and everything they can get their sticky fingers on.
After a fateful encounter with the local purveyor of illusion, Dante Vernon, Carter teams up with five other like-minded illusionists. Together, using both teamwork and magic, they'll set out to save the town of Mineral Wells from Bosso's villainous clutches. These six Magic Misfits will soon discover adventure, friendship, and their own self-worth in this delightful new series.
(Psst. Hey, you! Yes, you! Congratulations on reading this far. As a reward, I'll let you in on a little secret... This book isn't just a book. It's a treasure trove of secrets and ciphers and codes and even tricks. Keep your eyes peeled and you'll discover more than just a story--you'll learn how to make your own magic!)
I purchased this novel completely out of curiosity. Neil Patrick Harris is a talented actor, director, producer, and host, but can he write? In my opinion, yes, he can. “The Magic Misfits” is a delightful read for boys and girls between the ages of nine to twelve. Adventure, magic, and friendship are the main ingredients that make this a great book to read.
From the very beginning of the book, literally, with the table of contents, humor and tricks are just waiting to be read. Reminiscent of coding books and books about magic tricks, this book has it all including a well written story about friendship. How friendship evolves even amongst those who feel that they don’t belong to anyone or anywhere.
Once Carter decides that he has had enough with his uncle’s lack of love, adventure finds him at the next train stop. Circus characters and magicians vie for his attention, but it is that of fellow misfits to which he gravitates. When push comes to shove and good magic versus bad, the misfits band together to perform the magic of their lives. This book is an exciting read, with all the elements of a good page-turner.
As previously mentioned, instructions to perform magic tricks all on your own are dispersed throughout the book. Special hidden messages are also amongst the pages awaiting to be revealed.
I found myself surprised by the enjoyment I felt while reading this book. It was thought provoking without giving you a headache. It made you root for the good guys and boo for the bad ones. It made me laugh out loud and feel good about people and new-found friendships. It made me cheer at the end. Who doesn’t want to cheer at the end of a story?
My daughter started reading this book when I was half way through and she had as much fun with it as I did. “The Magic Misfits” is truly a great book to add to your child’s library.
If your lucky enough to be at Book Expo at the end of the month Little Brown will be handing out arcs of The Second Story by Neil Patrick Harris, which is the sequel to this book. Its scheduled to be released September 25, 2018.
