Review: Magic by Lylian K

It's graphic novel time! I know my own kids have always loved graphic novels and would run to that section first at their school libraries, when their reading day hit. Today's book comes from France and has, now, been translated into English. It's the first book in a 5 book series, and had so a sweet looking witch on the cover and lovely ghosts, that I had to take a peek. Plus, ghosts and witches are exactly what this season calls for! 

MAGIC

The Girl With Purple Hair

by Lylian K.

Illustrated by Audrey Molinatti

Europe Comics

Middle Grade Fantasy / Graphic Novel

58 pages

ages 8 to 12

A baby girl born with purple hair is promptly handed over to a convent by her horrified father, who fears she bears the sign of the witch. And indeed, little Evelyn seems to have strange powers and to attract supernatural manifestations as she grows up among the nuns, who patiently put up with it as best they can. But after one scary “trick” too many, she is entrusted to the care of a hat-maker, who whisks her off to London, where she will learn about much more than making hats! For as Evelyn and her talking cat Benedict will soon find out, Master Neil has a few tricks up his sleeve, too, and his hat shop might not be exactly what it seems…

GOODREADS   /    AMAZON   

MY TIDBITS

With a little mischief and a huge heart, this young witch heads off to meet her destiny and tons of adventure, too.

As the daughter of a man, who hunted witches, Evelyn was taken away from her mother right after her birth thanks to her purple hair...the mark of a witch, he claimed. Fulfilling his promise to his wife not to harm Evelyn, he had her dropped off at a convent. Although the purple hair marked Evelyn for what she was, the nuns took her in anyway and raised her as best they could. As her tricks and uncontrolled magic caused more and more problems, they finally had to give in and find a new place for her—a hat maker in London. But this hat maker might not be what he seems to be.

While the first pages of this novel start with a fairly dark and sad beginning, the tale sprouts off into a lively and fun one afterwards. Evelyn is a little witch, who knows nothing about her past, her powers, or what any of it really means. She's a bit mischievous and strange things do have a way of happening around her, some wanted and some not. But she's a bundle of energy, who has a heart of gold even when she's maybe not behaving the best she could. In other words, she's an adorable character who's hard not to smile at and like.

The illustrations are bright and bring across the scenes nicely. The text font is a bit smaller than I like for this audience level, but the vocabulary and such do fit the age group well. The text falls in short as it should be and balances out with the visual scenes to create a balanced tale. The vibrant attitude Evelyn has and the slight annoyance of her cat, come across very well and add the right amount of humor and cuteness to the tale.

This is the first book in the series and sets the definite beginning steps. While it pretty much wraps up the first, beginning part of Evelyn's journey, it does leave with an open door to the next. This will be a series which needs to be read in order, since it appears that one book builds on the next. The first friends are introduced along with the first problems, and all of it promises to be a wonderful adventure, which middle graders are sure to enjoy.