'Magicalamity' by Kate Saunders
Tom is in shock. He's just discovered that his dad is an escaped fairy on the run and that he is a demisprite – the child of a fairy and a human.
Then he meets his three fairy godmothers who have been summoned to protect him and finds he has to survive their botched magic spells, learn to fly and enter the Fairy Realm to save his parents.
Your reviews
Review by Isabel Loubser
I thought this book was brilliant. The story is about a boy who finds out his dad has been hiding a secret for years, the secret – he's a fairy! When 11-year-old Tom wakes up he finds his house empty apart from a woman who turns out to be his fairy godmother (who hasn't used magic for years, is completely useless at it and can't fly). His godmother tells him his father is in hiding as a bat because the whole Falconer family is after him as they think he committed two crimes – heartbreaking and having a demisprite, Tom. Can Tom and his three fairy godmothers prove his dad's innocence before it is too late?
My favourite character is Dahlia, one of Tom's fairy godmothers, because she is so 'in with the fashion' she wears Chanel wings with a matching handbag and sunglasses. As well as being pretty she is also very clever and smug using humans to her advantage, but she realises what she has been doing and sets her enslaved 'husbands' free.
I am not one for fairy books but the way this book is written is amazing. It draws you into the story and I stayed up for hours reading it, wanting to know what happened next. It uses a modern setting and modern language and this really helps the story flow. The characters are humorous and clever.
Overall this is a great book. I loved it! Anybody would enjoy it. Even if you don't think you like anything to do with magic, give the book a go and you might find that it is one of the best books you will ever read.
Review by Isobel Lawrence
I thought this book was good. Tom Harding thinks he is an ordinary boy but then he discovers his father, Jonas Harding, is an escaped fairy. The Falconers, the ruling family of the Fairy Realm, want him for the death of Milly Falconer who was killed at the Nude Ball fifteen years ago before she was to be married to Jonas. But Jonas left the realm to live a normal life with the person he loved, Tom's mother.
Tom finds out he is a demisprite – half fairy, half human – and that is one of the reasons the Falconers want Jonas. There is also an old fairy law of murdering a fairy by breaking their heart and the Falconers think that is how Jonas killed Milly, but they couldn't be more wrong! Before Tom's father goes into hiding he summons his three fairy godmothers to protect Tom and hide his mother, but strangely they conceal her by turning her into a sundried tomato.
My absolute favourite character would have to be Dahlia Pease-blossom because she is so generous, compassionate and most of all extremely stylish and is quite up-to-date with the world. She reminds me of my older sister. I quite admire her high spirit, courage and determination. To me she is quite a different character from a lot of books and she is quite a fresh person for a book with magic in!
The story is probably one I wouldn't go for but I actually quite enjoyed this book. I love the way Kate Saunders has updated the fairy world and contrasted the busy world with fairies and magic. Overall I thought this book was a virtuous read and I think the characters are fabulous!
Children who have a sense of humour or like amusing books (and I know I definitely do) will really enjoy this book. Children ages 9 to 11 would admire this book, plus those who like magic and a bit of mystery.
Review by Ellie Mackechnie
'Magicalamity' is about a demisprite called Tom and his dad who is a fairy on the run. Tom has to work with his fairy godmothers to try to prove to the fairy court that Tom's dad is not guilty of murdering one of the most powerful fairies in the fairy land.
My favourite character was Pindar because he was always so funny and he always got on so well with Tom. You never really knew where he belonged until the very end.
I thought the story was brilliant because it was so funny and included lots of funny and different magical animals. I also really enjoyed this book because of its amazing ending.
I think anyone who enjoys mysteries will really enjoy this book, but I think you would have to be at least 5 or 6 to understand it and read some of the words.
Review by Isabelle Woodhouse
I thought this book was good. The story is about a boy called Tom who finds out that his dad is an escaped fairy on the run. He soon realises he is a demisprite and that he is wanted for bad reasons. He must leave his life in the hands of three strange fairy godmothers and use their crazy magic to save his dad from ten killer fairies.
My favourite character was Milly Falconer because she was the fairy that overthrew the evil Falconers and made fairyland a better place.
I thought it was a bit of a weird story but it was written with lots of speaking so you could understand the characters. Personally, I would have wanted more description so the settings were clearer in my head. I thought it was extremely funny and quite good.
I think children who like reading funny adventure stories with a touch of magic would absolutely love this book because it is full of adventure, very funny and has lots of strange magic in it.
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