Magic or Madness (Magic or Madness Trilogy Series #1) Book

The one where Reason's mother goes mad, leaving Reason in the clutches of the grandmother she's been taught is a wicked witch.

I enjoyed this, though like many YA books it was more of a snack than a full novel. (It only lasted me a day and a half! I had to make a special evening trip to the library so as not to face a bookless night!)

I enjoyed spending time with Reason; unlike a lot of YA heroines, she's not whiny, nor are her problems trivial. She is exasperatingly unwilling to listen or ask questions, but she does have a better-than-average excuse (much better than, say, Harry Potter's). Tom and JayTee and Esmerelda and even poor Sarafina are all interesting as well.

I got a little tired of listening to Tom go on and on about Reason's attractiveness; it was so overdone that I began to wonder whether the author felt that she needed to reassure people that even though Tom is interested in fashion, this doesn't mean he's gay, honest. (If that's the reason, it would have been a good idea not to have him use the word 'gorgeous' quite so much, unless it carries different connotations in Australia.)

The climactic battle, which apparently happens entirely in the heads of the participants, is a bit of a letdown. Still, I've put Magic Lessons on my to-read list.

(Locus poll: Magic Lessons #3 YA SFF novel of year)