Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Read this book aaaages ago and ADORED it, I dunno why I didn't review it. It's excellently written, full of spooky magic and folkloric mystery, the characters are endearing and brilliant (I especially loved Charlie!) and I whizzed through both this book and the sequel in a couple days. It's one of my all time favourite series and recommend it to KS2/3!

This is my first introduction to Michelle Harrison and I am thrilled to have discovered such a charming story and the wonderful Widdershins sisters. The story crackles with magic, the female characters are gutsy and credible with a plot that genuinely keeps you turning the pages to find out if or how the sisters will succeed in breaking an ancient curse that ties them to the village of Crowstone. Off the back of the enjoyment experienced through this book, I have delved straight into the next book 'A Sprinkle of Sorcery'. This is quality children's storytelling which challenges young readers with evocative descriptions peppered with vocabulary to develop young readers' linguistic repertoires and I cannot recommend it heartily enough. Thank you Netgalley for the advance review copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

Another wonderful magical adventure from Michell Harrison . The three girls set out against all Granny’s warnings to try to undo the curse on the family. Full of breathtaking moments of shock, danger and sudden jeopardy and woven together with a beautifully sad framework story we match every terrifying breath as the girls battle against seemingly overwhelming odds. Enchanting and thrilling, an absolute must read for middle grade readers. Every school library will need a copy ! Highly recommended.

This is gonna be a tricky write-up to write. Bear with me as I was approved to read this Advance Reader Copy a year or so ago via NetGalley and I was super intrigued and excited over it as early rumblings were hugely positive and sounded right up my street. However, once approved, I was never in the mood to read it so, earlier this year, I decided to keep it for Believathon if/when it returns. And yet, when I saw the audiobook of this and the sequel, A Sprinkle of Sorcery, was on my library’s Audiobook app, BorrowBox, I requested and thought I would listen to it instead - something I’ve started to do on some of my ARCs I’m kindly received from publishers and I don’t have time to read them and give them my full attention.

Betty Widdershin is the middle sister of three, with Fliss being the oldest at 17 and Charlie at 6. They live with their granny above a pub on the island of Crowstone. Betty is itching to get off the island and see the world. she’s tired of granny’s watching, her mother’s death and her father being in prison. She wants to see the world. Shame that, when she tries on her thirteenth birthday, Granny breaks the news that they girls can never leave the island: they are cursed and if they live the island, they will die.

But Betty didn’t having it. She is going to figure out the way to break the curse and save her family. Shame that the Widdershin family isn’t known for their luck and things go quickly out of control…

Am going to be honest: I think I would have loved this a lot more if I had actually read this and not audiobooked it. Stay with me! I have my reasons.

If I had read this, I would have got swept away with the story, the characters, the writing, the twists and turns. In theory, this would have been perfect reading for me as, over the past few weeks/months, my reading has slowed and gone more crime/thriller. This would have been the perfect antidote for me. Plus, if I was younger than my *mumbles my thirty-something age*, I would have devoured this middle grade. It would have been perfect for me. Family, magic, twist and turns.

However, I audiobooked this, not read it. And because of that, it’s effected my feelings towards this. It took me a while to realise that one or two somethings didn’t click with me with this audiobook, and I couldn’t put my finger on what these were till I was quite close to the end.

I have said quite often to people that the narrator of the audiobook can make or break the audiobook. You have narrators you instantly click with, narrators you grow to like or narrators that you just can’t get along with. And while there’s nothing wrong with the reader of this audiobook, I realised that I never warmed to her in the way I hoped. And it took me till nearly 75% into the audiobook to realise this. And by then, I wanted to know what happened next.

Plus, there are one or two things that happen (twists, character decisions - not going to say what as spoilers) that as a thirty-*mumbles* something, I really didn’t like and I don’t like in when I see in other stories. It feels like a cheat because it appears out of nowhere with no clues. Give me clues to this twist.

So, yeah… I had a bad time with this. But I did like Pinch! I have the sequel on my kindle, ready to go! But I think I’m going to read it rather than audiobook it.

I adored the characters in this book, they were all written so well and I would have loved to have read more books like this when I was younger. We have Betty Widdershins, who finds out on her thirteenth birthday about a curse which means her, her two sisters, Fliss and Charlie, and their grandmother, can never leave their little town of Crowstone. Betty is brilliant; she’s adventurous, imaginative and defiant in the best sense as she wants to lead her own life and not be held back. Fliss is seventeen and used to be thick as thieves with Betty until Granny told her about the curse on her sixteenth birthday, and then she lost her sense of adventure and spirit. Charlie is their younger sister, and at six years old she’s always getting up to mischief; like bringing home rats.
 
Learning about the curse and being given their own magical items – their own ‘pinch of magic’ brings them closer, but also gives Betty the hope that they can break the curse and finally leave Crowstone. Together Betty and Fliss come up with a plan, and Charlie gets her own way and is able to join them on their adventure. Along their way they meet some great, and also not so great, people on their journey and they learn about how the curse was put upon them in the first place. The entire story is just so heartwarming and wholesome and the ending had me in tears on the train, but it was a perfectly written ending.

An enchanting fantasy tale, equally thrilling for it's magic and adventure and characters. The characters were portrayed so well (especially the sisters and their relationship with each other) that coupled with an occasionally edgy and dark plot involving a local prison this felt quite grounded in reality for a children's fantasy novel.

I read most of this on a flight and it made the time whizz by. Perfect for children and adults alike who enjoy a pinch of escapism.

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

An atmospheric and slightly spooky tale of magic and an ancient curse, with strong and likeable central characters.

The Widdershins girls have three magic items handed down to them through the years, though they have no idea where they came from. However, that's not the only thing that is passed down. All girls in the family are cursed to remain at their home of Crowestone, if they leave they die. Betty has always dreamed of adventure so the idea that she can't travel hits her much harder than her two sisters. It also means that she is more determined than anyone else who came before her. She's sure she will be able to find a way to break the curse. Unfortunately, she finds out adventures are not quite as much fun when they are happening to you.
I loved Michelle Harrison's Thirteen series so really wanted to read this book as soon as I heard of it. While I didn't love it as much as the other three books, I did enjoy reading it. I've just discovered another of her books, Unrest, so will be reading that one soon too!

In this book there are 3 girls who must use 3 magical objects they have inherited to lift a curse. The adventure which follows involves understanding the origins of the curse ( Sorcha Spellhorn being imprisoned in a tower), a prison rescue, magic and adventure.

Michelle Harrison is without doubt a good writer. However it was difficult to know what age group to "pitch" it to as Betty and Fliss the older sisters are teenagers. The chapters relating to the prison and pub might not endear themselves to the parents/carers of younger readers of 9-12. I think it had important things to say about prisons but this may not be a popular view. Unrelated to the author's skill and quality of the book is the gender bias which makes it difficult to sell books about girls to young male readers.

When handselling this book I emphasised the magical objects aspect - I liked the "Time Twister" way of dissolving the curse.

There were some great metaphors

"now the curse had ruined them for her, like a tempting but poisoned box of chocolates"

Also :

"she trailed off as a thought pricked her like a thistle"

I feel that this is a book , whilst being enjoyable, is unlikely to have the longevity of some of the author's other books.

A Pinch of Magic is another MG featuring magical realism that is enjoyable. It takes you on a magical adventure with 3 sisters who from the get go you can tell have a close bond. The way the magic within the book is shown through 3 objects adds a very unique touch to this wondrous tale.

What was captivating about this book was first of all the setting. The way that the Isle and the surrounding areas were described didn't give you any idea of what era the story was set. This in my opinion was a good thing as the reader could ultimately make their own mind up about the time and era within the book. I just found it rather fascinating. Also, the way the story was told kept me interested. I do enjoy reading books with different timelines split between them and A Pinch Of Magic did just this. Reading about the sister's adventure and then jumping back in time to the story of a certain mysterious girl was a joyous experience.

The magic within A Pinch of Magic was distinctive and fresh, unlike any other magic I have read in MG fiction. The way the three magical objects each represented one sister was a stroke of genius and I found myself wanting all three of the objects (especially the bag!). It was also great to see how the sister's started to rely on their object to help them in a few sticky situations!

However, despite the positivity I did find a few negatives when reading. I found the pacing to be a little on the slow side and at times I did find myself wishing that the plot would kick up a bit. It was also a tad predictable and I did end up being right about most of the things that happened, which disappointed me a little bit.

A Pinch of Magic despite being a little bit slow to start ended up being a really enjoyable read. It was cleverly written and would be a delightful read for pre teens and even teens alike.

An enthralling, well written magical adventure with convincing world building & a great cast of memorable characters. It takes a little while to get going but overall this is enjoyable fantasy for top JF.

A PINCH OF MAGIC was a sweet read that I loved from start to finish. Focusing hard on sisterly friendship, this story is packed with so much adventure that you just won't be able to stop turning the pages.

The book follows three sisters, Fliss, Betty and Charlie, as they rush to break an ancient curse that keeps their family confined to their island home. Yet when their plans to end the spell only make it worse, they find themselves in a race to save their own lives. Now they begin a dangerous journey, one that will lead them to escaped convicts, magical objects, and dark family truths. But can they break free before the clock strikes midnight… or before their grandmother finds out what they’ve done?

One of things I loved most about this book was that it contained a story within a story, and more than one set of characters lives were at stake. It kept me in a constant state of curiosity as the secondary tale is scattered like breadcrumbs through out the book, containing a mystery I was dying to solve.

However the story mostly unfolds via the middle sister, Betty’s perspective. She is the most independent of the siblings, while the oldest, Fliss - despite her flirtations - is the meeker of the three. Charlie, the youngest is absolutely adorable! A total tom boy character. What really caught my attention about these sisters - aside from the strong bond they shared - was that I think all readers will find something relatable in all of them.

However the girls’ grandmother is one of the most interesting characters I’ve come across in a long time. She is no sweet little old lady - but a tough woman who enjoys a drink, a smoke, and will beat down anyone who dares harm her precious granddaughters. I love that she owns a pub where the girls all help out.

Then there was the idea of magic and the three gifts given to help the sisters on their quest. I love what each unique object does, and I found it realistic that while magical, each item had its limits. Along with the world building and setting - all the place names are suitably gloomy and fairytale like - I was just fully absorbed into this world.

The ending though - while complete - left a few things open. Enough to leave me curious as to what happened to two characters in particular, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that there will be a sequel!

Regardless, I cant wait to see what Michelle Harrison writes next. She is one of my auto-buy authors. I have adored all her books to date and A PINCH OF MAGIC was no exception. This author has such an old school, story-by-the-fire voice that she just draws you into these magical worlds… and doesn't let go!

A magical journey that tugged the heartstrings, A PINCH OF MAGIC is a 5 star read!

This book was a little slow, but was a great story. It had some great characters, a really, really good plot and a fascinating setting. I loved the ending most of all, how everything was resolved was just genius, but it's hard to go into detail about why I liked it without posting spoilers.

I love the way that Michelle Harrison uses magic in her books. I've thought it before when reading the Thirteen Treasures books and I thought it again in this one. The way that each of the items worked and the powers that they had were brilliant. I loved the nesting dolls and how which doll that you placed something in was important to the magic. I loved the way that you had to pull the bag inside out in order to work it (and the fact that you would literally just have to carry it around with you completely empty all the time and hope no one notices) and the mirror, projecting your face randomly into the air in front of the person you're talking to so you just have to make sure they're alone before you use it.

The setting was really interesting. It was really great how it was made to be fairly timeless, so that you could imagine it in the modern day or in any time you wanted really. And the way that the story of the witch was told throughout the plot as girls search for a way to break the curse, slowly revealing so much about her until both the curse and the objects are explained.

It was a very cleverly written book and perfect for any middle grade fantasy fans

I got off to a rocky start with this one because I found the writing very clunky and awkward. It put me off reading it so I dipped in and out of it and it just took me ages to get into it. I also couldn’t work out if it was set in the modern day or in a ‘ye olde’ fantasy world. It sounds daft but it really threw me that I couldn’t work it out.

I am glad I persevered with it though because the story is actually rather lovely. It’s about 3 sisters who find that they are living under a curse – if they leave the island where they grew up they will be dead within a day. Not particularly nice, but they also have a gift of magic objects – normal, everyday items that enable them to move vast distances in the blink of an eye, become invisible and talk to anyone they want whenever they want.

The bond between the sisters and the way they work together whilst bickering and falling out made this book for me. It brings back memories of growing up with my sister and having adventures together even though we didn’t always get on.

After about the first half of the book, the story starts to flow better and even the writing improved. It’s also quite dark at times and I was pleased that it didn’t try to sugar coat the world – I don’t think that ever works, even in children’s books. We’re all of us smarter than to be taken in by that.

So if you’re looking for a children’s book that is full of adventure and sisters supporting each other you could do much worse than this.

My daughter (10) loved this book. The magical elements were intriguing and she loved the story into the story (sorry trying not to give any spoilers). The details of the curse were absolutely amazing and that was her favourite part of the book. Michelle Harrison's writing is engaging but still accessible and she can count my daughter as one of her fans. A well-deserved 5 stars read.

4,5 stars

While I don’t read it as often as I like, Middle Grade fantasy books can be such gems. A Pinch of Magic was one of those for me. When I requested this book there was no cover yet so you can’t accuse me of being lured in by the cover which you have to admit is just gorgeous. I was lured by the synopsis of three sisters and three magical objects.

While this book is in theory about 3 sisters it focuses all its attention on the middle sister, 13 year old Betty. With her 6 year old sister Charlie she tries to sneak across the water to a nearby city for the Halloween celebrations. But as they are leaving the harbor of their town on a boat their grandmother, and caretaker, appears out of nowhere, dragging them back. Betty isn’t having any of it anymore though and demands to know why they are never allowed to leave the town. That is when grandma spills the beans. They are cursed.

Harrison can write. This books is beautifully written. No sentence is even remotely misplaced. We are swept up in the story with Betty and feel for her when she is so held back by her grandma and then learns about the curse. All her dreams, crushed. The book is full of magic and it is great to read about.

While I am rating this book 4,5 stars I do have some complaints. While I think Betty is a rather well rounded characters, I can’t quite say the same for her older sister Fliss who is 16 years old. I feel like she gets the short end of the stick with being characterized as boy crazy and falls very in line to her 3 year younger sisters demands. I can’t quite say that much more about her. That is a shame. I also have one little twitch about the world building as I would have liked a better explanation on how exactly the magical items were created.

However beyond that this story is just a great feel good magic filled story. Great for young and old readers alike. I did see on goodreads that there might be a sequel. The current story wraps up fine however and can easily be read as a standalone. I think that is important, especially in middle grade.

Betty is the middle daughter of three, with dad in prison and mum dead. Their overworked and dispirited granny (when she's not been imbibing her spirits) looks after them in her dilapidated bar.  Betty's disgruntlement gets worse as her older sister, who used to be such fun, is now a sour sixteen year-old.  As Betty reaches her birthday, she discovers the reason why.  The curse is upon her and her sisters.

Some of the world-building gave me cause to twitch, like the so-called 'blood moon', seen in broad daylight.  The terrain confused me, since they were in marshland with mists and fogs, yet with deep channels and rocky coves (and caves) creating a big swell and breakers when a high tide rushing in. But then it is magical-realism, and the terrain doesn't have to be real.

The adult characters were reminiscent of old seadogs, although they were mainly old warders or old lags. Everyone seemed to have a criminal past, but then the whole adventure hinged on releasing a prisoner who promised them the secret of breaking the curse.

I wasn't gripped by this adventure. It was well told, suspenseful, with occasional detours to tell the story behind the creation of the curse. Realising that I was finding it all too easy to put down and forget about, I determined to read to the end in one go.

A Pinch of Magic is an easy read, with plenty of interest for a range of ages in the MG genre. It may be better for girls with sisters than those without, as I found the sisterhood bits saccharine. The solution to the curse was a nice twist on what had seemed to be obvious from a long way out.

The writing is delightful, and the story well told.  It's very good middle grade fare, and I'm probably being over-critical. I'm just a bit disappointed it didn't create as much magic as the blurb did.

Nicely written book with good characterisation and a heightened sense of adventure.

I absolutely loved A Pinch of Magic! It is a mesmerising tale of sisterhood and redemption, curses and magic.

It's a fantastic, magical adventure, with three endearing sisters. It's as much about family and sisterhood as it is about magic, though both elements are totally engaging and captivating. I loved the use of the three magical items, how they each represented their recipient in some way, and how they were used together to drive the story forward. The setting was enthralling, a glimpse into a world I'm longing to explore more. The family relationships are also spot on. The sisters often don't get on, there's a lot of bitching, jealousy and resentment, but ultimately there's sibling love, affection and acceptance.

The Widdershins sisters will stay with me for a long time.

Here’s a list of all the reasons I think ‘A Pinch of Magic’ is Michelle Harrison’s best work to date:
1) Not only am I looking forward to introducing it to young readers, I also get a little feverish thinking about all the books that I could recommend they read afterwards. From authors such as Joan Aiken and Abi Elphinstone, to books they’ll need to wait a few years to read (hello ‘Jamaica Inn’ and ‘Brides of Rollrock Island’). A great book doesn’t just take a place on the shelf, it inspires you to create one around it.
2) It’s possible that I’ve also started thinking about a playlist to accompany the book.
3) And yes, I might have given some consideration to how well it would work as a lavish ten part series. Ideally on BBC One on a Sunday night as part of their Autumn schedule, but I’ll settle for Netflix.
4) At this point I might as well lay my cards on the table and state that I really hope the author has plans to revisit this world she has created. I don’t want to be pushy, but a collection of short stories, a couple of novellas and a prequel would be great.
5) I’d love to read about the Marshfoot fairground on Halloween.
6) A Christmas ghost story based around the cemetery island of Lament would be most welcome.
7) Surely the Poacher’s Pocket ‘with it’s loose tiles and shutters flapping like raggedy feathers’ would be an ideal setting for a night of tall tales. Of the smugglers, sorcerers and shipwrecks that haunt the Sorrow Isles.
8) The cast of memorable and immensely loveable characters.
9) Especially the formidable Granny Widdershins
10) I have to mention Charlie and her constant search for food and furry companions.
11) And obviously Betty Widdershins with her thirst for adventure and her earnest, impromptu mottos (Adventure awaits the audacious!)
12) Without giving too much away, there’s another character who takes flight from a dreadful place and I would really like to learn more about that.
13) I haven’t even seen the map yet! But this book really warrants one.
So, there you go. It was an absolute joy to read and one I know I’ll recommend to readers and revisit myself.