A Pinch of Magic

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.

A story of sisterhood, overcoming challenges and teamwork.
I loved this book and most especially the three sisters. It took me on a journey I didn’t expect but at its core is great characters and great relationships.

This book is just perfectly magical. Can that be the entire review? No? Okay. But trust me, it is.

Betty Widdershins is the middle sister of three, and together with 17 year old Fliss and 6 year old Charlie, she lives with her grandmother (and a cat called Oi!) above their pub on the tiny island of Crowstone. Their mother is dead, and their father is in prison. Betty is itching to get off the island and see the world, but on her thirteenth birthday, Granny breaks some bad news… The girls are beset with a family curse, and may never leave the island. From there, the story takes some enthralling magical twists, but at its heart it is always a story about loyalty, family, strength, and the power of sisterly love.

It’s gorgeous. Opening the book and reading the first page feels like sinking into a bath that’s just the right temperature. The foggy, dark, enveloping atmosphere of Crowstone is almost palpable – and it’s written so beautifully that after a couple of pages I didn’t even notice myself holding the book. I devoured it in one sitting, wrapped in a blanket on a rainy day with Tomte the cat purring on my legs – and if that image sounds tempting, then this is the book for you.

Betty is a fabulous main character, full of pluck and big ideas, but all three of the sisters are wonderfully drawn. I loved that Charlie wasn’t written at all patronisingly, despite being quite a small child, and I loved that Fliss wasn’t at all ashamed of enjoying her own flirtatiousness. There isn’t a single character in this book that doesn’t feel completely real. The magical objects which the girls take possession of are so clever, and well-suited to them (no matter what Betty might initially think!) – actually, all of the magic in this book is so perfectly woven into the setting of Crowstone and the personalities of the Widdershins family. It almost gives it the feel of a fairytale or a legend – something about the story just feels right.

I know I would have fallen head-over-heels-in-love with this book as a kid, so if you know a young reader who’s a fan of Diana Wynne Jones, The House With Chicken Legs, or even E Nesbit, make sure to get them a copy of this when it publishes in February. For older lovers of MG fiction, this is ideal – it’s a book to be rushed through once to discover the ways the story unfolds, and then to be read again slowly and savoured. I’m going to be buying everything else Michelle Harrison ever writes. An absolutely certain five out of five stars.

This was a wonderful story full of the bravery and love of the Widdershins sisters. The three girls are well written characters who could almost leap off the page and be sitting next to you sharing their story. It was bold and dramatic in places, and a little bit scary especially when a large prison inmate becomes entangled in the story. The plot well and truly thickened then and I was so scared for the girls.
Granny Widdershins is a force to be reckoned with and although tough on the outside, she is full of love for these girls,
I could not get enough of the history and curse surrounding the family and wanted to learn more about Sorsha Spellthorn just like Betty, the intrepid explorer sister, Fliss and Charlie are also big personalities and the sisters compliment each other brilliantly,
Without saying too much, the girls need to work together to beat a family curse! Everyday objects are integral in saving the family name and getting back home, where they belong!
This is a must read for children who love adventures, magic and mischievous girls!