Magic Lessons

MAGIC LESSONS by Justine Larbalestier
Category: Paranormal
Age Recommendation: Grades 9+
Release Date: 3/16/06
Publisher: Razorbill
Reviewed by: Jocelyn Pearce
Rating: 5 Stars

MAGIC LESSONS is the second book in Justine Larbalestier’s trilogy, and it’s just as wonderful and gripping as MAGIC
OR MADNESS! In this book, there are just as many questions as in the first, as every answer Reason finds only leads to
more questions. For everything that’s resolved, there are five more things that I was anxious to find out as I read on! There
is plenty of suspense in this book.

Reason, Tom, and Jay-Tee have all stepped through Esmeralda’s magic door into Sydney, leaving behind Reason’s evil
grandfather, Jason Blake, as well as Jay-Tee’s older brother, Danny, in New York. They’re being taught magic by
Esmeralda, even Reason and Jay-Tee, though they’re still not sure they trust her the way Tom does. They’ve had some bad
experiences with magic, but they know now that they have to use it, or else they’ll go crazy, like their parents. However,
every time they use magic, they lose a little time being alive. Magic is not the blessing it is in other books; in the world Justine
Larbalestier has created, it’s more of a curse.

The door between Sydney and New York is acting strangely. At first, they think it’s because of Jason Blake, but it turns out
to be something much more frightening and mysterious. They’re not sure what it is, but Reason knows something about
whatever it is that the rest of them don’t: It’s a Cansino. She and Esmeralda are related to it. One more thing: it’s old. As in,
centuries old. Reason isn’t sure what to make of this information, but she doesn’t trust Esmeralda, so she’s not telling anyone.

Then she loses her chance to share it. She is sucked through the door into New York. Reason’s not as lost as she was the
first time; after escaping the scary, stinking old man-like creature standing in front of the door, she finds Jay-Tee’s brother
Danny, and stays with him. She can’t go back to Sydney; the old man, the Cansino, is guarding the door. She could always
buy a plane ticket home (or, rather, Danny could buy her one; money is nothing to him, and she has none), but there are a
few things keeping her in New York. One, she wants to find out more about the man guarding the door, and maybe do
something to get rid of him if Esmeralda figures out what he is. Two, there’s Danny…

Sequels often don’t live up to the high expectations set by the previous books, but MAGIC LESSONS sure does! It’s just
as great as MAGIC OR MADNESS. One thing that I like about these books is Justine Larbalestier’s magic system; it’s
very original, and it seems more realistic that, if magic existed, it would have a price. That makes this much darker than a lot
of books about kids who find out they have magical powers, and also adds some extra awesomeness to an already great
book.

The number of questions being far more than the number of answers also adds something to this novel. Even though I usually
think that a book is made less wonderful by a cliff-hanger ending, I don’t think that’s the case in these books. First of all, the
main conflict of the book is resolved, but, as all answers do in Justine Larbalestier’s books, those resolutions bring new
questions to be answered in the following story. Nothing here has been what it has seemed to be so far, but everything also
makes perfect sense. Add this to great writing, wonderful characters, and brilliant ideas, and you’ve got an amazing trilogy! I
absolutely cannot wait for book number three.