Secrets & Stories, Truth & Lies

SPOILER ALERT
This review is for those who have read or are familiar with the previous book, The Magic Misfits, or don't mind knowing spoilers for it. SPOILER ALERT

~The Second Story~
The Magic Misfits
Book 2
Written by Neil Patrick Harris Illustrated by Lissy Marlin & Kyle Hinton
Amazon ~ Powell's

Growing up in an orphanage, Leila was bullied for being different. But she turned her hardship into skill by becoming an escape artist—a valuable trait when belonging to a group of magical best friends. When a famous psychic comes to town, however, Leila and her pals won't be able to escape the big mystery heading their way. Whether chasing mad monkeys or banishing ghosts from haunted hotels, these six friends will do their best to keep Mineral Wells safe—but can they still protect themselves in the process?

Join the Magic Misfits as they discover adventure, friendship, and more than a few hidden secrets in this delightful new series. Whether you're a new fan of stage magic or a longtime expert at illusion, Magic Misfits is sure to delight even more than sawing your assistant in half!


I'm really getting to like this series. There are just so many clever aspects to love, starting with just the cover. First, the center character on each cover is the narrative focus of the story. Second, each upsidedown image is one of the members of the previous secret magic club, and serves as a major player in this book's story - though not always the antagonist (after all, the first book had Mr. Vernon on the cover, not Bosso).

I also like how this cover subtly alludes to Leila's connection to Sandra by having her also upsidedown, even though she doesn't pull this trick in the story.

Plus, the character designs are always dynamic and expressive, and this cover especially draws the eye with its fabulous colors.

As with the first, this book also has secrets for readers to uncover, even outside the story. This time we're introduced to Morse Code and substitution ciphers. There are multiple untranslated strings of Morse Code throughout the book, with the chart available for reference at the back. Unfortunately, in an ebook the chart isn't as easily 'flipped to', so I had to google a copy on my phone for these parts. Not a deal-breaker by any means, but a physical book is probably the best version for this reason (though I'm curious how an audiobook tackled these).

The Second Story's story hit me a bit harder than the last one. Not to hold anything against Carter, but I found Leila's battle with her emotions regarding her adoption a bit more tear-jerking than his. With the starting flashback to Leila's adoption, I knew the story would have some focus on her abandonment, but that didn't lessen the blow when the tough discussions came around. I don't want to spoil anything in regards to how things end up, but I loved the honesty and maturity that everyone had when addressing her adoption and what choices she could make.

I think that's what impresses me the most with these stories - the maturity combined with an ease of access. I wouldn't describe any of the characters as stupid, which is a problem I have with books even for older groups. If one of our crew does do something dangerous, they usually have a logical reason for doing so (even if that reason is rebuked later). In fact, the adults foster independence deliberately for the kids' growth, not out of stupidity or ignorance. I'm still not sure of Mr. Vernon's full reasons for not being more open about his past, other than it makes for a better mystery, but I trust the truth to come out eventually and I hope it has convincing reasoning behind it.

The tone of the narration has improved for me. The vocabulary lessons are gone (thank goodness), and the exposition is given as more of a showman's voice than an adult talking down to a kid. I think that's what they were going for in the first book, but it didn't always come off that way. Of course, this lends itself well to the magic lessons throughout the book, but also made Leila's story more engaging - easier to sink into and less like a lecture you're supposed to study (sorry, those vocab portions in the first book really got to me).

Overall, a great continuation of what looks to be turning into a great series. Dynamic characters, compelling plots, a cozy setting halfway between modern (still no cell phones?) and fantasy, and magic that encompasses more than just parlor tricks. No doubt there are those who will assume that the books sell just because of the actor's name on the cover, or that it's just a quick cash-grab to push out a kid's book, but I can't believe anyone would claim that if they'd actually read these books. The messages of inclusivity, kindness, forgiveness, and love all wrapped up in a story of fun and magic should be proof enough of the quality of the writing (nevermind the illustrations). And I, for one, can't wait to continue the Misfits' story!