Order of the Majestic by Matt Myklusch - ADVISABLE

Order of the Majestic by Matt Myklusch, 421 pages.  Aladdin (Simon), 2019.  $19

Content: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Joey, 13, just aced the state standardized test and he’s been called to take a special test for a special school.  Instead, he is given a box of magic tricks and told to master as many as he can in one hour.  When he masters them all, he finds a key which transports him to a derelict theater where he finds Redondo the Magnificent, a magician who has been missing for 20 years. Joey is in contention with two other kids to see who will inherit Houdini’s Wand and be the next keeper of the magic for the almost defunct Order of the Majestic, a group that was devoted to letting everyone in the world experience magic. But the Invisible Hand, magicians who want to keep all magic to themselves, send someone to sway Joey to their side.

While Joey’s waffling plays into the finale of the story, it can get very annoying as a reader. I wanted Joey to embrace magic as real, not just tricks.  I guess that means I became emotionally invested!

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS