Language: G (3 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG-13 (bullying, physically fighting, peril, danger)
BUYING ADVISORY: MS - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
After trouble at home in North Carolina, 12yo Jax Freeman is sent to Chicago to live with his grandmother and uncle. Almost immediately, he begins seeing strange things—and soon discovers he’s a summoner, descended from a long line of them. Thrown into a new school, Jax meets friends who share similar magical abilities and begins a crash course in his hidden heritage. But Chicago has its own problems. One of his new friends goes missing, the city’s five magical families are locked in bitter feuds, and the Freeman name has carried blame and suspicion for generations.
Young and inexperienced, Jax and his friends must risk everything to find their missing friend, mend the rift between the families, and clear his family’s name once and for all.
A lot is happening here—between the world-building, the history of the magic, and the heritage behind it all, it was sometimes a lot to keep track of. That said, the magical adventure itself was great. Jax is a strong character; he makes mistakes, but he handles the chaos around him with humor, which makes him easy to root for. I enjoyed all of the train references and history. Now that this book has laid much of the groundwork, I think the second installment will be easier to follow. Some parts were explained in detail, while others felt a bit glossed over, but overall, it set up an intriguing start to the series.
All of the characters are Black.
Reviewer: A. Snow, Librarian
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