Age group: middle school
Twelve-year-old Alyssa McCarthy can no longer stand the toughness of her uncle and wants a better life. But one day she discovers not only the existence of magic, but also a villain hunting her down. The villain uses magic and magical technology to kidnap Alyssa to the Fiji Islands. As much as she wants to go home, she has to face some dangerous challenges first. Not only that, the villain himself must also be defeated. Can Alyssa succeed, even with the help of her mentors?
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I love coming of age stories. I could live on them. I do have to hide my face and squeal every time something embarrassing happens to one of the characters but that is just because I have probably lived it. Poor Alyssa. She loses her parents and cannot handle her Uncle’s strict parenting. She only wanted a better life. Then suddenly she has been kidnapped to the Fiji Islands by an evil villain (whom I actually liked in several glimpses). She has to overcome a lot to be able to harness magic and invention. I love Alyssa but I do have to say that I wish Hailey was better represented. Believe me this book will have some surprises for you. This book is meant for children around middle school and I think that is great. I think middle school children need to read more books where the main character actually has to work to save the day. Alyssa is a REAL character and she has to struggle to get through. She has to deal with stress and indecision but still manages to persevere.
