Title: Magic Under GlassAuthor: Jackie Dolamore
Genre: Young Adult. Juvenile Fiction
Publication: December 22 2009, Bloomsbury Publishing
Pages: 225 pages, Paperback
Nimira is a music-hall performer forced to dance for pennies to an audience of leering drunks. When wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to do a special act - singing accompaniment to an exquisite piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it is the start of a new life. In Parry's world, however, buried secrets stir. Unsettling below-stairs rumours abound about ghosts, a mad woman roaming the halls, and of Parry's involvement in a gang of ruthless sorcerers who torture fairies for sport. When Nimira discovers the spirit of a dashing young fairy gentleman is trapped inside the automaton's stiff limbs, waiting for someone to break the curse and set him free, the two fall in love. But it is a love set against a dreadful race against time to save the entire fairy realm, which is in mortal peril.
Okay, before I start this review I'm going to tell you guys a little story. Ahem. *clears throat*
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Once upon a time there was a ten year old little girl. She saw a book in a book pamphlet with a gorgeous cover containing a glass with rose petals and two miniature people standing inside, next to a grand piano, she read the title to, but sadly, after a little while, she forgot the book's name. The little girl desperately wanted to buy this book but her dad said no. As the days wore on, followed by weeks, months and eventually, years. The little girl never forgot the beautiful cover that she saw.
A couple a months after the not-so-little-girl turned 13 she stumbled upon the book on a wonderful website called Goodreads. She gasped out loud as she looked at the cover of a book. Not any book. But THE book. The book she had been trying to find the title of for three years. She quickly added the book to her wish list shelf before she forgot the title again. After completing that little task she hurried to her library's website and checked if they had it in any of her local libraries. AND THEY DID! A couple of week's later the big girl went to the library and to her utter amazement, sitting upon the shelf was THE BOOK. She squealed with delight and hurriedly checked it out. Afterwards she bounced out of the library, a huge grin spread across her face because that not-so-little-girl knew that in her not-so-little pile of library books was the book she had been searching for, that book was Magic Under Glass. And that little girl was me.
A couple a months after the not-so-little-girl turned 13 she stumbled upon the book on a wonderful website called Goodreads. She gasped out loud as she looked at the cover of a book. Not any book. But THE book. The book she had been trying to find the title of for three years. She quickly added the book to her wish list shelf before she forgot the title again. After completing that little task she hurried to her library's website and checked if they had it in any of her local libraries. AND THEY DID! A couple of week's later the big girl went to the library and to her utter amazement, sitting upon the shelf was THE BOOK. She squealed with delight and hurriedly checked it out. Afterwards she bounced out of the library, a huge grin spread across her face because that not-so-little-girl knew that in her not-so-little pile of library books was the book she had been searching for, that book was Magic Under Glass. And that little girl was me.
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Now that you know the background behind me and Magic Under Glass its time for the review!
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The cover is gorgeous. The colours are soft and romantic, contrasting well together. Its mesmerising and relates to the story. The glass top symbolises that they are trapped, the flowers surrounding it relates to the fairies in the story, the piano stands there as Erris is an automaton which comes with a piano to play and he's love for music is shown throughout the book, especially when he becomes animated. Magic Under Glass is definitely one of my favourite book covers and I might just buy my own copy to stare at.
The writing is poetic, making the story even more enchanting. Jaclyn's writing makes you fall in love with the world that's created, you can imagine the fairies flitting through the garden bushes, the automaton sitting at the piano playing the haunting melodies continuously and the sprawling mansion Nimira lives in. Although I found the book a bit slow in the beginning, it quickly picked up pace, I soon became transfixed, not being able to put the book down and flicking the pages in a furious attempt to find out what happens next.
I liked the characters. Nimira was a sensitive and polite girl. She had to cope with her mother's illness that lead to death, her father that was in debt and leaving her luxurious life to become a trouser girl in an unfortunate part of town. On top of that, she was cruelly taunted at for being a different nationality and skin colour to those around her. She was strong and fought for what she believed in. She was in love with Erris and yearned to set him free and she made sure she had tried every possible situation written down to try and get him to live. I couldn't help but admire her for her politeness, patience and the sheer determination to free the one she loved.
I loved Erris, when he was stuck inside the automaton's body it was heartbreaking watching him trying to communicate with Nim, trying to express his love towards her, not just by words, but with actions. He couldn't however, as he had been cursed inside the body of an automaton. Whenever I saw the tenderness both him and Nim expressed towards each other, my heart would ache for them, as all I wanted was for them to be able to hug and for Erris to speak with a voice.
The villains were nefarious in Magic Under Glass. I would clench my fists in frustration at the pure evil that churned inside of them, I wanted to destroy them for the despicable turmoil that they put the characters through. Jaclyn must be a phenomenal writer to make the readers feel such a deep hate for the villains.
The pacing moved at a comfortable pace and the plot held my attention a good 90% through. The beginning started off quite slow as I previously mentioned, but soon I couldn't stop reading. There weren't really twists in the tale, but Magic Under Glass will be perfect with or without twists.
The last few chapters were jammed with action and my eyes were growing as big as the silver moon as I watched it all unfold. The ending ended on a cliffhanger and I will definitely be ordering the sequel from The Book Depository.
There was only really one minor issue I had with Magic Under Glass and that was the author should have built up the relationship between Nim and Erris a bit more. They were just friends and then in love and I detest insta-love. The romance didn't build up and their romance wasn't really shown throughout the book.That is really my only complaint.
With an amazingly unique storyline, poetic writing and a seemingly impossible love, Magic Under Glass will leave you with a sense of wonder and warmth. You will find yourself falling dangerously in love with the enchanting characters, the magical setting and forbidden love. Magic Under Glass is one of the sweetest love stories I've read this year...
I give it: 4/5 CUPCAKES!
The writing is poetic, making the story even more enchanting. Jaclyn's writing makes you fall in love with the world that's created, you can imagine the fairies flitting through the garden bushes, the automaton sitting at the piano playing the haunting melodies continuously and the sprawling mansion Nimira lives in. Although I found the book a bit slow in the beginning, it quickly picked up pace, I soon became transfixed, not being able to put the book down and flicking the pages in a furious attempt to find out what happens next.
I liked the characters. Nimira was a sensitive and polite girl. She had to cope with her mother's illness that lead to death, her father that was in debt and leaving her luxurious life to become a trouser girl in an unfortunate part of town. On top of that, she was cruelly taunted at for being a different nationality and skin colour to those around her. She was strong and fought for what she believed in. She was in love with Erris and yearned to set him free and she made sure she had tried every possible situation written down to try and get him to live. I couldn't help but admire her for her politeness, patience and the sheer determination to free the one she loved.
I loved Erris, when he was stuck inside the automaton's body it was heartbreaking watching him trying to communicate with Nim, trying to express his love towards her, not just by words, but with actions. He couldn't however, as he had been cursed inside the body of an automaton. Whenever I saw the tenderness both him and Nim expressed towards each other, my heart would ache for them, as all I wanted was for them to be able to hug and for Erris to speak with a voice.
The villains were nefarious in Magic Under Glass. I would clench my fists in frustration at the pure evil that churned inside of them, I wanted to destroy them for the despicable turmoil that they put the characters through. Jaclyn must be a phenomenal writer to make the readers feel such a deep hate for the villains.
The pacing moved at a comfortable pace and the plot held my attention a good 90% through. The beginning started off quite slow as I previously mentioned, but soon I couldn't stop reading. There weren't really twists in the tale, but Magic Under Glass will be perfect with or without twists.
The last few chapters were jammed with action and my eyes were growing as big as the silver moon as I watched it all unfold. The ending ended on a cliffhanger and I will definitely be ordering the sequel from The Book Depository.
There was only really one minor issue I had with Magic Under Glass and that was the author should have built up the relationship between Nim and Erris a bit more. They were just friends and then in love and I detest insta-love. The romance didn't build up and their romance wasn't really shown throughout the book.That is really my only complaint.
With an amazingly unique storyline, poetic writing and a seemingly impossible love, Magic Under Glass will leave you with a sense of wonder and warmth. You will find yourself falling dangerously in love with the enchanting characters, the magical setting and forbidden love. Magic Under Glass is one of the sweetest love stories I've read this year...
I give it: 4/5 CUPCAKES!
