Magic or Madness (2005)

I loved Justine Larbalestier's Liar, and I think in a way it spoiled me for this book, which is equally readable but a bit less intricate, and requiring less thought. The basic idea is encapsulated in the title, which makes it very annoying that the main character, Reason, spends at least half the book not getting it -- it doesn't come as a big revelation to the reader, if they can put one and one together to make two.

My other problem with it was how prevalent the slang was. It's like Justine Larbalestier did some basic research on what teens are saying in Australia and NYC lately, and then crammed all of it in, in every other sentence. That'll quickly make it feel dated, and it feels so contrived. The fact that she needs a little glossary in the back to make things clear is kind of annoying.

The characters themselves haven't gone anywhere much, but I have hope for them. I'm most interested in Esmeralda, really: I found the portrayal of her for the most part one-dimensional, except for at the end where she shone. I like the moral ambiguity, and I hope it's expanded upon. That could make it very interesting. I'm not so drawn by Jay-Tee, Reason and Tom.

Magic or Madness is a pretty quick, fun read, but I don't like it nearly as much as I liked Liar. If I were to recommend Larbalestier's work to someone for the first time, I'd suggest they read Magic or Madness first, and figured out if they were interested in reading the rest, before going onto Liar, simply because Liar raised my expectations very high, and consequently reduced my enjoyment of this book. ( )

Bad language: on top of the pottymouth two "lame"s and one "it hurt like buggery".

It's just not working for me. :/

Part 1 of the Magic or Madness trilogy. The protagonist, Reason, is an Australian teen who has grown up on the run with her mother. She has always been warned that her grandmother believes in magic and is evil. When Reason's mother goes insane, Reason is sent to live with this grandmother. A good start to a trilogy. The writing and plotting were both fine and not intrusive. The book stands alone all right in that it resolves the plot points it raises overtly, while still leaving questions to be answered in a broader story arc. Plus, any female protagonist who thinks about Fibonacci numbers all the time is okay by me. ( )

Reason has been taught by her mother, Sarafina, that there is no magic, only logic, science, and of course reason. All her life, this brilliant child has been on the run from her evil grandmother. Esmerelda believes strongly in magic, and tried to teach Sarafina to do the same, but to no avail. Not long after Reson turned 15, Sarafina was drivin insane by the wicked Esmerelda, giving her daughter no choice but to give in and return home with her grandmother in Sydney Austrailia. After some serious snooping, Reason discovers a magical door that opens into New York! Maybe her grandmother was right all along! Maybe magic did exist! In order to return home, poor Reason must meet some very interesting people, go on some very intriguing adventures, and learn some very old secrets. This book is a must read!

Reason Cansino and her mother, Sarafina, are on the run from Reason's wicked grandmother, Esmeralda, who believes magic is real and does unspeakable things because of it.But when Sarafina attempts to take her own life and is taken to a psychiatric institution, Reason has no choice but to come live in her terrible grandmother's house! This is an average urban fantasy for Young Adults. The idea was good, but the constantly switch in POVs and the simplistic approach to the plot made it a bit difficult to read. Two stars overall, one more because of a good story idea. ( )