Reviewed by Jocelyn Pearce for TeensReadToo.com

MAGIC LESSONS is the second book in Justine Larbalestier's trilogy, and it's just as wonderful and gripping as MAGIC OR MADNESS! In this book, there are just as many questions as in the first, as every answer Reason finds only leads to more questions. For everything that's resolved, there are five more things that I was anxious to find out as I read on! There is plenty of suspense in this book.

Reason, Tom, and Jay-Tee have all stepped through Esmeralda's magic door into Sydney, leaving behind Reason's evil grandfather, Jason Blake, as well as Jay-Tee's older brother, Danny, in New York. They're being taught magic by Esmeralda, even Reason and Jay-Tee, though they're still not sure they trust her the way Tom does. They've had some bad experiences with magic, but they know now that they have to use it, or else they'll go crazy, like their parents. However, every time they use magic, they lose a little time being alive. Magic is not the blessing it is in other books; in the world Justine Larbalestier has created, it's more of a curse.

The door between Sydney and New York is acting strangely. At first, they think it's because of Jason Blake, but it turns out to be something much more frightening and mysterious. They're not sure what it is, but Reason knows something about whatever it is that the rest of them don't: It's a Cansino. She and Esmeralda are related to it. One more thing: it's old. As in, centuries old. Reason isn't sure what to make of this information, but she doesn't trust Esmeralda, so she's not telling anyone.

Then she loses her chance to share it. She is sucked through the door into New York. Reason's not as lost as she was the first time; after escaping the scary, stinking old man-like creature standing in front of the door, she finds Jay-Tee's brother Danny, and stays with him. She can't go back to Sydney; the old man, the Cansino, is guarding the door. She could always buy a plane ticket home (or, rather, Danny could buy her one; money is nothing to him, and she has none), but there are a few things keeping her in New York. One, she wants to find out more about the man guarding the door, and maybe do something to get rid of him if Esmeralda figures out what he is. Two, there's Danny...

Sequels often don't live up to the high expectations set by the previous books, but MAGIC LESSONS sure does! It's just as great as MAGIC OR MADNESS. One thing that I like about these books is Justine Larbalestier's magic system; it's very original, and it seems more realistic that, if magic existed, it would have a price. That makes this much darker than a lot of books about kids who find out they have magical powers, and also adds some extra awesomeness to an already great book.

The number of questions being far more than the number of answers also adds something to this novel. Even though I usually think that a book is made less wonderful by a cliff-hanger ending, I don't think that's the case in these books. First of all, the main conflict of the book is resolved, but, as all answers do in Justine Larbalestier's books, those resolutions bring new questions to be answered in the following story. Nothing here has been what it has seemed to be so far, but everything also makes perfect sense. Add this to great writing, wonderful characters, and brilliant ideas, and you've got an amazing trilogy! I absolutely cannot wait for book number three. ( )

I enjoyed the first book of this trilogy much more than this book. I found this one a bit more confusing and harder to follow. A lot of jumping around from Sydney to NYC....and of course the different points of view. I will still read the final book...I want to see how this all ends up! ( )

Magic Lessons is a good book but it doesn't quite stand on its own - it feels a little too in-between for me. The story moves very quickly (both to read and in time - the entire books takes place in just a matter of days) and I wish more time had been spent on learning more about Reason's grandmother and on the teen's magic lessons.

http://archthinking.blogspot.com/2009... ( )

http://lampbane.livejournal.com/542806.html

"Okay, so now it seems like we might get some answers, right? Well, not exactly. We start to touch briefly on the background behind all the magic and how our characters fit into it, but then plot gets in the way and we end up far from any literal magic lessons and it turns into an Anne Rice novel, complete with weird creatures and magically-induced sex. It's kind of like the transition between Witching Hour and Lasher, where you start out with a great concept and then things get very, very weird. I actually feel a bit cheated, because I think we could have spent more time focusing on the whole insanity angle. But it's still a good book, a tad predictable, but well-written."

Having picked the devil-you-know-slightly-more-than-the-other-devil, Reason has returned to Sydney to take magic lessons form her grandmother. Before they can start, however, something strange tries to break through the magical door in the kitchen, and it will take the combined efforts of Reason, Tom, Jay-Tee, and Esmerelda to stop it.
This is a solid follow up to the first book, with its interesting magic system. And how the family manages to reproduce when most of the girls die before they make it to their twenties is made a little clearer. There is an instance of under-age sex that made me uncomfortable, but it was essential to the story - and especially to the third book.
Again, the heavy handed pointing at differences between New York and Sydney slang was a little annoying.
I'd give this to fans of the first. ( )