Matt Harry

To escape some bullies, 13-year-old Owen Macready dashes into a book store that seems to have appeared suddenly out of nowhere. The proprietor sells him a rare book titled Sorcery for Beginners, a how-to manual for would-be sorcerers. She also tells him about a centuries-old war between practitioners of magic and those who would destroy it. As if it’s not bad enough that he is now the target of a bunch of magic hating baddies, when he uses his new-found skills against the bullies, he puts show more himself and his friends into the sights of a millionaire who wants the book for his own nefarious purposes.

Sorcery for Beginners: A Simple Help Guide to a Challenging & Arcane Art by author Matt Harry and with illustrations by Juliane Crump is a fun read aimed at Middle Graders. However, although there is plenty of adventure and action to keep kids reading, there is enough humour throughout to entertain adults.

Thanks to Netgalley and Inkshares for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review show less

Sorcery for Beginners is formatted as a textbook, so that the reader can learn magic along with Owen. Owen's story is presented as a case study, demonstrating the practicalities and possible pitfalls of learning magic, and the values expected of magical candidates. Accompanying the case study there are instructions for spells, diagrams, and tidbits of trivia. It's a clever way of presenting a classic good versus evil story in a refreshing way.
The plot is action-packed with plenty of show more excitement to keep you reading. The prose is lively and accessible, the characters engaging and relatable, especially Owen and Perry. I particularly enjoyed the imaginative spell casting, which combines some sort of Tai Chi-inspired somatic movements with magical objects and incantations in various languages.
There were a number of formatting issues in the kindle edition I read, which I understand have now been resolved.
Overall, a hugely enjoyable read, ideal for fans of Eoin Colfer and Lemony Snicket.
Full review available here: https://infinitetypewriters.wordpress.com/2017/10/13/sorcery-for-beginners-by-ma... show less

"Cryptozoology for Beginners" is interesting conceptually, but its execution is lacking in depth and tone. Two of the smarter characters speak with the same stilted vocabulary and nuance that they are almost indistinguishable even though one is an adult and the other is an eighth grader. The side bars were intriguing until the reader realizes that they do not enhance the narrative in any meaningful way, aside from shamelessly promoting the first book in the series, "Sorcery for Beginners". show more Reread Harry Potter instead. show less

The hero of this book is a very ordinary teenager. His mother has decided that she needs more in her life so she has left the family to pursue other interests leaving Owen passing through life. Until his father decides to take a job in another city. While there some bullies start after Owen – he escapes by entering a very unique book store and soon his life is changed.

Owen is offered a book that shows him a spell that can rewind history but it comes with rules and responsibilities. Owen show more agrees to everything but all he cares about is the spell that will bring his family back together but the book will not let him skip steps. Soon he and his friends are in a battle to save the book (and the world?) from an evil millionaire who wants the book for nefarious purposes.

This was a diverting and entertaining read. It was not overly complicated but it is written for middle grades. That being noted it did keep me interested and I’d be very likely to read a follow up book were one to be written. The ending wasn’t perfect and there were some other things that niggled but I honestly can’t say if that is because I’m and old woman or the fault of the book. The things that struck me as being unrealistic may not strike the intended reader as so – I am, of course, reading from an adult’s point of view. I would though recommend this book for any of you that want a diversion from your normal reading or who have children who enjoy the magical, mystical worlds. The illustrations are absolutely charming and truly add to the overall tale. show less