the idea is fantastic but the execution didn’t really get there.

this had the general idea but didn’t get the details right and it seems like the author didn’t want to make sure that it all made sense since most of what happens in this book and how it happens makes absolutely no sense. 

it’s an underdeveloped story with underdeveloped characters -the main character being someone that could not see herself more with a crown on her r head of she tried to doodle it on a picture of herself! - and other characters that are basic cut out types to stereotypes to fit a specific role: the supportive friend, the good looking best guy friend, the bad unfair bullying guy who is actually horrendous but nobody does anything about him at all and he is actually in a position of power that he was supposedly voted into…. 


this book had so much potential even with ‘Em as she is as the main character, but sadly it doesn’t manage to reach it with it’s too oversimplified ways this story goes.

and sadly the ending was just… what even was that ending?


i didn’t even mind the whole idea of one of the characters remembering magic and learning about it and having to learn about it pretty quickly to be able to help with something that’s coming. 


but ‘Em as a character wasn’t fantastic
she was incredibly self absorbed and unrealistically self centered and focused in a way that it wouldn’t make a lot of sense for her to have that many good friends!  

she constantly makes comments that are horrendous, leads basically everyone back to sexism or some form of feminism and someone trying to take away her female power or something stupid like that. she also thinks pretty badly about her friends if they don’t agree with everything she wants and doesn’t react too well if someone points out that ‘Em isn’t very nice at the moment or behaving stupidly. 

for example: in the middle of something important about magical issues it’s shortly discussed if Em should be the one to do something magical, but one of the friends throws in the comment that it might be a bit much on her -seeing as at this point in the story she only learned that magic existed not even  24 hours ago! 
and instead of seeing the point of -oh yeah maybe someone with a bit more practice or even knowledge on the topic might be a better fit: she accuses her friend/cousin of disliking women in powerful position and genuinely asks if he only dislikes her in that role or women in general.
excuse me? 

NOTHING about this entire situation was about her being a woman! she could have been a rat for all it mattered what she was - what he questioned wasn’t her ability to handle a situation because of her gender but because of her lack of knowledge and experience! 
that’s like questions a professional surgeon if he’s sure he doesn’t want to let the first year med student who never even watched a real surgery before a life saving operation! 
the gender does not matter at all at this moment in time! the knowledge of  what’s happening and needs to get done does! 
nobody but Em was thinking about it!  

in an other example about what a fantastic character Em is:
her friends want to make sure she understands that she has to be save because other magical people could hurt her because they understand magic more than she does. 
her reaction to that is first questioning if anyone would actually do that since that would be similar to a human stepping in an ant, unfair advantage and all that and than her next thought is: “but if i was an ant i would be queen. and she wouldn’t be stepped on!” what?!?!
she believes herself so incredibly important and basically irreplaceable that she sees herself as one of the highest up?!
i am sorry but that woman needs help! 


also the entire plot about ‘Em being the person in town that too many people knew should have magic but for her knowledge of it erase and now everyone seems to constantly be watching her or testing her or…. i don’t even know! it doesn’t make too much sense! 

there is a bit too much of it that doesn’t make too much sense in this book!

this book read like a younger YA book but has characters that are all 28+ years old! so clearly not targeted towards 12-14 year olds! especially since non of those that age should want to behave the way those “adults” behave for most of the book! 


all in all….

the idea was there. 
it could have been fantastic but didn’t real it’s potential. 
i will continue on and hope the next one in which if i saw it correctly we follow the sister of ‘Em who had to leave town and was told to never come back -it’s all logic! somewhere, surely someone might say it is at least!- so i hope it will be a bit better. 


as it stands. 

it’s okay. 
it’s readable and sometimes even fun but only if you can deal with a lot of disbelief and ignore even more illogical things. 

also only read this if you don’t mind a character who sees herself as the crowned queen of the world! 
which she totally would have been given that title if she would have made herself available to get nominated for it! just ask ‘Em!