Magisterium

by Jeff Hirsch

It's the year 2120. On one side of the Rift is a technological paradise without famine or want. On the other side is a mystery.

Sixteen-year-old Glenn Morgan has lived next to the Rift her entire life and has no idea of what might be on the other side of it. Glenn's only friend, Kevin, insists the fence holds back a world of monsters and witchcraft, but magic isn't for Glenn. She has enough problems with reality: Glenn's mother disappeared when she was six, and soon after, she lost her scientist father to his all-consuming work on his mysterious Project. Glenn buries herself in her studies and dreams about the day she can escape to the cold isolation of a research station on 813, a planet on the far side of the known universe. But when her father's work leads to his arrest, he gives Glenn a simple metal bracelet that will send Glenn and Kevin on the run, with only one place to go. The other side of the Rift will bring truths about what really happened to Glenn's mother, and will put them at the center of an age-old struggle between two halves of a divided world.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Dystopia, Science Fiction, Fiction, Magic, Audiobook

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2012

About the author

Here are some things about me.

I live in an extremely Brazilian section of an extremely Greek neighborhood—Astoria, Queens, which is just to the right of Manhattan. (That's as you face Manhattan. If you were, say, lying on your back in the middle of Central Park with your head in a northerly position, we would be to your left) I live there with my wife who has a blog and our two cats who do not. One day I hope to have a very large dog that I can name Jerry Lee Lewis.

I used to write plays (I actually have an MFA in it, which is currently number 8 on US News and World Report's annual list of the top twenty most useless masters degrees) and now I write books for teens. I've written two. One was about a girl who wanted to be a rock star and could graciously be called a learning experience.

The second, is The Eleventh Plague and it comes out Sept. 1, a fact I still find pretty amazing.

Reviews

[Bern · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disclosure Time: I got this pretty, pretty book on a goodreads giveaway. Now excuse us as me and everybody involved in my getting this book are going on an extended vacation trip to Ibiza...

I wanted to love this book, I really did. I wanted to love it because the cover is beautiful (and something like Percy Jackson on shrooms) and I wanted to love it because I got it for free together with a cute letter from the people at Scholastic - and yes, yes, I'm aware they do this to everybody but it makes me screeching levels of happy so deal with it. Mainly, though I wanted to love it because except for that one time I read 50 Shades of Gray, I like to find things to love about everything I read.

Finding things to love about this book was a bit of a chore, though.

The story is actually enticing, or at least the setup for it is. Glenn lives in Colloquium, the side of the planet that survived the rift, a cataclysmic event that split the globe in two and killed half of it. Her mom left when she was ten and her dad hasn't been the same ever since, so Glenn's plan is to leave for a faraway space station where she sees herself spending the rest of her days. When the government comes for her dad and herself as well, Glenn and her only friend Kevin escape to cross the border of the rift to what they thought was empty, barren wasteland. What they found instead is a country teeming with magic and wonder, yet more dangerous still than the one they left.

*bows* Sometimes, only sometimes, I think I get this synopsis thing right.

But anyway, ego trips aside, opinion time is about to ensue so hold on to your big girl panties (if you're a guy, you can still have fun imagining yourself in lacy and provocative feminine underwear and contemplating "What if?". There. I've just proportioned you a minute of fun, free of charge. You're welcome.)

What I like about Magisterium:

It feels like I just said that on my Under The Never Sky review, but maybe both these books suffer from the same syndrome: there were some great ideas in Magisterium, if at least they'd been expanded on, I at least would've felt greatly entertained. I think the differences between the Colloquium and the Magisterium could've have been explored more deeply as they were fascinating. The entire mythology of Magisterium is pretty interesting, but the way it's portrayed to the reader brings forth the same sense of having one's interest arrested by going to the circus and watching an elephant defecate for eight minutes straight (personal experience here).

Most of the characters weren't bad, either, they were just thrown in bland situations that would make the most interesting of characters seem snooze-worthy.

What made me skim the last 160 pages of Magisterium (and I never skim):

Dull, tedious blandness. I've seriously never experienced this sort of disconnection before. I didn't hate this book. I didn't feel like it was offending my intellect of anything of the like. I was just bored, bored out of my mind as I've hardly ever been before.

There were sharp-teethed magical creatures in flying carriages, battles, possessions and other stuff of the sort and yet I felt so detached of anything happening I just felt like falling asleep every time I opened Magisterium. The pacing was off and awkward at times, and it all just felt a bit too rushed. When I finished the book, I wasn't happy, but I didn't want to set it on fire either. I had that one reaction good books never elicit:

I shrugged and carried on.

[Ravenous Biblioworm · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating: 2/5

I really do hope I’m not back in a slump again (of finding many books “not for me”). There are days I tell myself, maybe I shouldn’t expect so much, but then realize what’s wrong with that? What’s wrong with wanting something good? Nothing. Magisterium had a really promising premise. Very. I mean I haven’t read a book about dual realities in a long time and the only one that sticks out to me is the Piers Anthony one, Apprentice Adept series, which I vaguely remember. The book had that interestingly cool idea going for it and the blurb gives it a “Buy me now!” voice. I was basically sold. Then… I was extremely happy, but for a completely different reason. Thank the heavens I didn’t spend money on this.

I give credit where it’s due. The writing was good. Well some parts of it. If it was all good, then this book would not be sitting at 2 stars. By the writing was good, I mean that the prose was done well. The basic things. Sentence structure. Descriptions of the immediate (only immediate though… if we talk world building it’s a different story). Moments felt alive and real, but unfortunately it was not consistent. Places were there should be tension, there was, and this was carried by the writing.

Let’s talk about cohesion and fluidity. The Magisterium is of magic and somehow that magic is used as an excuse. I had to take a moment just now to collect my thoughts because they came tumbling out in frustration and still are, so here we go – hang on tight and hopefully you can understand the vomit that’s about to pour forth on this page. The magic was a crutch. There were no explanations of the magic and it’s workings. It’s magic. That’s the excuse. Its like when you cruoius about something you keep asking question and the person you’re are asking only offers this answer: “Just because.” That was the reason offer for most things in this book: “Because of magic.” So when Kevin, Glenn’s best friend who may be a love interest, does a complete change in personality, the excuse is magic. Sure… so he carries “something” (gah, I do not want to be a spoiler so bear with my vagueness here) not his own, did he completely forget who he was? He says he didn’t, his actions says otherwise. Completely. Then events and things happen because of magic too (okay I’m being snide here). The plot only moved because the characters are thrust into situation that “magically” (aka suddenly) appear. There are no transitions of these moments. None. One thing happens after another with no build up. Bam! They are ambushed! Bam! They are suddenly in a cottage because Kevin gets the sudden urge to want to take a damn walk. He just does (well this is because of poor characterization but I’ll get to that soon). I had to reread complete chapters to ensure I didn’t miss anything. I didn’t. Basically, I read this book 2 and a half times. Literally. From all the re-reading. I’m not exaggerating. I wanted to be fair and thought maybe I missed something (at one point, I pressed the pages tightly between my fingers because I thought pages were getting stuck together…. they weren’t). Scenes fell after another placing readers and the characters in a new situation almost instantly with no regards to the movement of time. The pacing was fast only because everything just happens randomly.

I’ll talk about Kevin first as he’s the one who annoyed me first. He comes off as the annoying friend. The one who lies to Glenn so she would spend time with him. Who keeps her occupied on purpose so she would miss her train just so he could walk her home through a dangerous neighborhood. Sounds like the nicest and most perfect guy, right. (I hope not, girls. And boys, it’s not okay. Really I do hope folks think this behavior is not okay. If you think that it’s okay and good, you may need help.) So he likes Glenn. I guess, if boys likes girls in YA, they just have to be annoying and stupid, and jerks and mean. Although Kevin isn’t rude and mean, he’s just idiotic. I guess nice guys are just too hard of a dream to get so now the YA (genre) have to paint bad easily attainable bad behaved guy as good, as perfect. (Okay I’m trying to reign in the rant…) Anyway, Kevin’s personality changes later because he carries something that isn’t his (trying not to spoil). He claims that he knows the difference from that thing and himself, but his actions says otherwise. Kevin’s need/want to stay in Magisterium makes sense on a general plan but not to him and his character. I’ll leave it at that cause I’ll go another rant.

So there’s Glenn. Brain washed with a stupid innocence. Really it’s not innocence, but I know that’s the supposed feel she was supposed to give off, but honestly, she’s just a plain idiot. I’m not trying to be mean. I can sympathize with her to a degree if she ever thought about the bad decisions she’s made, about the stupid mistakes she may continue to make, but she doesn’t. Not once. In her mind, everything is crazy and not “real” and she just wants to go back home and that everything is a misunderstanding. The whole thing. No! Alas, she is completely stupid. She still think it’s a misunderstanding, that her government is still right, after they haul her dad away to a crazy asylum. Even after they shot her with real bullets, even after Kevin is shot. She still think they are nice people. Sorry kiddo, but people who are ready to ruin your lives, and shoot and kill you aren’t nice and neither are they misunderstanding the situation. But unfortunately, she is made to be the most naive girl ever to walk the pages of a YA novel. Sure, I would buy it, if say the Colloquim (her world) feigned nice to her… and spoke the truth to her through lies. Then yes, I’ll believe her naivety, but within the first moment of trying to do something tricky as precieved by the Colloquim (which is literally a few minutes of after meeting the Authority (the police of the Colloquim)), she gets shot at…. so not only do Kevin deserve a punch in the face, she does too.

The other characters are just strange. Not in a good way. They either lacked any personal sympathetic details or just exists only to move the plot forward. The only possibly likable character in the story was Aamon, but he magically disappears throughout the entire book via scouting or doing who-knows-what. Really, the most likable and seemingly interesting, sympathetic character is treated like an unwanted third wheel. I’m not bashing though I am close… I’m just disappointed. Why? Because the first twenty pages or so… readers were able to sympathize with Glenn. She was done so well… we saw her hopes and dreams. Her turmoil and sadness over her father slaving away on his experiments. She was a person. She felt so real. But then by “magic” (yes, I’m still mocking) she becomes this achingly hateful (she doesn’t hate people, I hate her) person.

Details. When we talk about details of the immediate, like how cold the air was, or what a room looked like – it was done well. World building, we get enough to get by, which is all we need since this should be about Glenn. But there were many jarring details that broke me from the story. Like the scene where they witness a boy being killed. It’s be stated they (Glenn, Kevin, and Aamon) shouldn’t be caught. Yet, when Aamon grabs the two teens and run, Kevin screams in protest wanting to save the boy. What’s wrong with that? Well, if they were close enough to hear the proclamation against the boy, Kevin’s scream would definitely be heard by the “bad guys.” Plus boy is pretty much dead at that point. Plus, seeing someone being murdered for the first time, I think would make people more shocked than raging wanting to save said stranger. If it was Glenn at the end of the blade I would understand, but it wasn’t. When fights happen, we get these grandiose descriptions of color, feeling, extraordinary euphoric emotions and then fight is over. These descriptions are written well, and they will blindfold most readers, but not me. I’m still wondering what the fornication happened. It’s like this: Intense moment. Life and death. Weapons point at each other…. then narrative goes (made up paraphrasing and mocking): [Glenn closes her eyes and the magic rushes through her. A fireworks of color flares and the intensity of the colors flashes before everywhere. An ocean splits and rises. Massive and seemingly impossible. Somewhere in the woods a dog urinates on a tree. The ground shakes and she can hear screaming. Panting, she looks down at bad guy's body.] Seriously, what happened in the fight?

I could go on…. cause there is more. Like 813 and the its purpose other than a dumping place for “unwanted people.” Or Glenn’s reasoning for staying when all she has ever wanted was to leave Magisterium and go home, which I assume home is where your family is. Or Kevin’s sudden change in personality even though he claims to know the difference between the two. Or Aamon and why he’s vow to be different from what he was before. Many moments, many reasons and explanations are only hinted at but never fully explained and without the deep explanations the book fell flat. I just did not care for anyone in the book.

I also had another issue…. Tangent: Honestly speaking, I wished everyone in the story would die near the end. End Tangent. But here’s my issue. Yes, the bad guys are crazy. They will kill you. But you can’t kill them? Why? Because killing is bad? I’m sorry you can’t run forever. Running is not a solution. Not killing, and rising above the notion of murder is also not possible in a war. Sure be a pacifist. But here are my thoughts (and I know this is straying into political thinking)… when you refuse to fight for what you believe in, defend your own life from others who would do ANYTHING to take it, what happens? Someone ELSE has to fight for you, kill for you. How can that be heroic? When you’ve done absolutely nothing, when you sacrificed nothing. When everyone else does the fighting for you and they sacrifice things for you so you don’t, you are not a hero, but a leech… I also believe if written well, this is a topic most young adults can handle. Teens are not stupid and neither do they lack the understanding of complicated matters such as war and death. This last paragraph had little to do with the book and had no effects on rating on the book, just wanted to put it out there.

Overall, the concept was very different. The execution failed in my opinion.

Verdict: Library check out if you really want to read it. I’m not going to suggest a pass, as there is something there and maybe as a different reader you’ll be able to pick and cherish something here. I couldn’t.

Visit my book review blog at http://ravenousbiblioworm.wordpress.com

[Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

Initial reaction: My second read from Jeff Hirsch in "Magisterium" definitely lacked a bit of finesse and progression. I had a hard time caring about the characters and the plot often had rough transitions that made it a more difficult read than it had to be. It's a shame because there were many good ideas here, just not executed anywhere near what they could've been. It was a significant disappointment for me.

Full review:

"Magisterium" had the potential to be an awesome book, but for the most part, I don't think Jeff Hirsch improved upon many basic narrative problems that plagued his first novel "The Eleventh Plague" (no pun intended). This book had an apt and fitting premise to its aim, but still suffered from a noticeable lack of character intimacy, stakes, worldbuilding, and overall plot pacing. I was surprised by how lifeless this work was in spurts. It disappointed me in so many ways, and I consider myself a fan of dystopian type fantastical works. This work lends more toward the fantasy, though it begins with a dystopian leaning.

For the life of me, despite being able to follow Glenn through much of this novel in her experiences, I couldn't stand her character for her insufferable, irresponsible decisions, and these are despite her respective age and experiences. Nor could I identify with much of the cast here. We meet Glenn as she's wanting to graduate early from school, fends off some advances with her best friend Kevin, is growing distant from her scientist father, and wrestles with memories/disdain of her lost mother. Things take an immense change when her father makes a connection with an important bracelet and hints that it may be a link to Glenn's mother and that the entire realm Glenn knows is a lie. So what does Glenn do?

She turns her father to the oppressive authorities. Because apparently she thinks he's crazy and doesn't realize she could sabotage all that he's worked for, and just doesn't trust in what he's doing. For no reason. And then she has the gall to be surprised when the authorities turn against her and Kevin as well, though Kevin's father works for this authority.

I kinda knew by that point the book and I weren't going to get along because while there were quite a few conflicts in this book, there was very little to no sense or reasonation with some significant events. The violence in this is a bit over the top and fails to bear any kind of weight to it, which bothered me. The characters are fairly non-dimensional and the plot suffers from jagged presentation. I wish I could say that it improved over the course of the story. There were moments I thought it would, and even the ending of the novel has a bit of coming together that really set itself apart from the times this book dragged its feet, particularly when Glenn steps up to the plate to use her newfound power to fight against those who wish to harm her and those she cares about. But in the end, it wasn't enough to redeem it for me. It felt like an action movie with very little heart and with a cast that made it hard to care in certain segments of the plot.

Great ideas, but very poor execution. I'm still hoping that Hirsch's next work brings more to the table, because he has an interesting style narrative when it works.

Overall score: 1.5/5

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Scholastic.

[Christina (A Reader of Fictions) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Originally reviewed on A Reader of Fictions.

Magisterium was one strange book. Seriously, this is probably the second oddest book I've read so far this year, second only to Dust Girl. Though Magisterium definitely does have dystopian elements to its setting, it's really not about that. Instead, this is a novel for fantasy fans all the way. Occasionally, there are even moments where it felt like a fairy tale. Be prepared for all sorts of craziness when you set out on this journey

When the novel opens, we meet Glenn, our heroine, who desperately wants to graduate early and become an astronaut (though it's called something else in their futuristic society. Ever since her mom left, she has struggled with connecting to people and just wants to get out, just like her father escapes into his Project. Her only friends are her cat, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and Kevin Kapoor, who pestered her until she accepted his friendship. Now he seems to want more from their relationship and Glenn is really trying to keep from getting attached to anyone here, thus she's putting on the brakes big time.

Her father tells her the secret of his Project, what he's been working on. He has made a bracelet that will allow them to travel across the Rift, a dead area, behind which everything is supposedly destroyed. He believes that there is a whole different society over there, functioning under different laws than theirs and that her mother has gone back there. She doesn't believe him; in fact, she thinks he's crazy and gets the government brought down on them. She and Kevin escape across the Rift, while Dad sits in jail.

Much to Glenn's chagrin, Dad was right after all. Across the Rift is a whole other government and a completely different world. There people have magic. There are animal-human hybrid things, like Aamon, who helps them survive. This world is the Magisterium, and it is ruled by the tyrant, Magistra.

Kevin was my favorite character, as much as I had one. Of course, being that his name is Kevin, he's Indian, he's slightly annoying, and he's incredibly persistent, I could picture him as only as Kevin G from Mean Girls.

I also liked Hopkins, however, all of the characters underwent major changes once they crossed the Rift and things got crazy, at which point I wasn't so much connected as doing my best to follow along with what was going on. Pretty much the whole time they're in there, I had no clue what was going on...mostly weird things just kept happening.

Pretty much the only thing I could think about for most of the book, though, was HOW MUCH it reminded me of LOTR for the two thirds. I know that LOTR influenced a lot of authors and commonalities can probably be found in just about any fantasy novel. However, I am not drawing this comparison just because. There was a ton of stuff. Seriously, let's sit back and think about this okay?

So we have an unlikely individual to be confronting The Man. She doesn't want to take the bracelet (aka magical bling bling) and go on this journey, but she has to. The first official plan is to take the ring...I mean, bracelet...to the only city in the world where it can be destroyed, so that it can be removed from the world, since every power only wants it for EVIL.

They set out in their little small fellowship, Aamon leading Glenn and Kevin. They make a plan for how to get to the city where the bracelet can be destroyed, but find the easy route blocked. Thus, they have to try the more dangerous way, about which Aamon says this: "'I can protect you from Garen Tom and his men,' he said. 'But there are things in the deeper places that...change you. Things I'm powerless against.'" Does anyone think that sounds remarkably like Gandalf's reluctance to go through the Mines of Moria?

As they're journeying, Glenn and Kevin sneak off one evening and see beautiful, magical fairy-like creatures in a scene that brought to mind Frodo and Sam watching the elves. She tries several times to get Kevin to leave her, until he delivers a little speech that seems eerily reminiscent to Sam's "And I'm coming with you" from the end of The Fellowship of the Ring.

Still not convinced? Well, how about the fact that, when Glenn removes the magic bracelet, she suddenly has magic powers and the descriptions make it feel like she's just entered a brand new world, and the forces in that world can act upon her. Taking the bracelet OFF = putting the ring ON. They also encounter a spider lady and fight wraiths. The final comparison, as if this all wasn't enough, was that the Magistra was described as being very powerful but not yet fully awake, so they were initially going to be facing only her servants directly.

In the end, I thought this was okay, but I found myself getting bored with the constant unexpected plot shifts. There were a lot of secondary characters that would flit in for some back story and then leave again, all without me knowing precisely why I was supposed to care about any of it. Hirsch's writing was decent, but didn't hold any special appeal for me.

Fantasy fans that like a more eclectic read will likely want to look into Magisterium. Also, if you're fascinated by concepts of the distance between things, the line between magic and technology, you would probably be interested in the divide of the Rift, which, frankly, I would REALLY like to know more about. As of this moment, I think this is a standalone, but there's space for more.

[Elizabeth Drake · Rating 1 out of 5]

This and other reviews can be found on Reading Between Classes

Cover Impressions: The cover is kind of cool and I like the image of the cloak made up of birds, however, it didn't really entice me. There is something about the face that doesn't quite match up with the creepy feel that I believe they were going for.

The Gist: The world has undergone a Rift. One side is safe, the other is a wasteland. At least that is what everyone is told.

Review: To be honest. This book annoyed and angered me. This usually happens when I can see vast potential that is smothered by poor plot pacing and lack-luster character development. In Magisterium, we are introduced to Glenn Morgan, who dreams only of leaving this world for a distant planet. Glenn bored me from the first moment. She is controlling of her world and her emotions in a way that prevented me from forming any type of connection to her (even pity). I simply could not understand the choices that she made, from turning her father in to the authorities to blindly stumbling through a world that she knew nothing about (and wanted to know nothing about). Glenn came across and naive and downright stupid. Case in point: her father is arrested, her friend is shot and she is on the run from a government that has lied to everyone under its control - and yet, she still wants to return and pretend that nothing every happened. She is not the least bit compassionate or curious and often made me scream in frustration

Glenn's friend, Kevin, seems nice enough and had the potential to be someone I could root for, however, about halfway through the book he undergoes a mysterious personality change and suddenly he is just as much of a jerk as Glenn is. The reason? Magic. The reason is always magic. Magic that is not expanded upon or explained and is used as a crutch to explain every moment of weird shit. We are simply supposed to swallow this ready made excuse like a bitter pill and move on. We are also expected to believe that, despite the lack of barrier or patrols on the border between the Colloquium (hated this word btw) and the supposed wasteland, no one ever goes there? Seriously? No teenage dares, no conspiracy obsessed nuts, no wandering children ever pass through the apparently thin stretch of forest? OH wait, we do get to meet one family, but they kill themselves before we get a chance to actually learn anything.

On that note, I must mention the brutality. But not brutality in order to examine a massive flaw in a government system or with human nature in general, no, this was simply bloodshed for the sake of bloodshed. I don't like this approach in adult novels and I despise it in YA books. It seems authors like this seem to forget that this is not HBO and not every death has to be a graphic mess.

By the time I hit the last 100 pages, I was completely over this book, it's characters and it's world building. The premise was interesting, it had great potential, but somewhere along the line it got bogged down in weird shit and forgot to tell a story. I am not sure if this is part of a series, but I will not be sticking around to find out.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: Kissing
Violence: LOTS: execution, gunplay, knifeplay, suicide
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: None

[TheBookSmugglers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally reviewed on The Book Smugglers

Glenn Morgan is a brilliant young woman, who desires nothing more than graduating early, and getting a ticket on a deep space exploration mission to a habitable planet far, far away. Ever since her mother chose to skip out on her daughter and husband, Glenn's life has been a long, painful nightmare. Her father, once a brilliant, celebrated inventor has become a shade of his former self, obsessed with an all-consuming "project" that seems more the product of a delusional mind than fruitful scientific endeavor. The only things that keep Glenn sane are her academic ambitions and the not-always-welcome distraction of her best friend, Kevin Kapoor. Despite her father's obsessions, everything in Glenn's life seems to be according to plan - it's only a matter of time before she gets to strike out in the great beyond and leave her world behind.

When Glenn's father's Project turns out to be successful, however, Glenn's life is turned upside down - her father is imprisoned by the Authority, and Glenn and Kevin find themselves on the run. With an invention that could change everything, Glenn and Kevin cross the border separating their world, the Colloquium, from the terrifying wastes beyond. Together, Glenn and Kevin find that everything they know about their world is a carefully constructed lie, and that the Colloquium is just one paradigm in a universe with many different rules and possibilities.

Magisterium, the sophomore effort from Jeff Hirsch, takes a familiar baseline premise (parentless brilliant girl who has a secret destiny and who can change everything, set in a dystopian world) and embellishes it with some solid originality, making for an engaging, memorable read. This is a very different novel than The Eleventh Plague, as it certainly is more imaginative in scope, traversing two different worlds that abide by different universal laws. I love books that straddle and blur the lines between science and magic, and Magisterium does this with distinct aplomb (calling to mind Incarceron and Sapphique by Catherine Fisher). I especially loved the juxtaposition of the Colloquium and its adherence to order and technology, alongside the world of the Magisterium, full of human-like warrior creatures and natural magic. Of course, this rift between (manmade) Technology and (natural) Magic is a familiar tension, especially throughout YA SF/dystopias, Hirsch's worlds are more...subtle. Less overt in their critiques and there isn't the same absolute demonization of science that seems so prevalent in the works of this particular YA canon - and I greatly appreciate that. I *especially* love how Hirsch shows that both sides of this particular dichotomy have their own strengths and weaknesses, their own tyrants and heroes. Brilliant.

From a character perspective, the counterpoints of Glenn and Kevin are similarly brilliant and I loved both of these young, impassioned protagonists. Glenn clings to her desire for reason and order, while Kevin embraces the different other-ness of the world beyond the Colloquium. Most of all, I love the relationship between these two characters, and watching it slowly evolve the longer they are on their quest. For so long, Glen strives to push everyone away - especially Kevin - and she struggles to make sense of her own tangled emotions. I love that Kevin pushes back, too, and he's not just some complacent, love-struck boy without any deeper characterization (he has a fantastic arc, and I found myself loving Kevin wholeheartedly). My favorite character, however, is the feline Aamon - but I don't want to say TOO much about him, because when you discover who he is and why he befriends Glenn and Kevin, it's a hell of a twist.

The only actual stumbling points for this book - at least for me - concerned the plot itself. From a storytelling perspective, I love the path that Magisterium takes, but the pacing is uneven, especially in the middle portion of the text. There are many wondrous sights and creatures in the Magistra's realm, from beautiful jagged-toothed swan princesses and magic-weaving old ladies, but the introduction to these different friends and foes felt stilted and confusing, and aren't actually necessary to the storyline or plot progression overall. Too, I wanted more meat and gristle when it came to the story behind the Rift that caused the divide between the two worlds, more concrete details in lieu of descriptive flair. That said, the flair is kind of fantastic, and I love the distinct flavor of Hirsch's worlds - so I can't complain too much.

For all the familiarity of the tropes in this book - and yes, they are bountiful as well as familiar - I very much loved Jeff Hirsch's touches of originality and skillful imagination. Solidly recommended (and I cannot wait for Hirsch's next book).

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some aspects of this book would be given a four star review from me, and some aspects a three -- but by the end I decided to round down a little bit. I guess if I were allowed decimals it would probably get a 3.5.

The good:

1. The setting and the way the author handles magic. I really liked the overpowering sense of wildness and freedom the magic in this book has. I LOVED that it was a kind of terrifying, all-encompassing sort of intense-ness that overtook the main character and superseded everything else about her. I also really liked the idea of a rift between technology and magic and the similarities and differences between the two. Interesting and unique.

2. The cover. As much as we'd all not like to admit it, covers are important. Especially for middle schoolers. And this cover is freaking fantastic. It is shiny, and dark and creepy, and not too young (or old) looking, and it ACTUALLY HAS TO DO WITH THE BOOK. Can we continue this trend?

3. The characters were fairly interesting and not too shabbily developed. I cared about Glenn and her family, and I never knew whether or not to trust Kevin Kapoor (even though I liked him and wanted him to be cool). Not amazingly fully formed or anything like Seraphina, but definitely not bad!

The not quite as good:

--The story was, at times, kind of a mess. It got a little unnecessarily confusing and went on unnecessarily long (a lot of page-filler started happening). Also, characters that you only met once very briefly at the very beginning of the book reappear at the end with no reminder of who they are, so there was a lot of, "Wait, who is this person again??" and flipping back through the book to try to remember.

Overall though, I think fans of dark fantasy will like this -- I think it's mostly OK for middle school (there is a little bit of a disturbing darkness to it, so maybe not super sensitive middle schoolers), with a fairly mild and chaste romance.

[Stefani Robinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was sooooooooo boring. I really don’t have much to say about it, so this review should be short. Admittedly, the book started off well. I initially quite liked heroine Glenn, until I got to know her a little. I liked her ambition and her dreams of a better future. But I quickly realized that her “dreams” were nothing more than an excuse not to deal with her present. That annoyed me. Yes, she has a father who has been distant since her mother’s disappearance but she seemed to make no effort to get him help or change the situation. She just went along and then thought of the day she could escape.

Once we start to learn more about the Magisterium, I was hoping that the book would take an exciting turn. I mean, what could be more exciting than being chased by the bad guys into a land that you never thought existed, only to discover that things aren’t much better over there either. It sounds exciting, but it wasn’t. Glenn made EVERYTHING boring and dull. Her narration almost put me to sleep. She seemed to have no feeling about anything that she encountered. And the situations she was thrust into weren’t all that exciting to begin with.

Along with being dull and boring, it was also painfully predictable. I knew about 100 pages before they told me what happened to Glenn’s mother. I knew how it would end about the time they crossed into Magisterium. All I can say for this book is that it was a fantastic idea but never quite lived up to its potential. And there was no insta-love or love triangles. But beyond that, there was nothing redeeming about it either.

Like this review and want to read others? Think I might like your book? Read other reviews or send a request for a review at my blog, Stefani's World of Words

[PopcornReads - MkNoah · Rating 4 out of 5]

How could anyone resist a book cover like the one for Magisterium by bestselling author Jeff Hirsch? I certainly couldn’t! When I saw the concept for the story inside that cover, I knew I had to read it. Like dystopian scifi/fantasy? How about mysteries or action/adventures? Technology vs. the magical? Today we’re looking at a story that really encompasses aspects of several different genres. It’s about one post-apocalyptic world divided into two; each terrified of what’s on the other side. Sound interesting? I thought so! Read the rest of my review at http://popcornreads.com/?p=4782.

[Wine Country · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Nothing is separate, everything is one thing"

Glenn Morgan is a girl who believes in the probable, the rational, the technology that she can see and understand. She lives in a world full of the best technology and the most advanced medical and educational system around. But her world is divided by a great Rift created a 100 years before she was born. On the other side of the Rift is a barren waste land... or so she's been taught. But when her father, a brilliant inventor, creates a device that allows people of her land, Colloquium, to travel to the other side, her government will stop at nothing sending her and her best friend Kevin beyond to Rift to escape their governments army hell bent on killing them and retrieving the device. But what they find on the other side is very different from what they have always been taught to believe, a reality that does not fit with Glenn's structured technological thought process, everything Glenn has believed about her self and her world is put into question.

I was blown away by Magiterium. It was a short read and I loved that there were not these long drawn out unnecessary scenes. Hirsch quickly and effectively built the world that Glenn lived in and it was such a vivid world I could see everything Glenn could. Glen's home is full of Technology, science, a clear way of thinking that leaves very little room for the imagination, but thats just the way Glenn likes it, or at least she thinks. But once she crosses over into what is known as the Magisterium she find Magic and religion, something she cannot reconcile with her perfectly logical life. As she puts it, "We know what Gods are, we just don't have any use for them." I thought this statement perfectly sums up the difference between the two worlds that Hirsch created. One of myth and legend and the other of science and logic. When Glenn is thrusted into this world she never believed existed she finds herself surround by people who pray to a whole host of different Gods, who put their life in the hands of faith and it's not something she can easily wrap her head around.

But Kevin, her best friend, who has always been a dreamer compared to her, easily falls into place with the people of Magisterium, and while Glenn is still questioning their ability to put everything to faith, Kevin is immersing himself in their beliefs and his change frightens Glenn, as it would any logical person who is watching their friend transform before their eyes based on a belief they just learned about. I felt Hirsch did an incredible job of showing the extremes in both. I believe you can have faith, but to put your entire life into it is an extreme and one that does not always produce the best in a person. But on the flip side, to rely so heavily on logic and science alone and to not be able to even contemplate the possibility of something else is also an extreme and that is the world Hirsch has created, two extreme's divided by a Rift.

I love books that make me think about the universe and this book is definitely in that category. While there is a host of supernatural elements in this book, the underlying message is a powerful one and something I think each reader needs to come to on their own. The book is action packed, and Glenn is a headstrong dependable character that while she has a hard time adjusting her beliefs she is good at heart and in the end always makes the just decision. Kevin is a dreamer and while during part of the book he kind of got on my nerves, he was the perfect match for Glenn and really contributed to her evolution as a character. But my favorite character other than Glenn was Amnon, he was fascinating and I wish there was more about him and where he came from.

The ending was absolutely perfect and it just affirmed my belief in what Hirsch was trying to say with this story, and while there does not seem to be any news about a second book, the ending definitely left enough questions that I am eagerly awaiting the possibility that there will be one. This was such a fantastic, thought provoking adventure that I recommend it to absolutely everyone!.

[Gretchen Hohmeyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I began reading the book, something stopped me right before the book even started. In the dedication, Hirsch had written “For Gretchen, my greatest Affinity.” I actually shouted, “WHAT?” because for one crazy second I thought he was talking to me because freaking nobody has my name. (Except for a few people. But they are very few.)

Perhaps that set me up with expectations that could never be met.

To be fair, Hirsch set himself up with a FANTASTIC premise. I actually never realized this was a dystopian until the first explanation of the Rift in the first few pages (which comes in Glenn giving Kevin a history lesson he doesn’t need. Sigh.). I was thinking we were setting up for a more fantasy/straight scifi adventure, which in a way it was. No, not because technically dystopian is a subcategory of scifi, but rather because the mix of the two genres was ridiculously neat. While in the Colloquium (the technological paradise side of the Rift), the story is straight scifi. While in the Magisterium for the first part, it’s almost straight fantasy. Towards the end they mix gradually, and it was SO COOL. Talk about the best of both worlds.

However, Hirsch’s world building didn’t sell me on the concept as solidly as I would have liked. There weren’t too many giant gaps, but the little things irk me. In places it showed that Hirsch did have some world building down, so I tend to blame this one on bad pacing. Throughout the entire book, huge, plot altering events were blown by in the blink of an eye with the minimal of explanation. Half of them I was struggling to understand pages later, when they were already seriously affecting the plot, and they were never elaborated on afterwards. Unfortunately, I can’t give you an example of where I felt this the worst because it might spoil some things, but let me just say the character of Kevin turns bipolar for reasons I don’t understand to this moment.

The characterization of Glenn also turned me off the book. I never connected with her, mostly because her first instinct was to be passive. I am not a fan of passive main characters, especially when there are TWO other characters trying to kick Glenn in the rear for the whole book and she’s like “No I don’t want to hurt anyone anymore so I’ll try TALKING to the bad guy” and worse. When the dude is killing people and toting around trebuchets, I think we’re a little past talking.

The plotting and characterization throughout the novel were big problems for me, but I found them to be my only problems. It was just unfortunate that they didn’t extend just to one part of the novel or one character. Still, I found myself able to read around these problems if only to read more about the world. Having this much magic within my scifi made me a very happy person, and the description of the magical beings and powers were spectacular. I found the actual plot to be fairly predictable–right up until the end, that is. That’s when Glenn FINALLY made some proactive choices and shocked the socks off me.

All in all, I would recommend this book if you were looking for a very fast read that mixes up just the right amounts of scifi and fantasy. I did enjoy it, but the stickler editor in me found a few too many large technical problems to be totally satisfied. That said, I will be looking forward to getting my hands on the second book in this series, which I will add to me “to-be-read” list as soon as Goodreads get any information about it. I think this story has potential, and Hirsch can only improve from here.

[E. · Rating 1 out of 5]

My main problem with Jeff Hirsch's Magisterium was that it felt like the author was "writing down" to the reader. A key distinction between good and bad YA, I believe, is determined by whether the author is telling an intelligent, character-driven story that appeals to young readers, or telling a dumbed-down, action-driven story that's written for young readers. This falls into the second category. It feels like the author doesn't believe young adults are as smart or interesting as adults.

The protagonist, a teenage girl named Glenn, isn't all that bright. She spends the first third of the book ignoring obvious clues as to the realities of this fantastic world, continuing to tell herself "magic can't exist" even though it's right in front of her. Her ignorance is too blatant and unjustified to work as irony. And this is a recurring problem in the narrative: the protagonist figures things out well after the reader does, leaving the reader waiting in annoyance.

To its credit, the book has some interesting settings and ideas: dual worlds, one set in fantasy, one in high-technology; subtle shifts in reality between these worlds; strange creatures, including a giant, talking cat; and a magical power ("Affinity") that overwhelms the bearer's sensibilities.

But the book is a series of predictable cliches, and all the lessons the protagonist learns are expected and/or redundant. The final act is a never-ending action sequence in which the protagonist is stabbed, burned, dropped so hard she breaks ribs, and yet she bounces up for the next sequence. Ouch! Shouldn't she be sent to a hospital?

I could go on, but I'll end the review by saying that my biggest problem with the book was that the characters weren't that dynamic or intriguing. The talking cat, Aamon, was the most layered and likable character, but his role was minor. Two of the most important characters, the boy love interest and Glenn's mother, spend most of the book under magical spells that essentially negate any character development they might undergo.

And Glenn, as a protagonist, is sort of boring--a non-believer who only believes in fantastic things when she's been exposed to them over and over and over, and the reader pounds her head against the nightstand.

[Melliott · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost never give a negative review--I figure, if it's good, praise it; if it's bad, ignore it. But this book was neither and both. It suffered from so many problems that its rather interesting ideas just couldn't save it, in my opinion.

First of all, there was no appreciable world-building. In a book that is a combination of post-apocalyptic and fantasy, you really need that solid grounding of knowledge about:
1. What happened
2. What has resulted
3. Who are the major players
But we go into this story virtually blind, and then the author suddenly introduces characters to whom he gives major importance but with whom we are totally unfamiliar up to that point, and it just doesn't work, especially because he doesn't set these characters inside any defined context. Mr. Sturges represents Authority, but...what is that, exactly? Way too vague. And the Magisterium--we find out a few details about what it used to be, but there's no understanding of the roles various people play or played. Finally, there's no real explanation for what caused the Rift between the two sides of the border/worlds.

Second, the heroine and her love interest were both such contradictory messes (and not in an organic way) that you don't know what to think of them. Glenn, the heroine, does, says, and thinks some things in the course of the story that are so contradictory you just don't know whether to love her or utterly despise her, while Kevin starts out as a weird wimpy nerd, stays that way for more than half the book, then suddenly morphs in Glenn's eyes into the surprisingly masculine love of her life? It's just not believable.

Third, there is neither consistent science nor consistent fantasy. The author pretty much makes it up as he goes along, leaving the reader feeling cheated of understanding, unwilling to buy in.

Since this is not yet published, one could hope for some tweaks, but I'm afraid more than just tweaks are needed. It's too bad, because the writer has an engaging style, and I liked his ideas.

[Libby · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much modern fantasy is derivative that I hesitate to read a new one sometimes. Fortunately for me, Jeff Hirsch's new work is a very nice new twist on the magic vs science trope. I got a big kick out of the way he would delude me into thinking I knew what was coming next and then reveal something quirky and---not quite---what I expected.

This is written in a smooth, almost spare prose style that reads easily and quickly. I zipped through it in a long afternoon. But don't let that deter you, there was plenty of story on display. Glenna's mother disappeared 10 years ago, and her father buries himself in his mysterious "Project". Glenna longs to explore outer space and hopes to finish her schooling in time to join an expedition to a new found planet. She studies to the exclusion of all but her eccentric friend Kevin, the conspiracy theorist. Glenna knows that there is nothing across the border but desert and wilderness. Kevin believes there are mythical beings and monsters. But when Glenna's Dad completes his Project, Glenna finds out that there are monsters, but not all of them are over the border.

[Harrismatte · Rating 3 out of 5]

The protagonist is Glenn Morgan, a 16 years old living for the last 10 years with just her father in the future. She dreams of going to 813 a distant star where there is a human colony but finds herself in a much different adventure across the "Rift" where there is only wasteland. Or so almost everyone believes. Glenn spends much of the book trying to get home, and this part is a bit too long and slow, but things get very exciting in the last third of book. Glenn is ultimately faced with some difficult decisions that will affect the rest of her life.

This a magical adventure that has an interesting start, a slow middle, and a thrilling ending.

[Jessica Gleason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've seen lots of people bored by this book, I wasn't. I enjoyed the two worlds at odds, magic and science.

It could have done with a little more world building, but I sped through it and don't have any regrets.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up.
The audio narrator was good, but the story was pretty disappointing. There were so many conveniences and how fast our MC caught on to using the magic was a big one that left me feeling meh. It's definitely fast paced, never a dull moment, but because it was so fast paced in such a short book, a lot of things felt rushed over. And the ending was just like.... okay?
(Spoilers below)
Like girl you wanted to be with your family so yall sat there like sitting ducks to have maybe an hour of time together before the bad guys showed up, but when you have the opportunity to escape with your family for good now you decide to not be with them and save the world????

[jessica ☾ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This felt very rushed and lacked a proper degree of world-building. Some of the ideas were interesting but i just don’t think this book is for me.

[Lanae · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I could give this more than two stars... It just got on my nerves and bored me. The main character is forgettable and unlikeable. It felt like every third word was her name (that could be because I was listening to an audio version. Seriously though Glenn went to her room to whine about how her dad won't let her do what she wants. Glenn doesn't understand why her daddy was sooo mean. She'd show him, Glenn would! And that Kevin guy likes Glenn but Glenn hates him, but Glenn doesn't really hate him because Glenn has no friends so Glenn has to like him so Glenn will be nice to him when it suits Glenn and when Kevin risks his life for Glenn she'll be nice to him for a minute but then she, Glenn, will go right back to being a big selfish meanie. But then again Glenn will be stuck with Kevin on her adventure, Glenn will, so it'll be all back and forth and all over the place for Glenn.

Yeah... didn't like it. I really wanted to, I just couldn't get into it at all. In a few days I guarantee it'll be so out of my head I'll have forgotten it. In a year if I look at the cover I'll not know I read it at all. It's just not memorable. I hate writing a bad review, it feels mean. I couldn't do better. Just ugh, disappointing. There's even a cat... A cat couldn't save it! That says a lot.

[J. Dominique · Rating 1 out of 5]

I honestly can't see why this book has such a low rating. It is not the best, nor is it the worst.

The setting is an enticing one, which I found lightly explored — disappointing. What was explained, though, was well done and even made sense (unlike many other books I've read).

The book is a serious page-turner, but like most of the other readers, I was strangely disconnected from the story. Nothing much seems to happen and yet too much seems to happen at the same time. Result: I skimmed through most of the book.

I suppose what bothered me most was the protagonist, Glenn. She wanted something, but we never understand why she wanted it. What was her motivation? What was everyone else's motivations, for goodness' sake?

I shall end this review with reiterating what I said above: it is not the best, nor is it the worst.

[Nafiza]

My first DNF of the year. I simply cannot make myself care about the characters but I think more than that, I will not like a main character who sells out her dad. I mean, she cannot have been stupid enough not to realize that her going to another adult and telling that adult her father has had a mental breakdown would be good news? And not believing a word in anything your dad tells you? I mean, children will believe their parents over anyone else. And trust them more than anyone else. Ugh. I dislike her something terrible. Anyway, gave it a fair chance. Didn't happen. Moving on.

[Eddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is hard to classify. It has elements of Sci Fi, Fantasy, and dystopian. It has a not very like-able heroine who is dismissive and even abusive to friends and family with an attitude of entitlement that really got up my nose. After saying all that, the world is dynamic and interesting, and the dilemmas posed are fascinating.

Glenn - the heroine grew on me over time.

I'll be willing to give the further books of the series a try.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

In all honesty, I couldn't finish it. I got a little more than halfway through, but what started as an interesting premise quickly became confusing and nonsensical. It's difficult to like Glenn, the main character and the magic in the book has no logic to it. It's a shame because I really liked Hirsch's The Eleventh Plague.

[Tonya Coffey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magisterium is a wild ride for Glenn. She lives in a futuristic world but just across the border it's as if she is transported back in time with people who have the ability to use magic. With so many twists and turns, you can't go wrong following Glenn on her journey. Jeff is brilliant with his blend of new and old. I can't get enough of his books!

[Levina Goon · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those reluctant to read Magisterium due to impressions from reading The Eleventh Plague also by Hirsch, don't be. Magisterium is much better in terms of plot and the characters are immensely more likeable!

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Justin]

I find it odd how I found 2 books in a row from Facebook ads.

[Madison Kaufman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magisterium

Everything they have been told was a lie. They were told that the Rift was a place of disaster and a place that was ruined. A place that was covered in toxic ash and radiation. The thing is, those were all a lie. Glenn is a girl that wants to escape her life. She has a father that builds machines and spends all of his time doing that. He never spends time with her and has her pretty much take care of herself. Her dad makes an invention that leads to him being taken away. The only thing that he gives her before he is swept away from her as fast as the wind, is a simple medal bracelet. Even though she didn’t know it then that medal bracelet would change her life forever, and will lead her on a dangerous journey to a place that she thought she would never go. The people that took her dad away start to go after her and Kevin so they are forced to run away into the Rift, but it is not going to be how they thought it would be. It is a book about how even though a bunch of bad things happened and it seemed like everything was tearing them apart, Kevin and Glenn always found a way to fix what happened between them. It is also a book about two people falling in love through all the odds of battles, people trying to kill them, and magical things happening to Glenn.
The author is Jeff Hirsch. He graduated from the University of California, San Diego. He now lives in Beacon, New York with his wife. He is also the USA Today best selling author of The Eleventh Plague. My thought about this book is that it is a really fantastic book. I was mesmerized by how the storyline went. It was like I was glued to the book and never wanted to leave. In my opinion, I would rate this book five stars because it left me wondering through the whole book about want the ending was going to be. I was hooked and couldn’t escape the constant wanting to read the book. All of the characters made sense and all had their certain parts in the book that made them unique and stand out from the others. I think the author did an amazing job on the storyline and how it ended. It seemed as though it was actually all happening in front of me instead of me reading it. I could effortlessly visualize everything that was going on and what the characters looked like. I felt like the book was thoroughly detailed and I could smoothly understand everything that was going on.
This book relates to people in a very close way. It is about a girl that wants a dream so bad that nothing else matters. She pushes away everyone and everything else even if someone gets hurt. She pushes people away that care about her and matter to her, but in the end she gets through it. She realizes that she has to give up her dream to help people that are in need, even if it means giving up her future, but will it be too late. Read the book to find out, trust me you won’t regret the wonderful time you will have reading this book. It is by far one of my favorite books I have ever read. After I started reading it, I couldn’t stop. All and all, I love how the book ended and it made me happy to hear what I heard at the end. It is a worthwhile book to read and I am glad I did. I hope that if you do read this, which you definitely should, I hope that you enjoy the book and that you loved it as much as me.

[Beth M · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this was a strange novel. I had to keep reminding myself that it's technically a YA book. Whether it constitutes Fantasy or Sci-Fi is beyond me. I suppose it's a mixture of both given the subject matter. I can't say it wasn't predictable as all hell, but the overarching idea behind the story was pretty good. I'm only giving it a three because this story really needed more padding than it got. It could have justifiably been a duology.

I find it hardest to grasp how quickly Glenn and Kevin adjusted to a completely different world. How they were caught up and so easily swayed into participating in the loose politics and warfare of the two worlds at large. The cataclysm that caused the rift and everything therein was also poorly explained, and while the reveal was anything but a "reveal" I feel like we didn't get to appreciate the moment enough.

Not bad for a fledgling author. I'd never heard of Hirsch before, but it's clear he has potential. I'd be interested in reading more by him.

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Note: There are no spoilers except a few in the Discussion section, which you should skip if you want to avoid them.

Glennora (“Glenn”) Morgan is 16, and lives alone with her brilliant, eccentric scientist father near the border (or “Rift”) between their world, known as The Colloquium, and the post-nuclear-devastated wilderness beyond it. Glenn’s mother left her and her father, suddenly and with no explanation, ten years earlier, on Glenn’s sixth birthday. Her father spends all his time tinkering in his workshop on a secret “project,” hardly taking time even to eat in his eagerness to accomplish whatever it is he is doing.

Glenn has dreams of her own to occupy her. In the 130 years since the holocaust, the Colloquium has made massive scientific and technological advancements. Glenn is particularly eager to be accepted as part of the research outpost on Planet 813, and thinks she has a good chance, since she has no trouble quickly assimilating all the math and science necessary for acceptance.

Glenn’s only friend, the equally “nerdy” (read: smart) Kevin Kapoor, doesn’t want her to leave. They are close, even though they constantly fight about what is really on the other side of the Rift. Rumors abound that there is actually an entire civilization on the other side and it is fundamentally different from theirs; Glenn dismisses these rumors as foolish, but Kevin thinks they could be true. Even Glenn’s father sides with Kevin: he tries to explain to Glenn that she should think of reality as a set of playing cards:

The cards are always the same – King, Queen, Ace, Jack – but the game you play changes depending on what set of rules you decide to invoke. Use one set of rules and you’re playing poker. Choose another and you have solitaire. What we think of as reality is no different. It’s a card game. Change the rules and you change reality.”

Glenn has a chance to find this out for herself. Her father finishes his project, describing it to Glenn, and Glenn thinks he has gone totally crazy. She reports him to Kevin’s father, a psychologist who works for the government, and Dr. Kapoor in turn contacts the “Authority.” Suddenly Glenn and her father are running for their lives, along with Kevin, who would never leave Glenn. Glenn soon discovers what Hamlet contended to Horatio long ago:

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

Discussion:

ALERT! Mild spoilers ahead! Skip to the Evaluation Section if you want to avoid them!

Hirsch has come up with a clever premise – a sort of a reification of the epistemological divide. But I didn’t buy into all aspects of the execution of his idea.

In his post-apocalyptic universe, one side of the world is dominated by scientific thinking, and the other by non-empirical ways of knowing about the world. Both develop along lines suggested by the outgrowth of their dominant knowledge theories. In The Colloquium, empiricism and its focus on externality lead to great advances in technology. In The Magisterium, a more phenomenological approach (by which meaning is derived from inner subjectivity and perceptions as well as intersubjective engagement with others and the environment) results in the development of extra-sensory capabilities. Combined with the aftereffects of the post-apocalyptic radiation [which inexplicably affected one side of the world but not another], the magical abilities of the denizens of The Magisterium are manifested by different life forms as well. But some of the preternatural images seem bizarrely juvenile – more the result of mimicking children’s fairy tales than of any probable outcomes. And sometimes I thought Hirsch got carried away, throwing in fantastical asides that didn’t fit into his paradigm.

The other thing that put me off was the character of Glenn. First of all, as in another recent book that portrayed scientists as rigid and blind to nuance (see my review of Origin), Glenn is totally hostile to new ideas, an attitude that would be anathema to an actual scientist.

Secondly, besides the fact that Glenn is identified as really smart by other characters, to me she seemed Too Stupid To Live. Time and again she puts the lives of everyone around her in danger because of she refuses to acknowledge anything but her own interpretation of what is going on, even in the absence of any information whatsoever. She is also naïve to the point of absurdity. Kevin is only slightly better. After a while, the stickies I used to mark “Too Stupid To Live” were far outnumbering the ones indicating character names or other aspects of the plot I wanted to remember.

Evaluation: The premise of this book is in some ways very clever, and in some ways inconsistent and overdrawn. The book is mixed in other ways as well. The main protagonist, Glenn, is at the same time profoundly both naive and immature, but also strong and confident beyond her years; that combination seems a bit bizarre to me. As for the villains, most are wincingly cardboardy, but the wonderful mixture of good and bad that is Aamon makes him an outstanding character.

In short, I found this book a mixed bag. I’m all for salmagundis in food, but generally not so much a fan of it in books.

Rating: 2.5/5