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Forcing the Ace
Sometimes the real magic happens offstage.
- GenresYoung Adult
152 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2014
1 person is currently reading
133 people want to read
About the author
Erin Thomas
17 books17 followersErin Thomas has been an avid reader since childhood. She admits to going through a very long Nancy Drew phase, and then having an even longer love affair with fantasy books. As a children’s author, she likes to write stories that feature action and a little bit of mystery, and sometimes a touch of the supernatural.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 3, 2015
As a kid, when asked "what do you want to be when you grow up," one of my answers was always "Magician." I had a collection of books on magic, magic props and often performed magic tricks in my elementary class talent shows. My goal never came to fruition but it did make the premise of "Forcing the Ace" appealing to me.
In Forcing the Ace, we follow the life of Alex, a teenage boy with aspirations of becoming a professional magician. He has significant enthusiasm and talent for magic but has less devotion or skills for the other elements in his life, particularly his schoolwork, much to the chagrin of his surgeon father.
In the first chapter of the book, Alex is performing in a local magic show with the hope of attracting the attention of a sponsor for a professional magician competition. Unfortunately, his act ends with a significant injury to his hand and it looks like his hopes for the prestigious competition are shattered. His luck changes when he is noticed by Jack, a retired magician who tells Alex that he'll sponsor him but only if he pairs up with Zoe, another teenage magician from the town. Alex has always been a solo act and has no desire to share the glory with anyone but he reluctantly agrees and they begin training.
Jack, Alex and Zoe make an intriguing trio as they try to work together to come up with an award winning act while also trying to figure out one another. Each of the three has their own baggage and prejudices but they also have fun motivations which make for some interesting scenes.
Clocking in at just over 150 pages, this short novel doesn't have a lot of time for in-depth character or plot development. Still, I was hoping for a bit more. A lot of the characters and scenes felt a little flat or forced while others seemed obligatory or predictable. I especially had a hard time truly liking or rooting for Alex as a character. His goal was intriguing to me but his character and actions felt unbalanced and sometimes contradicted one another. Part of this I could chalk up to the unpredictability and inconsistency of teenagers working out their emotions. Other times it felt like his actions were created to further the desired story arc even though they didn't feel entirely realistic or genuine given the situation.
In spite of the points that felt a little choppy or less fleshed out, I did enjoy the general premise of the story. Had it been a longer book I think I would have demanded more cohesion but for its size I was able to work through the story even though I wanted more. To some extent, this felt like an "after school special" complete with some of the expected tropes and morals.
In the end, I did enjoy the book and would be willing to look out future work by this author to see if there is more depth. For a middle grade reader this simple read and fun story would be a fun way to spend an afternoon or two and the reader may even inadvertently learn a thing or two about life and relationships.
***
3 out of 5 stars
In Forcing the Ace, we follow the life of Alex, a teenage boy with aspirations of becoming a professional magician. He has significant enthusiasm and talent for magic but has less devotion or skills for the other elements in his life, particularly his schoolwork, much to the chagrin of his surgeon father.
In the first chapter of the book, Alex is performing in a local magic show with the hope of attracting the attention of a sponsor for a professional magician competition. Unfortunately, his act ends with a significant injury to his hand and it looks like his hopes for the prestigious competition are shattered. His luck changes when he is noticed by Jack, a retired magician who tells Alex that he'll sponsor him but only if he pairs up with Zoe, another teenage magician from the town. Alex has always been a solo act and has no desire to share the glory with anyone but he reluctantly agrees and they begin training.
Jack, Alex and Zoe make an intriguing trio as they try to work together to come up with an award winning act while also trying to figure out one another. Each of the three has their own baggage and prejudices but they also have fun motivations which make for some interesting scenes.
Clocking in at just over 150 pages, this short novel doesn't have a lot of time for in-depth character or plot development. Still, I was hoping for a bit more. A lot of the characters and scenes felt a little flat or forced while others seemed obligatory or predictable. I especially had a hard time truly liking or rooting for Alex as a character. His goal was intriguing to me but his character and actions felt unbalanced and sometimes contradicted one another. Part of this I could chalk up to the unpredictability and inconsistency of teenagers working out their emotions. Other times it felt like his actions were created to further the desired story arc even though they didn't feel entirely realistic or genuine given the situation.
In spite of the points that felt a little choppy or less fleshed out, I did enjoy the general premise of the story. Had it been a longer book I think I would have demanded more cohesion but for its size I was able to work through the story even though I wanted more. To some extent, this felt like an "after school special" complete with some of the expected tropes and morals.
In the end, I did enjoy the book and would be willing to look out future work by this author to see if there is more depth. For a middle grade reader this simple read and fun story would be a fun way to spend an afternoon or two and the reader may even inadvertently learn a thing or two about life and relationships.
***
3 out of 5 stars
February 10, 2019
I read Erin Thomas’ “Forcing the Ace” by Orca Publishers: Limelights (a division interested in literacy and performing arts) and was really impressed by the tension that was maintained throughout the novel.
“Forcing the Ace” is a first-person narrative about Alex, a 17-yr-old, who aspires to be a famous magician and ends up being paired with Zoe, a newer magician, in the hopes of winning a big magic competition.
Thomas makes the world and drive of someone interested in magic palpable while at the same time giving Alex a lot to overcome: his own ambition, his father’s dislike of magic and desire for his son to take studying more seriously, Zoe as both competition and teammate, Alex’s own narrow vision of himself and his world. At just the right moment, Thomas takes Alex’s scope beyond himself and he has a significant change in which he comes to view the world around him and those in it in a much broader way and understand himself and his performance in that world differently. Thomas also gives a great view of performance, respect and understanding of audience, females in a male-dominant industry, personal ambition, and the desire and cost of seeking fame. All these things are handled with a gentle hand allowing readers to draw their own conclusions as they want.
Thomas keeps stakes throughout the novel with conflict always present but able to shift and provide new focus and has beautifully formed characters who make the novel very real. The novel is worth reading for pure enjoyment but worth rereading especially to considering the crafting of the writing.
“Forcing the Ace” is a first-person narrative about Alex, a 17-yr-old, who aspires to be a famous magician and ends up being paired with Zoe, a newer magician, in the hopes of winning a big magic competition.
Thomas makes the world and drive of someone interested in magic palpable while at the same time giving Alex a lot to overcome: his own ambition, his father’s dislike of magic and desire for his son to take studying more seriously, Zoe as both competition and teammate, Alex’s own narrow vision of himself and his world. At just the right moment, Thomas takes Alex’s scope beyond himself and he has a significant change in which he comes to view the world around him and those in it in a much broader way and understand himself and his performance in that world differently. Thomas also gives a great view of performance, respect and understanding of audience, females in a male-dominant industry, personal ambition, and the desire and cost of seeking fame. All these things are handled with a gentle hand allowing readers to draw their own conclusions as they want.
Thomas keeps stakes throughout the novel with conflict always present but able to shift and provide new focus and has beautifully formed characters who make the novel very real. The novel is worth reading for pure enjoyment but worth rereading especially to considering the crafting of the writing.
June 10, 2017
I was actually surprised by how much I liked this book. It's a thin book, and I didn't really expect it to have much substance. I was surprised, in just a few pages, I fell in love with all of the characters. Everyone was well rounded. The narrator, Alex, was believable. There were some truly funny and heart-touching moments. I was genuinely surprised by the quality of this book (the writing and/or editing was insanely clean). I would recommend it, especially for people who don't have time to read a full length novel, but still want rounded characters and a cute story.
February 25, 2015
This book was read and reviewed by my co-worker, Nicole:
**spoiler alert** With some of the new movies about magic out there ( most notably, “ Now you See me”) “Ace” plays into the teaming up of magical acts. However, since most of magic is a visual stimulus it seemed to fall a little flat since so much description was needed to allure to what was happening with each trick. I would have preferred to see the tricks, than to have read about them.
The book uses a lot of magic/ theater vocabulary, which some people may get confused about (such as the word “patter”).I was also disappointed in how much the main character complains or lacks interest in reading or in school. He is also listed as being a bad speller and fails some of the quizzes and tests he must take in the book. Throughout the book his English class is reading the “ Great Gatsby” which Alex only finishes reading at the end of the book.
It’s kind of tough to like Alex because he is a big jerk to the Zoe throughout most of the book. He gets upset that he keeps losing to a girl, and wants to show her up, and “take the lead” instead of being a team player. Alex is a little more competitive than I would like, winning seems to be the most important thing to him, even if it is sacrificing those around him. In the end, Alex learns that he doesn’t want to win as much as he wants to perform. Alex becomes a more likable character at the end of the story.
Thankfully the story is not a love story, but two people learning to work together, and Alex learning that its not the competition that makes something fun, but the performance.
The phrase: “what will you do to win” is repeated a lot and later “Forcing the ace”, appears to have similar means in what Jack says about forcing the magic, for points instead of for fun.
Jack, the mentor, is an old magician, and a gambler who attends GA meetings, and magician with a broken relationship with his adult daughter. He also goes missing for part of the time in the book. Which seemed underdeveloped because after missing for weeks, he sudden and conveniently appears.
Lots of names of famous magicians are mentioned.
**spoiler alert** With some of the new movies about magic out there ( most notably, “ Now you See me”) “Ace” plays into the teaming up of magical acts. However, since most of magic is a visual stimulus it seemed to fall a little flat since so much description was needed to allure to what was happening with each trick. I would have preferred to see the tricks, than to have read about them.
The book uses a lot of magic/ theater vocabulary, which some people may get confused about (such as the word “patter”).I was also disappointed in how much the main character complains or lacks interest in reading or in school. He is also listed as being a bad speller and fails some of the quizzes and tests he must take in the book. Throughout the book his English class is reading the “ Great Gatsby” which Alex only finishes reading at the end of the book.
It’s kind of tough to like Alex because he is a big jerk to the Zoe throughout most of the book. He gets upset that he keeps losing to a girl, and wants to show her up, and “take the lead” instead of being a team player. Alex is a little more competitive than I would like, winning seems to be the most important thing to him, even if it is sacrificing those around him. In the end, Alex learns that he doesn’t want to win as much as he wants to perform. Alex becomes a more likable character at the end of the story.
Thankfully the story is not a love story, but two people learning to work together, and Alex learning that its not the competition that makes something fun, but the performance.
The phrase: “what will you do to win” is repeated a lot and later “Forcing the ace”, appears to have similar means in what Jack says about forcing the magic, for points instead of for fun.
Jack, the mentor, is an old magician, and a gambler who attends GA meetings, and magician with a broken relationship with his adult daughter. He also goes missing for part of the time in the book. Which seemed underdeveloped because after missing for weeks, he sudden and conveniently appears.
Lots of names of famous magicians are mentioned.
December 17, 2015
With some of the new movies about magic out there ( most notably, “ Now you See me”) “Ace” plays into the teaming up of magical acts. However, since most of magic is a visual stimulus it seemed to fall a little flat since so much description was needed to allure to what was happening with each trick. I would have preferred to see the tricks, than to have read about them.
The book uses a lot of magic/ theater vocabulary, which some people may get confused about (such as the word “patter”).I was also disappointed in how much the main character complains or lacks interest in reading or in school. He is also listed as being a bad speller and fails some of the quizzes and tests he must take in the book. Throughout the book his English class is reading the “ Great Gatsby” which Alex only finishes reading at the end of the book.
It’s kind of tough to like Alex because he is a big jerk to the Zoe throughout most of the book. He gets upset that he keeps losing to a girl, and wants to show her up, and “take the lead” instead of being a team player. Alex is a little more competitive than I would like, winning seems to be the most important thing to him, even if it is sacrificing those around him. In the end, Alex learns that he doesn’t want to win as much as he wants to perform. Alex becomes a more likable character at the end of the story.
Thankfully the story is not a love story, but two people learning to work together, and Alex learning that its not the competition that makes something fun, but the performance.
The phrase: “what will you do to win” is repeated a lot and later “Forcing the ace”, appears to have similar means in what Jack says about forcing the magic, for points instead of for fun.
Jack, the mentor, is an old magician, and a gambler who attends GA meetings, and magician with a broken relationship with his adult daughter. He also goes missing for part of the time in the book. Which seemed underdeveloped because after missing for weeks, he sudden and conveniently appears.
Lots of names of famous magicians are mentioned.
The book uses a lot of magic/ theater vocabulary, which some people may get confused about (such as the word “patter”).I was also disappointed in how much the main character complains or lacks interest in reading or in school. He is also listed as being a bad speller and fails some of the quizzes and tests he must take in the book. Throughout the book his English class is reading the “ Great Gatsby” which Alex only finishes reading at the end of the book.
It’s kind of tough to like Alex because he is a big jerk to the Zoe throughout most of the book. He gets upset that he keeps losing to a girl, and wants to show her up, and “take the lead” instead of being a team player. Alex is a little more competitive than I would like, winning seems to be the most important thing to him, even if it is sacrificing those around him. In the end, Alex learns that he doesn’t want to win as much as he wants to perform. Alex becomes a more likable character at the end of the story.
Thankfully the story is not a love story, but two people learning to work together, and Alex learning that its not the competition that makes something fun, but the performance.
The phrase: “what will you do to win” is repeated a lot and later “Forcing the ace”, appears to have similar means in what Jack says about forcing the magic, for points instead of for fun.
Jack, the mentor, is an old magician, and a gambler who attends GA meetings, and magician with a broken relationship with his adult daughter. He also goes missing for part of the time in the book. Which seemed underdeveloped because after missing for weeks, he sudden and conveniently appears.
Lots of names of famous magicians are mentioned.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2014
This book is like Criss Angel; entertaining, but technically bad.
Seriously, the book reads like a junior high-school students' diary. There is no variation of sentence structure. The perspective is first-person, present tense. Word choices are basic, and while that's okay in some cases, the author's writing style feels bland. There is minimal descriptions; the characters, settings, and other such things never get depicted. I can't imagine anything, because there isn't a basis to start with. Instead, the style only directly states actions, like "This character does this, then this, then this. Then, another characters comes over and does this." How boring!
The only thing that kept me interested was the story. See, in my high school years, I performed as a magician, as well. Naturally, fictional pieces about the topic (especially those written by females) hold a special place in my heart. "Forcing the Ace," through all of the linguistic problems, has a decent story. Nothing complicated, but it's entertaining enough. Furthermore, the author apparently has a decent knowledge of magical history and theory. She often references famous illusionist, like Dai Vernon and David Copperfield. Plus, the characters are smart when it comes to performing, and they actually understand how to create magic routines and captivate the audience.
All in all, this book is light and fun. But there isn't much substance to it. Perhaps if the author had slowed down and even out the pace, this novel would've been great.
Seriously, the book reads like a junior high-school students' diary. There is no variation of sentence structure. The perspective is first-person, present tense. Word choices are basic, and while that's okay in some cases, the author's writing style feels bland. There is minimal descriptions; the characters, settings, and other such things never get depicted. I can't imagine anything, because there isn't a basis to start with. Instead, the style only directly states actions, like "This character does this, then this, then this. Then, another characters comes over and does this." How boring!
The only thing that kept me interested was the story. See, in my high school years, I performed as a magician, as well. Naturally, fictional pieces about the topic (especially those written by females) hold a special place in my heart. "Forcing the Ace," through all of the linguistic problems, has a decent story. Nothing complicated, but it's entertaining enough. Furthermore, the author apparently has a decent knowledge of magical history and theory. She often references famous illusionist, like Dai Vernon and David Copperfield. Plus, the characters are smart when it comes to performing, and they actually understand how to create magic routines and captivate the audience.
All in all, this book is light and fun. But there isn't much substance to it. Perhaps if the author had slowed down and even out the pace, this novel would've been great.
December 9, 2014
I would swear that I already posted a review for this book since I always wait to rate books until I have a review to elaborate on my rating, but somehow my old review seems to have disappeared. Does that happen?
Anyways, I don’t like the idea of a blank space where a review used to be, so I’ll do my best to jog my memory.
Forcing the Ace is about a Vancouver teen obsessed with magic tricks, he wants nothing more than to become a big time magician and he believes a contest is his ticket to the spotlight. Alex winds up having to share his spotlight with a girl, Zoe, it’s their mentor’s idea and Alex is not thrilled. I loved that Zoe constantly stood up for herself no matter how Alex attempted to sabotage their partnership, and she was never reduced to being the pretty magician’s assistant, she was an equal part of the show.
Forcing the Ace may be a slim book, but it has depth and realism, particularly in Alex’s struggles with school and his dad, and the way his mentor’s addiction ended on a hopeful note, yet it’s clear there’s still a battle ahead as there would be in actual life.
The novel offered up truly touching moments in the cancer ward and in a moment Alex shares with his dad, and I also really liked how these kids chased their dreams, and rather than let setbacks get them down, they found ways to shape their dreams into something new, I think that’s a pretty valuable message to put out there.
I received this through a Goodreads giveaway.
Anyways, I don’t like the idea of a blank space where a review used to be, so I’ll do my best to jog my memory.
Forcing the Ace is about a Vancouver teen obsessed with magic tricks, he wants nothing more than to become a big time magician and he believes a contest is his ticket to the spotlight. Alex winds up having to share his spotlight with a girl, Zoe, it’s their mentor’s idea and Alex is not thrilled. I loved that Zoe constantly stood up for herself no matter how Alex attempted to sabotage their partnership, and she was never reduced to being the pretty magician’s assistant, she was an equal part of the show.
Forcing the Ace may be a slim book, but it has depth and realism, particularly in Alex’s struggles with school and his dad, and the way his mentor’s addiction ended on a hopeful note, yet it’s clear there’s still a battle ahead as there would be in actual life.
The novel offered up truly touching moments in the cancer ward and in a moment Alex shares with his dad, and I also really liked how these kids chased their dreams, and rather than let setbacks get them down, they found ways to shape their dreams into something new, I think that’s a pretty valuable message to put out there.
I received this through a Goodreads giveaway.
December 5, 2014
Alex spends all of his free time working on his magic tricks and it shows. His magic skills are improving, while his grades at school are failing. Who wants to read about Jay Gatsby when you can perfect your reverse waterfall card trick? Alex’s goal is to enter the big Silver Stage Magic Competition. The Silver Stage is the professional society for magicians that Alex hopes to join one day as a professional magician.
However, the only way to enter the competition is through a sponsor who is already a Silver Stage member. When a famous magician who wrote THE book on card magic, sees Alex perform he offers to sponsor him …IF he does a duo act with Alex’s newest competition, Zoe, the new girl at school. As Alex and Zoe begin working together, their competitive nature gets in the way of teamwork and causes problems for their act. Then, their sponsor starts missing practice shows. Can Alex and Zoe figure out how to be a true duo long enough to win the big competition and figure out what’s going on with their sponsor?
Like other Orca novels, this Limelights novel will appeal most to reluctant readers, especially teens who enjoy magic tricks with their realistic fiction that focuses on the power of working hard to chase your dreams. Each book in this series focuses on one performing art, such as music, theater or dance.
However, the only way to enter the competition is through a sponsor who is already a Silver Stage member. When a famous magician who wrote THE book on card magic, sees Alex perform he offers to sponsor him …IF he does a duo act with Alex’s newest competition, Zoe, the new girl at school. As Alex and Zoe begin working together, their competitive nature gets in the way of teamwork and causes problems for their act. Then, their sponsor starts missing practice shows. Can Alex and Zoe figure out how to be a true duo long enough to win the big competition and figure out what’s going on with their sponsor?
Like other Orca novels, this Limelights novel will appeal most to reluctant readers, especially teens who enjoy magic tricks with their realistic fiction that focuses on the power of working hard to chase your dreams. Each book in this series focuses on one performing art, such as music, theater or dance.
July 29, 2014
I really liked this book. It moves at a nice pace, teaches an excellent lesson for young and older readers alike.
Alex discovered the world of magic and magicians when he received a magic set for his 6th birthday. He was hooked immediately and bloomed. It changed his life. His parents weren't too thrilled that he wanted to be a magician as his calling. It strains his relationship with them even further when his schoolwork suffers after he decides to try out for the prestigious Silver Stage magic competition.
Alex is only happy when he is alone on stage and can't understand why the magician who agrees to sponsor him insists he needs a partner, not an assistant but a partner, for his act. A partner who is also his rival for the competition.
I could empathize with Alex, but I also felt like he could use a good thump upside the noggin from time to time. He could be a bit selfish and self-centered, but he wanted to improve. Thankfully he has the guidance of several people whose opinion he respected who help him along the way.
Very well written and highly enjoyable. Well-drawn characters with an engaging premise. Highly recommended.
Alex discovered the world of magic and magicians when he received a magic set for his 6th birthday. He was hooked immediately and bloomed. It changed his life. His parents weren't too thrilled that he wanted to be a magician as his calling. It strains his relationship with them even further when his schoolwork suffers after he decides to try out for the prestigious Silver Stage magic competition.
Alex is only happy when he is alone on stage and can't understand why the magician who agrees to sponsor him insists he needs a partner, not an assistant but a partner, for his act. A partner who is also his rival for the competition.
I could empathize with Alex, but I also felt like he could use a good thump upside the noggin from time to time. He could be a bit selfish and self-centered, but he wanted to improve. Thankfully he has the guidance of several people whose opinion he respected who help him along the way.
Very well written and highly enjoyable. Well-drawn characters with an engaging premise. Highly recommended.
March 4, 2016
Sort of one of those formulaic sports novels, but this time the sport is magic. Alex is all about becoming a famous and rich magician. He neglects his school work and works only on perfecting his act for the magic competition, much to the dismay of his surgeon father. There is the other competitor, who beats him at the first trial. There is the girl and the flawed coach and the good friend... the obsessive practice, the compromise with the parents and teacher over grades and continuing... However, this has some very nice elements. Zoe, the girl, learned magic as physiotherapy recovering from an injury that ended her dance dreams, and she refuses to be the "assistant" to the magician. Alex evolves in a realistic way; his parents do also. Nice and appropriate for middle and high school. Steer those magic trick lovers this way!
October 30, 2014
Forcing the Ace takes us right up onto the stage with amateur magicians who have big dreams. I loved the way Erin Thomas shows us all of her characters' vulnerabilities, and I enjoyed the humour sprinkled throughout Alex's journey as he works to understand more about himself through his magic. Fun, funny and fast-paced.
November 5, 2014
A quick read about becoming a magician and working as a team.
March 29, 2017
yes, a keeper for the library 'quick picks'--good story, believable , clean
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews