Magic America

by C.E. Medford

Hope lives in an alternative Trenton, New Jersey of the 1980s where radioactive cats, congenital tattoos, biker angels, cocky fairy godmothers and the determination to survive another day are all that stand between her family and the creeping chemical forces of LoboChem, a manufacturer willing to destroy all that is beautiful for the sake of a profit.

Magic America is a story about coming of age in fluorescent, urbo-suburban, magic-realism America. Dust off your Wigwams and your high-tops, your banana clips and Aquanet, for a trip through the streets and skies of a Garden State where love triumphs over fear, faith is what you die with and family is who you ride with.

Genres: Magical Realism, Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult, Coming Of Age, New Adult, Urban Fantasy

244 pages, Paperback

First published July 2, 2014

About the author

Born in Queens, NYC, C.E. Medford spent her adolescent years in New Jersey before moving to Brooklyn Heights. In Brooklyn, she attended several writing workshops taught by Greg Lichtenberg. In 2001 she moved to London, England where she later completed an M.A. with honours in Creative Writing at Birkbeck, University of London. She currently resides in London with her husband and son. Magic America is her first published novel.

Reviews

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never read anything like C.E Medford's Magic America, where a headstrong fairy godmother can be found in the most unexpected places as a family. In a city where a blind eye has been turned on corporate greed, environmental abuse, and disregard for human life, we get to see some of the most profound integrity and courage in its underdogs. This is an engrossing novel with keen observations on growing up, being poor, being alone, and choosing to fight in a world that wants you to feel powerless. The greatest lesson I learned in reading Magic America is how to actively love people. It can be said of many characters in this novel, by many characters in this novel, "I had a good life, and one of the main reasons I did is because of you." I couldn't put it down.

[Olja · Rating 5 out of 5]

'My' America became Magic with this book. It's spoken to me with the voice I love: a girl, who wants to make it in the world, who wants to live her dream but also keep her spirit. I love this girl, Hope. I follow the choices she makes, and I trust her completely. She takes me on the road and I enjoy every curve, every stop. And she does it with style, the powerful mixture of vulnerability, strength and magic.

[Angie Roux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magic America is an enchanting dance between real and surreal, with characters you want to find waiting for you every day on your front steps. It’s a wonderful demonstration of how everyone’s broken in some way, and that getting healed or fixed often just means borrowing what you need from others who aren’t broken in quite the same way. I thoroughly enjoyed C.E. Medford’s writing and especially the way she is able to capture, in a single sentence, the width and depth of a moment, whether somber or comical. For example, it never occurred to me that a pit-bull could have a bad day.

[Tara Gajano · Rating 5 out of 5]

C.E. Medford is a gifted story teller. Magic America is an enticing blend of fantasy and gritty reality. I kept finding myself rushing through the book to find out what happens next & then catching myself & going back slowly to enjoy the words. Great Book!

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this little gem of a book, which defies classification. It's a coming of age story, sure, but it's also a little bit magical and a little bit surreal and a whole lot charming. Biker gangs, congenital tattoos, toxic waste, wolf-dogs and romance--it's utterly unique.

[Lesley Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

C.E. Medford says of her writing: “There must be story, and breathless moments; colour and fire. There must be characters I want to know, who become so real to me that I miss them when I am not writing.” Better than anything else I can say about it, these words sum up perfectly the effect her book ‘Magic America’ had on me. I began reading it with no idea really what to expect. The synopsis promised a story about “coming of age in fluorescent, urbo-suburban, magic-realism America.” I was intrigued, but within the first few pages I became utterly mesmerised. I soon came to love the narrator, Hope, with her unique voice, her plucky, rebellious attitude to life, her innate sense of morality and her capacity for empathy and compassion. As Hope grew through adolescence, I became increasingly absorbed in her story and the saga of all the colourful, extraordinary members of her biker family. My heart went out to her troubled mom, who all the way though did her best to create a better life for herself and her daughter, and I admired Rooster, who was everything a dad should be, even though he wasn’t really her dad. All the characters in the book leapt from within the pages with a convincing authenticity, and although this was an alternative world, it was completely believable, for all its eccentricities. This world was not so different from the one we recognise, where the voices of those most grievously affected by chemical pollution are so often ignored. C.E. Medford manages skilfully to weave into her story vital issues to do with protecting the environment from the wanton indifference of big business corporations interested only in profits, allowing her characters to fight the good fight and eventually, after some degree of poignant personal loss, to bring about a resolution. I know when a book will remain memorable for me when I find myself truly caring about what happens to the people in it. There were moments when I found myself unexpectedly touched and tearful, especially towards the end, and others where I laughed aloud... I was totally engaged to the extent that I had to leave everything else for the whole of yesterday afternoon and just read on to the very last paragraph. This is a beautiful story, beautifully written, and I look forward to reading anything C.E. Medford writes. 5* and a big thankyou for such an entertaining read.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book...

What to say about a story like this? It is one tinged with magic, with hope and wishing. With fight and strength Love, family, regrets and promise.

This book made me cry, made me smile, made me angry and laugh and hope right along with Hope, who is not only one of the most steadfast and dimensional characters I've had the pleasure of reading about, but also one of the brightest. Her courage and heart carried me through her years growing up in Trenton New Jersey with her adopted family of conventionally eccentric or weird people, but the kind of people I would love to make my own adopted family.

No, really, let's amend that. Family period.

From Rooster to Freak Eddie to Billy Regret and the swoonworthy Rick, I love every bit of Hope's family, and even so her flawed, but full of love and fight, mother Angela. The other ladies also touched my heart, not least of all the impeccably feisty and fierce Ivka Ripinka.

Read this book and it'll keep your head in the clouds and give you the urge to set off across America on the back of your own bike one day.

[megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really needed to read something wonderful and (yet?) modern- something to reassure me that great writing didn't end when the new millennium rolled around- something that didn't shy away from using modern points of reference but didn't specifically focus on them to demonstrate how 'cool' the book is- magic america was exactly what i needed to read

[Doug Erhard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very pleasantly surprised

Found this book for quite friend, and turned out I read it myself......in one day. Great characters. truly written. Lovely.

[Christopher Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the soft edges and ethereal transitions, reality melts away and the reader finds themselves exploring Magic America alongside of Hope. There is a poetic flavor to Magic America that breathes life into every exchange and weaves a thread between the characters that leaves us longing for friends like Rooster and Freak Eddie. With a final sentence Magic America does the impossible and wraps a bow not only around Magic America but around the story of our lives. C.E. Medford is the new Neil Gaiman

[Daniel Suarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the best books I've read. There are lots of magical elements, thrilling stories with bikers and werewolves. It was a great adventure from childhood to adulthood. That was a pleasure to read it and see the evolution of a human being and what is most important to each of us: friends. Totally worth it.

[Lindy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I saw many reviewers praising the prose, and since I tend to be a rather literary reader, I thought I'd pick this novel up.

I was surprised, and not in a good way.

While I can appreciate the overall idea and intellectually understand the themes the author attempts to develop, the execution just isn't there. Ultimately the characters and setting feel flat and uninteresting. Additionally, I often had difficulty following the book as a whole.

[Jon Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a real pleasure. It creates a magical little world all of its own. Familiar but just a little unfamiliar and pulls you into it. It invites you to take interest in and care about the characters and you do.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Medford has adeptly and beautifully tapped into the complex emotions and perspective of a child of a broken home. It's a fantasy-touched coming-of-age story, set against the backdrop of industrial suburbia, a place full of loose toxic chemicals and archetypal villains.

Medford's "Hope" experiences the depressed Trenton, New Jersey in which she lives, as a character, just as much as she does her family and friends, and her sensitive handling of the trauma inflicted on children by abuse is riveting.

This is a must read for anyone whose childhood straddled the line between "normal" and wild, anyone who ever wanted to rise above their surroundings in search of a wide open space, and anyone who wondered what life was like on the other side of the tracks. Can't wait for her next book.

[C.E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

"If you're a reader who likes to find those novels that aren't quite like anything else. This is the book for you. I was in turns reminded of Armistead Maupin, Bulgakov and Anne Tyler. Sound weird? It is. The good kind of weird." - Jake Isles, review from Amazon.co.uk http://amzn.to/1sysTn5

"Oh I loved this book! Cyndi Lauper meets Gabriel Garcia Marquez in a fluoro 80s mash-up somewhere in New Jersey. Unmissable." - Anna Hope, author of 'WAKE'

"This is a truly original novel. C E Medford creates a haunting, memorable atmosphere, exciting plot, and intriguing, sharply defined characters. C E Medford talent to watch. You will never forget this book once you've read it - which you must!" - Matthew Weait, author of 'Intimacy and Responsibility'

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magic America was a great read and I had trouble putting it down. Having grown up in the area, I loved all the references to places both familiar and dear. I loved C.E.'s twist on New Jersey, it made me look at these places with a different viewpoint, Hope was a wonderfully written character, one that makes the reader root for her from page 1. I truly hope there is a second book, and I am confident that C.E. will continue have a strong following. Definitely a writer to watch!

[Laura Whitcombe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Needed an editor. I liked the plot idea. The characters were potentially interesting. But the writing had typos and so many errors it took me out of the story. I don't know how such a short book could ramble, but it did go on tangents. It wasn't magical enough and it didn't have enough realism either.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first part of this book was great, but when the MC grew up, the whole story seemed to go off track. I found myself skimming over a lot of it. The storyline seemed convoluted and the characters seemed disconnected.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book provided a unique perspective very different from anything I have read before and I like the idea of bringing magical realism and the environment together. However the author needed a good editor. Too many mistakes in this book, grammar and just plain pulling the story together to make sense. I think the main character was also not developed very well whereas some of the other characters were developed quite well, for example - Rooster and Noelle. In general this book would have been so much better with more attention to detail and some good editing.

[Stephanie Piston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take a ride with author C.E. Medford back to the 80's and the age of neon colors, sky high hair, and a girl named Hope coming of age in NJ. This story was a treat, brought back great memories of my youth and the times. C.E. Medford eloquently captures the vibe of this decade and gives the reader a colorful description of the characters; you can't help but get swept away. Look forward to C.E. Medford's next book!!

[Kat Antinoro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book immensely! The story was engaging and kept me on the edge of my seat. C.E. Medford wrote a story that will appeal to everyone. The locations, the people all intriguing. If your from the Trenton area you will recognize a lot of the locations and if you grew up with us, you will recognize a lot of the characters. Love love love this book!!

[Betty Booklover · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way Hope thinks. The narrative made me feel I was part of the story. I felt scared, happy, and sad along with Hope. I wish I had her fairy godmother around during tough times when I was growing up!

[Liza Schuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Modern, retro, fantasy realism....... all rolled up together! Beautifully written and well told. Twist and turns and emotional connections throughout really made me get lost in this book quickly and easily and kept me wanting more!
-Liza

[Cassy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read this for English class. I thought the magical realism was interesting, but the story was often confusing at times by the author's failure to properly flesh out details and scenes. The actions scenes were not well written. However, this book did manage to keep my interest.

[4babies4mommy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book. I thought that this book was a wonderful coming of age story that I plan to share with my 3 teenage children....keep up the good work. I can't wait to read more!

[Thea Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

American author CE Medford (now resident in the UK) is definitely one to watch. Magic America is like nothing else I've read. An effortless recreation of a young girl's coming-of-age in New Jersey, packed with true-to-life characters and descriptions laid down in exquisite prose, it dances between realism and magic realism with pace and with grace. I couldn't put it down, leaping from page to page with my heart in my mouth. Can't wait for the next work from this author.

[Jozie Jewelz · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Full review posted on my blog at Joziejewelz.com*

The choose-your-own-reality nature of existence has always fascinated me. It's the reason that, though I never took physics in school, I looked to quantum theory for comfort after the death of a friend, and it may be why magic realism has a special appeal for me. Don't get me wrong- I like fantasy. Still, I find myself even more drawn to stories where, rather than journeying into an extraordinary world, the characters experience magic as just one more aspect of their ordinary lives. Maybe it's because I've fixed relationships with candle jar spells and once saw a friend conjure seven hundred dollars and a plate of sweets using only her mind. I can't say I often go seeking magic realism novels specifically, but when I come across one, I'm pleased- all the more if it blends lush imagery with matter-of-fact narration and features an unforgettable protagonist.

So I said all that to say this: if you're in any way like me, or if you're looking to read a unique, superbly written indie novel, or if you're looking for a good book, period, I suggest C.E. Medford's Magic America. This coming-of-age story follows Hope, the child of a young mom who “negotiated the terms of my bravery” and a violent father (who's been chemically poisoned at his job) as she grows up in an alternate-1980's version of New Jersey.

Hope, and her parents, and the bikers and fairy godmother and fellow students she meets along her journey, are so nuanced, so detailed and yet so raw, they make me feel like this story is something that really happened to someone I really know. Medford is a genius at characterizing, not just people, but institutions and places and eras. Mix this with her gift for lyrical description and the clever threads of magic she weaves, and the outcome is a lucid dream, a perfect high where reality appears, not blurred, but chemically pealed away to expose something sharper, more vivid and real.
I stumbled upon this book a couple years ago, on a list of New Adult novels, where it really didn't belong (though Magic America's back-and-forth between wonder and the need to keep moving forward pretty much summarizes how it feels to be a new adult, in my opinion.) I'm so glad I found it. This story, really, is magic. It has the type of magic that can be explained and the type that needs no explanation. It shows how magic and the believer protect each other, even as both change over time. Oh, and then there's the whole rebellion-against-an-evil-corporation thing.
And then there's the insightful look at what it means to be [female/ working class/ a free spirit/ take your pick] as one moves through life.
And then there's love. And tattoos, some with supernatural properties.
And then there's the last scene, which is just so indescribably satisfying.
Basically, I said all that to say this: read this book. I'm pretty sure it'll end up on the list of things you don't regret doing.

[Desiree · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the first time I'm giving a bad rating, so I'd better explain myself. Keep in mind that this is subjective and that this is only my view of the novel; other people may have gotten a different feeling while reading it.

I was looking for a magic realist novel and thought Magic America was a good addition to my list, as it deals with environmentalist issues. However, I had several problems with the book. I don't think I'll be able to be vague enough to avoid spoilers!

One of them was inconsistency: Toffee's and Hope's close friendship in the beginning lead me to believe that they would be an inseparable team throughout the book. But suddenly, Toffee was completely out of the picture. Then, after a while, the dog only appeared when it was convenient or helped the plot line. (Yes, this is probably a personal problem, but I like dogs!!!)

What disturbed me a lot was the rather stereotypical image of the men and women: the women were always saved by Rooster's crew, leading to a fragile depiction of Hope's mom, Noelle, etc. The men, on the other hand, were big and strong and their overly protective attitudes took away from the women's strength (because in theory, the female characters had the potential to be strong and independent). The women were trying to show strength but were always somehow overshadowed by the men - often because the women's ideas seemed stereotypically impulsive and irrational, as they had been excluded from previous planning and strategy sessions.

This premise makes Hope's mom's story rather inauthentic. She talks about her past and criticizes the age in which women weren't allowed to be independent. However, that seemed forced to me at this point. She has all these good intentions and the potential to be a strong, independent woman throughout the story, but then, somehow, the men manage to steal the show from her and her victory doesn't feel like one anymore; she just appears more fragile and in need of male support.

Lastly, some of the magic realist elements seemed forced (a tear that turns into a Lucky Charms marshmallow?). Other elements worked out ok; I really liked Ivka Repinka.

I'm sorry I didn't like the book. I think it was really promising, but I personally would have changed several things. I also found several typos and even missing words, which made the text appear a bit sloppy. Is that maybe a problem with the Kindle version?

[Shatterlings · Rating 4 out of 5]

This took me a while to get into but I kind of liked it by the end, it's quite dark for a coming of age story, lots of bad stuff happens.

[Keith Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it when an author has a quirky, unusual way of looking at the world. There are images in this book I'll never forget. It's weird. It's wonderful. I'm so glad I read it.