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Wizardmatch
Twelve-year-old Lennie Mercado loves magic. She practices her invisibility powers all the time (she can now stay invisible for fifteen seconds!), and she dreams of the day that she can visit her grandfather, the Prime Wizard de Pomporromp, at his magical estate.
Now Lennie has her chance. Poppop has decided to retire, and his grandchildren are coming from all over to compete in Wizardmatch. The winner inherits his title, his castle, and every single one of his unlimited magical powers. The losers get nothing. Lennie is desperate to win, but when Poppop creates a new rule to quelch any sibling rivalry, her thoughts turn from winning Wizardmatch to sabotaging it...even if it means betraying her family.
Now Lennie has her chance. Poppop has decided to retire, and his grandchildren are coming from all over to compete in Wizardmatch. The winner inherits his title, his castle, and every single one of his unlimited magical powers. The losers get nothing. Lennie is desperate to win, but when Poppop creates a new rule to quelch any sibling rivalry, her thoughts turn from winning Wizardmatch to sabotaging it...even if it means betraying her family.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published March 6, 2018
28 people are currently reading
1381 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Magaziner
28 books221 followersLauren Magaziner is the internationally bestselling author of the The Incorruptibles series, the Case Closed series, The Mythics series. She is also the author of stand-alone humorous middle grade books: The Only Thing Worse Than Witches, Pilfer Academy, and Wizardmatch. Lauren is originally from New Hope, Pennsylvania, and she currently resides in Philadelphia, where she writes full-time. You can visit her at laurenmagaziner.com or follow along with her newsletter at laurenmagaziner.substack.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
October 17, 2018
I was just going to let this book go with just a rating and no review but I realized I couldn't.
If this was a YA then sure, it falls into the same trap that many of them do so whatever. But this is middle-grade. Middle grade that tackled a variety of important topics(especially in today's world) about sexism, ageism and racism.
This book failed to deliver.
It started out promising. A half-Filipino character, (Filipino characters in general are super rare) Lennie bringing up the unfairity of the Tournament. It had EVERYTHING GOING FOR IT. Heck, even the quirky writing style went was enjoyable. And sometimes you need to use humor to talk about serious matters.
But guess what? This book goes NOWHERE with it.
Lennie's behaviors are supposed to be taken as "wrong" but I was all about her. Yes, she was right. Yes, there was an issue of her being a girl and then her(and her brother) being the only non-white people in this family gathering. Her actions made SENSE. The way her mother acted after her brother was chosen was infuriating.
Like if you knew that one kid was gunning for a thing and then you give the thing to the other child, you expect the first child to just accept it with no questions asked? And you don't have a conversation with her about it? Like come on. That was terrible parenting right there, no questions about it.
Not to mention everything with "poppop." Who by the way, I HATED. He was so self-centered but not endearing. There's a way to make that kind of character funny and quirky but he was downright infuriating.
And don't get me started on the ending. The book brings up all of these concepts and then kind of hand waves it away with a, "Eh, it's a thing, the characters don't mean how they act."
NO. NO
Lennie even SAYS she's still angry and probably will be for a long time.
You cannot just bring up all these things and do nothing with them. Show a change in behavior, show something to tells kids you can fight these things and make the world a better place.
Honestly, I feel like this review is all over the place but that's how I felt about this book. And I was so excited for it too...
If this was a YA then sure, it falls into the same trap that many of them do so whatever. But this is middle-grade. Middle grade that tackled a variety of important topics(especially in today's world) about sexism, ageism and racism.
This book failed to deliver.
It started out promising. A half-Filipino character, (Filipino characters in general are super rare) Lennie bringing up the unfairity of the Tournament. It had EVERYTHING GOING FOR IT. Heck, even the quirky writing style went was enjoyable. And sometimes you need to use humor to talk about serious matters.
But guess what? This book goes NOWHERE with it.
Lennie's behaviors are supposed to be taken as "wrong" but I was all about her. Yes, she was right. Yes, there was an issue of her being a girl and then her(and her brother) being the only non-white people in this family gathering. Her actions made SENSE. The way her mother acted after her brother was chosen was infuriating.
Like if you knew that one kid was gunning for a thing and then you give the thing to the other child, you expect the first child to just accept it with no questions asked? And you don't have a conversation with her about it? Like come on. That was terrible parenting right there, no questions about it.
Not to mention everything with "poppop." Who by the way, I HATED. He was so self-centered but not endearing. There's a way to make that kind of character funny and quirky but he was downright infuriating.
And don't get me started on the ending. The book brings up all of these concepts and then kind of hand waves it away with a, "Eh, it's a thing, the characters don't mean how they act."
NO. NO
Lennie even SAYS she's still angry and probably will be for a long time.
You cannot just bring up all these things and do nothing with them. Show a change in behavior, show something to tells kids you can fight these things and make the world a better place.
Honestly, I feel like this review is all over the place but that's how I felt about this book. And I was so excited for it too...
May 10, 2025
کتاب ساده و جالبی بود.
خیلی wooooow نبود. بیشتر هوووووم بود.
خوش گذشت در کل💖
خیلی wooooow نبود. بیشتر هوووووم بود.
خوش گذشت در کل💖
September 20, 2018
1.5 stars, with bonus points for the half-Filipino MC and the talking cat.
I feel like this book was going for a cute fantasy with dashes of silliness for flavor and threads of serious topics like putting family first and combatting prejudice within your own family to tie it together, and it missed the mark by a lot.
The problem is, it went heavy on the silly. This book was aggressively silly. All of the rooms and landmarks were food - cheeseburger bedroom, cinnamon bun bedroom, a room that smelt like fresh bread, a swimming pool filled with pudding that was both swam in and eaten from in the course of the story (ew), and some other water feature filled with stew. The characters spoke in puns in every situation. Just hanging out at a meal? Puns. Screaming in each other’s faces? PUNS. Just stop.
And the big issue for me was that the attempt to discuss and deal with the longstanding sexism in her family, Lennie’s feelings of being an outsider because she and her brother are the only non-whites in the family, and the devastating effects of the competition on the family bonds, was completely obliterated by the wall of silliness. In between the descriptions of all the things in the castle and on the property, the puns, and the ridiculous capslocking at each other for no reason, Lennie came off looking and sounding like a huge brat instead of a headstrong girl who just wants a chance at her dream. The dramatic climax was ultimately boring, with what I assumed would be the predictable twist (Uncle Humphrey is an imposter/Oglethorpe! Gasp!) being far more of a twist than what really happened (Uncle Humphrey is a liar! Um, duh?). And the “resolution” to all of the conflicts at the end of the story didn’t actually resolve much of anything, with a few meaningless apologies and no real character growth.
I am disappointed, but also unsurprised. Back when I first found this book, it was because I noticed these books by a fairly unknown author were toppling mega-bestsellers for the top spots on the “most anticipated middle grade” lists here on Goodreads. So I looked into a few of the many, many 5-Star reviews on this and her other books and found a good dozen or more accounts created to give her books good reviews and nothing else. I don’t know how many such accounts there are in total, but I will say you probably shouldn’t trust that 4.52 average.
I feel like this book was going for a cute fantasy with dashes of silliness for flavor and threads of serious topics like putting family first and combatting prejudice within your own family to tie it together, and it missed the mark by a lot.
The problem is, it went heavy on the silly. This book was aggressively silly. All of the rooms and landmarks were food - cheeseburger bedroom, cinnamon bun bedroom, a room that smelt like fresh bread, a swimming pool filled with pudding that was both swam in and eaten from in the course of the story (ew), and some other water feature filled with stew. The characters spoke in puns in every situation. Just hanging out at a meal? Puns. Screaming in each other’s faces? PUNS. Just stop.
And the big issue for me was that the attempt to discuss and deal with the longstanding sexism in her family, Lennie’s feelings of being an outsider because she and her brother are the only non-whites in the family, and the devastating effects of the competition on the family bonds, was completely obliterated by the wall of silliness. In between the descriptions of all the things in the castle and on the property, the puns, and the ridiculous capslocking at each other for no reason, Lennie came off looking and sounding like a huge brat instead of a headstrong girl who just wants a chance at her dream. The dramatic climax was ultimately boring, with what I assumed would be the predictable twist (Uncle Humphrey is an imposter/Oglethorpe! Gasp!) being far more of a twist than what really happened (Uncle Humphrey is a liar! Um, duh?). And the “resolution” to all of the conflicts at the end of the story didn’t actually resolve much of anything, with a few meaningless apologies and no real character growth.
I am disappointed, but also unsurprised. Back when I first found this book, it was because I noticed these books by a fairly unknown author were toppling mega-bestsellers for the top spots on the “most anticipated middle grade” lists here on Goodreads. So I looked into a few of the many, many 5-Star reviews on this and her other books and found a good dozen or more accounts created to give her books good reviews and nothing else. I don’t know how many such accounts there are in total, but I will say you probably shouldn’t trust that 4.52 average.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2018
This was one of the better light hearted magic stories I’ve read and really really funny. I especially liked the strong, determined and very stubborn main character, 11year old Lennie. The author lets her truly feel all of her emotions and hold onto her totally justified anger at certain events !
Give to your Harry Potter fans as well as your younger, not ready for Harry Potter readers who already did The Worst Witch or Upside Down Magic. Recommend for grade 3-6.
Give to your Harry Potter fans as well as your younger, not ready for Harry Potter readers who already did The Worst Witch or Upside Down Magic. Recommend for grade 3-6.
November 20, 2017
Lauren Magaziner writes books that kids want to read. This one is no exception.
It's full of trials and tribulations that are familiar to middle grade readers - sibling rivalry, parental favoritism, family acceptance, and difficulty coming to terms when what you want most you can't have. I love that there is also a discussion about gender and racial equality.
Well done.
It's full of trials and tribulations that are familiar to middle grade readers - sibling rivalry, parental favoritism, family acceptance, and difficulty coming to terms when what you want most you can't have. I love that there is also a discussion about gender and racial equality.
Well done.
October 18, 2017
I received an ARC of this book in October 2017. It is a fun read with a lovely message about standing up yourself and the importance of family. It even has some Harry Potter similarities that fantasy fans will love.
March 21, 2018
My goodness, I just love Lauren Magaziner's books! Every single time I open one, I KNOW that I'm in for humor, adventure, and characters to root for! WIZARDMATCH is a MG fantasy full of world-building, unique characters, an AMAZING SETTING, and truth. Sequel?
October 20, 2022
3.5 stars for several laugh out loud moments, but I felt throughout the entire story that the author was trying to hard to be creative with her descriptions and characters. This book is recommended for ages 8 to 12.
April 27, 2018
One of my favorite books as a seven year old child was Eva Ibbotson’s thrilling novel of frightful, funny, bumbling, disgusting witchy competition, “Which Witch?”. In that novel, a powerful dark wizard has to choose a wife in order to produce an heir and sets up a competition of sporting events and magic for local covens. I also loved The Goblet Of Fire’s depiction of wizard sports and life or death competitions.
This new novel by Lauren Magaziner has a superficially very similar premise: super-powerful granddad wizard Pomporrompop (or something like that) , who lives in a castle made of food, is leaving all his powers and estate to the most powerful of his many, many grandchildren. The protagonist, Lennie Mercado, is a 12 year old who has grown up away from magic (though aware of it) and who is determined to win the competition. Without reading a summary beforehand, a reader could think they were being set up for a sweet, fart-joke filled bildungsroman where Lennie becomes more and more powerful and beats the odds against her snobby cousins to prove herself to her grandpa.
But her grandpa says only one child from each branch of his family can be in the competition, and he won’t let her compete! There isn’t any way around it! And even Lennie’s mom won’t stand up for her. Lennie is pretty sure Pomporompop (or whatever) is making this decision because she is a girl. Her girl cousins get eliminated in the first few rounds, and she is sure it’s because her granddad only wants a boy heir. She also suspects that being half-Filipino has something to do with her grandpa preferring her cousin Julian to her and her brother Michael.
Bitter and fuming, Lennie stalks into the woods to try and run away, and runs into her great-uncle, who has been harboring a similar grudge against her grandfather since he was defeated fifty years ago and lost the opportunity to gain all the magical powers he might have had. Training in secret, he has managed to become pretty powerful without the aid of wizard staffs or magic wands—and he promises to help Lennie do the same, if she sabotages the competition.
This is a goofy book with pools of pudding, graveyards of goulash, and a cat named fluffles who has a monocle. But it’s fresh and character-driven and sharp. It also effectively parodies all the wizard fiction out there that is dependent on a whimsical, powerful patriarch who is always proven right in the end. In this book, none of the grown ups, and least of all the men, are in the right. It might be a silly little story, but I loved it, and am so excited to read more stuff in this vein.
This new novel by Lauren Magaziner has a superficially very similar premise: super-powerful granddad wizard Pomporrompop (or something like that) , who lives in a castle made of food, is leaving all his powers and estate to the most powerful of his many, many grandchildren. The protagonist, Lennie Mercado, is a 12 year old who has grown up away from magic (though aware of it) and who is determined to win the competition. Without reading a summary beforehand, a reader could think they were being set up for a sweet, fart-joke filled bildungsroman where Lennie becomes more and more powerful and beats the odds against her snobby cousins to prove herself to her grandpa.
But her grandpa says only one child from each branch of his family can be in the competition, and he won’t let her compete! There isn’t any way around it! And even Lennie’s mom won’t stand up for her. Lennie is pretty sure Pomporompop (or whatever) is making this decision because she is a girl. Her girl cousins get eliminated in the first few rounds, and she is sure it’s because her granddad only wants a boy heir. She also suspects that being half-Filipino has something to do with her grandpa preferring her cousin Julian to her and her brother Michael.
Bitter and fuming, Lennie stalks into the woods to try and run away, and runs into her great-uncle, who has been harboring a similar grudge against her grandfather since he was defeated fifty years ago and lost the opportunity to gain all the magical powers he might have had. Training in secret, he has managed to become pretty powerful without the aid of wizard staffs or magic wands—and he promises to help Lennie do the same, if she sabotages the competition.
This is a goofy book with pools of pudding, graveyards of goulash, and a cat named fluffles who has a monocle. But it’s fresh and character-driven and sharp. It also effectively parodies all the wizard fiction out there that is dependent on a whimsical, powerful patriarch who is always proven right in the end. In this book, none of the grown ups, and least of all the men, are in the right. It might be a silly little story, but I loved it, and am so excited to read more stuff in this vein.
April 1, 2018
My name is Lennie, and I couldn’t believe my mom chose Michael to compete against our cousins in the Wizardmatch! Poppop told her to pick him, but she should have stood up for me! It's so unfair! I deserve to be the next Prime Wizard, and I need to do something big. I found Uncle Humphrey secretly living in the borderlands, and he's the only person who believes in me. He's going to become my mentor and teach me how to master my power of invisibility. But the Wizardmatch is still unfair, and it's got all the relatives at each other's throats. I can't even stand to be around my little brother anymore. My uncle has a plan that might solve everything, but it will require me to use my power in ways I've never imagined.
It was strange to see a grandfather being such a jerk toward his kids and grandkids. He was self-centered, superficial, and played favorites. Even though Lennie was the protagonist, she was clearly motivated by anger and jealousy. I didn't have a lot of empathy for her character, as her actions often didn't make her much better than her grandfather. She behaved in a selfish manner despite mentioning some unfairness to her older cousins and females. Her temper drove her behavior, but it was nice to see more positive qualities emerge when her plans fell apart. Be prepared for some goofiness, as the magic was used in unusual ways. Poppop's estate included a moat made of chocolate pudding, a cemetery made of goulash, and one floor in the castle was made of jelly. One cousin was able to eat things and cough up birds, while another had the ability to control his hair. Overall, the story was entertaining and created a fun tale. It provided a positive message regarding respect and family relationships.
It was strange to see a grandfather being such a jerk toward his kids and grandkids. He was self-centered, superficial, and played favorites. Even though Lennie was the protagonist, she was clearly motivated by anger and jealousy. I didn't have a lot of empathy for her character, as her actions often didn't make her much better than her grandfather. She behaved in a selfish manner despite mentioning some unfairness to her older cousins and females. Her temper drove her behavior, but it was nice to see more positive qualities emerge when her plans fell apart. Be prepared for some goofiness, as the magic was used in unusual ways. Poppop's estate included a moat made of chocolate pudding, a cemetery made of goulash, and one floor in the castle was made of jelly. One cousin was able to eat things and cough up birds, while another had the ability to control his hair. Overall, the story was entertaining and created a fun tale. It provided a positive message regarding respect and family relationships.
November 23, 2017
I love this book! Such a fun, empowering middle grade.
Read
May 13, 2020I'm not going to give this book a star rating because it wasn't the book for me. I REALLY did not care for this book. I think it's because I'm a 36 year old woman and not a 10 yr old that likes silly stories. Some of the scenes that no doubt will delight young readers just grossed me out (like when Lennie & her family have to lick themselves clean after falling in the chocolate pudding pool). Everything was whimsical and nonsensical. I don't mind this in Alice in Wonderland for some reason (although AIW is definitely not my favorite book in the world) but for some reason, I really wanted more order in this one.
I didn't like any of the characters. They were all either self absorbed, annoying, or insensitive. The ending DID show character growth in almost all of them which was gratifying but by then I was really ready to be finished with the book.
I had been really wanting to read this one too! Ahhh, well! Hand this to kids that like silly humor, creative settings, and can relate to sibling rivalry.
Content Notes:
Never fear parents! There is nothing to fear here. There are no sexual references, no profanity/swearing (just a few made up names that the kids use to tease each other), no anti-religious elements, no teen drinking.
Could a conservative Christian school library add this?
Sure! So long as books with magic and wizards in them are allowed.
I didn't like any of the characters. They were all either self absorbed, annoying, or insensitive. The ending DID show character growth in almost all of them which was gratifying but by then I was really ready to be finished with the book.
I had been really wanting to read this one too! Ahhh, well! Hand this to kids that like silly humor, creative settings, and can relate to sibling rivalry.
Content Notes:
Never fear parents! There is nothing to fear here. There are no sexual references, no profanity/swearing (just a few made up names that the kids use to tease each other), no anti-religious elements, no teen drinking.
Could a conservative Christian school library add this?
Sure! So long as books with magic and wizards in them are allowed.
February 14, 2018
HI yes, excuse me while I try to arrange my chocolate pudding and regurgitated bird emotions into coherent sentences. Lauren's magic power is that she can wield humor like her own rubber duck topped staff and use it to explore very human and serious topics. There's a beauty in finishing a book that makes you roar with laughter but also leaves you reflecting on parallels drawn to the world around you. Jealousy, sibling rivalry, sexism, agism, favoritism, those crushing isms that have made us all clench our jaws before are present in Lennie's story. The way the pain of those isms can make us sour and make choices that aren't the best is also present and that was such an important undertone of the story and watching Lennie flicker between the best and worst sides of herself was a compelling journey. While this story is rampant with magic it also suggests that there's a power in speaking up for yourself and others, for starting a conversation about injustice when you see it. That's a theme that everyone of every age should embrace.
Basically it was like I sat down and had an important life chat with myself while also being delighted and entertained by colorful characters, hysterical dialogue and a magical setting I was delighted to explore.
Basically it was like I sat down and had an important life chat with myself while also being delighted and entertained by colorful characters, hysterical dialogue and a magical setting I was delighted to explore.
June 25, 2018
I struggled to read Wizardmatch. The plot wasn’t very original, the political agenda was far too obvious, the adults and the kids were equally immature, and the writing style irritated me. The text relied on exclamation points and all-caps letters in order to portray the characters’ emotions rather than descriptions of the characters’ faces, body language, or strong verbs. While the fun and quirky inventions such as the Pudding Pool and Garden of Goulash were imaginative, the immature writing style detracted from their creativity. Additionally, the book spent far too much time preaching about the evils of sexism and racism. I agree with Lauren Magaziner that both sexism and racism are evils to be eradicated from the face of the earth, but the constant preaching grew very old very quickly. Additionally, the story’s resolution was far too predictable and unrealistic to produce a truly satisfying conclusion. In all, I don’t think Wizardmatch has enough good points for me to recommend it to someone, although I wouldn’t object to someone picking it up for a casual read, so long as I knew they wouldn’t mind the immature writing, preaching, and predictable plot.
March 21, 2018
I liked this book better than I thought I would, but it's still not at the top of my list.
I picked it up knowing it wasn't going to be my thing - I'm not a huge fan of the overly ridiculous, and that's exactly what the magic that Magaziner created is. From the randomly themed rooms and floors in the castle to a rubber ducky staff to a pool filled with pudding... I was not captivated.
That being said, once the story started picking up around p. 100, I started to enjoy it a bit more. I wasn't expecting a few of the twists, which made me perk up.
I didn't appreciate the blatant politicism of the book. You can create a strong female character without her only main obstacle being that she is a girl.
I found the ending particularly weak - the sexist man is called out, briefly apologizes for his transgressions, opens up the castle to everyone, names the victor of the wizardmatch... and that's it. It felt very hollow and insincere.
I picked it up knowing it wasn't going to be my thing - I'm not a huge fan of the overly ridiculous, and that's exactly what the magic that Magaziner created is. From the randomly themed rooms and floors in the castle to a rubber ducky staff to a pool filled with pudding... I was not captivated.
That being said, once the story started picking up around p. 100, I started to enjoy it a bit more. I wasn't expecting a few of the twists, which made me perk up.
I didn't appreciate the blatant politicism of the book. You can create a strong female character without her only main obstacle being that she is a girl.
I found the ending particularly weak - the sexist man is called out, briefly apologizes for his transgressions, opens up the castle to everyone, names the victor of the wizardmatch... and that's it. It felt very hollow and insincere.
March 26, 2018
A wonderful fantasy middle grade novel about a girl whose family has magical powers. Lennie and her brother Michael are summoned to her grandfather’s castle, along with their mother, to showcase their own magic compared to that of their cousins in order to determine who takes over as the Prime Wizard and rules the kingdom. Lennie has been training for her Wizardmatch moment her entire life and is extremely excited to be the first Prime Wizard, only to find out her grandfather is allowing one person to compete per family, and he wants it to be Michael. Lennie’s mother bends to her father’s wishes leaving Lennie feeling betrayed by her family and determined to ruin the Wizardmatch if she can’t participate. In her attempt to disrupt the competition, she may destroy her family instead. Great book for middle grade fantasy lovers.
June 5, 2018
reading the book Wizardmatch by Lauren Magaziner, I have come to the conclusion that I have deeply enjoyed this book. After reading it, unexpected scenes kept me on the edge of my seat.
The actions, the settings, the characters, all put together a strong interesting story.
I did enjoy this book because reading page after page uncovered one more thing about each character. All of the characters powers were very creative. I myself, would have never thought to give one of my characters the power to regurgitate birds, nor give a character powers to make their arms longer than any other person in the worlds arms could be.
I would recommend this novel to all people who enjoy surprises, competition, action packed, stories. Hence, if you or you know someone who enjoys to read action packed, shocking books, this is the book for them!
The actions, the settings, the characters, all put together a strong interesting story.
I did enjoy this book because reading page after page uncovered one more thing about each character. All of the characters powers were very creative. I myself, would have never thought to give one of my characters the power to regurgitate birds, nor give a character powers to make their arms longer than any other person in the worlds arms could be.
I would recommend this novel to all people who enjoy surprises, competition, action packed, stories. Hence, if you or you know someone who enjoys to read action packed, shocking books, this is the book for them!
February 23, 2018
I received an ARC of this from a Twitter giveaway.
This isn't just a good book, it's an important book.
It lulls you in with a silly and whimsical world and absolutely gleeful voice, and then WHAM! Right in the feels! I actually just sat for half an hour after finishing this book, pondering all the feelings I had felt and all the thoughts the book had sparked.
This is a book I think every kid should read, and then they should talk about it in their homes and classrooms. There needs to be more discussion about the subtle poison of prejudice and how it impacts people's lives, and this book will be the springboard for those discussions.
Bravo, Lauren Magaziner! This is a book we needed, right now.
This isn't just a good book, it's an important book.
It lulls you in with a silly and whimsical world and absolutely gleeful voice, and then WHAM! Right in the feels! I actually just sat for half an hour after finishing this book, pondering all the feelings I had felt and all the thoughts the book had sparked.
This is a book I think every kid should read, and then they should talk about it in their homes and classrooms. There needs to be more discussion about the subtle poison of prejudice and how it impacts people's lives, and this book will be the springboard for those discussions.
Bravo, Lauren Magaziner! This is a book we needed, right now.
March 29, 2019
This book was really funny. I loved the puns. The descriptive writing was really nice. Lennie was a good character. I rooted for her. I was curious as to where her character arc would go.
However, it didn't go the way I thought it would. I thought that Lennie would realise at the end of the book that just because she wasn't picked for Wizardmatch didn't mean that she couldn't be a powerful witch. I thought that by not competing in Wizardmatch, she'd eventually realise that she didn't need Wizardmatch to prove to herself that she can be powerful without the competition. So I felt like the ending was underwhelming and I wouldn't necessarily say that I'd recommend this book for juvenile readers.
However, it didn't go the way I thought it would. I thought that Lennie would realise at the end of the book that just because she wasn't picked for Wizardmatch didn't mean that she couldn't be a powerful witch. I thought that by not competing in Wizardmatch, she'd eventually realise that she didn't need Wizardmatch to prove to herself that she can be powerful without the competition. So I felt like the ending was underwhelming and I wouldn't necessarily say that I'd recommend this book for juvenile readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2018
Lauren Magaziner’s, Wizardmatch, was able to tackle some pretty relevant issues, against the fun backdrop of a magical competition. Lennie raises questions about sexism, ageism, racism and more all while trying to prove she should be the next Prime Wizard.
I’m glad the author allowed Lennie to feel and express her anger and frustration. It’s not always easy to be gracious or to apologize. It was nice to see that sometimes their is no quick fix. Also, accepting consequences while learning responsibility and accountability is part of growing up. This book has something for everyone and is definitely worth the read.
I’m glad the author allowed Lennie to feel and express her anger and frustration. It’s not always easy to be gracious or to apologize. It was nice to see that sometimes their is no quick fix. Also, accepting consequences while learning responsibility and accountability is part of growing up. This book has something for everyone and is definitely worth the read.
July 13, 2024
5 stars and more!
*on the verge of tears* I'm not emotional about this at all! I'm not thinking about how siblings and family members are pitted against each other in a cruel world! I'm not thinking about how generational trauma and internalized prejudice harm each and everyone that comes after us. I am not thinking about how hard it is to stand your ground even when you know they shouldn't be the way they are. I am not thinking about how misdirected anger at the world and the system can harm your relationships with people you love most. I am certainly not thinking about how you can be manipulated by people that want powers, especially when you want to contribute to a good cause.
*on the verge of tears* I'm not emotional about this at all! I'm not thinking about how siblings and family members are pitted against each other in a cruel world! I'm not thinking about how generational trauma and internalized prejudice harm each and everyone that comes after us. I am not thinking about how hard it is to stand your ground even when you know they shouldn't be the way they are. I am not thinking about how misdirected anger at the world and the system can harm your relationships with people you love most. I am certainly not thinking about how you can be manipulated by people that want powers, especially when you want to contribute to a good cause.
August 20, 2024
Okay, hear me out. This book wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
It had a super annoying main character for sure. Like even at the end when it was crystal clear she was the one who had made the biggest mistakes, she still had the audacity to tell her mom that she's still mad at her. like... Girl?
The plot isn't good. It has nothing to present. But for some reason, it isn't aweful.
The only thing that stops me from giving this book a 1 star rating it how fast paced it was. It got me out of a reading slump. And no matter how childish the story was, I wouldn't give a book that got me out of a reading slump 1 star.
It had a super annoying main character for sure. Like even at the end when it was crystal clear she was the one who had made the biggest mistakes, she still had the audacity to tell her mom that she's still mad at her. like... Girl?
The plot isn't good. It has nothing to present. But for some reason, it isn't aweful.
The only thing that stops me from giving this book a 1 star rating it how fast paced it was. It got me out of a reading slump. And no matter how childish the story was, I wouldn't give a book that got me out of a reading slump 1 star.
October 17, 2018
Lennie was great and her enthusiasm for justice and getting a chance was funny and endearing, and the various special powers were well used and amusing. As an adult, I found the cruelty of the various adults annoying -- was it really so hard for the mom to see that her child might be hurt by being explicitly betrayed? Or that maybe a heads-up about that betrayal was a better approach than blindsiding her with it? At least there is some acknowledgement of this in the conclusion, and the siblings end up pulling together.
April 23, 2022
This was a great book. So many plot twists, but there was one I did NOT like; Lennie's great uncle Humphery who is my favorite character. The book reveals that he is not on Lennie's side and manipulated her into thinking he hated wizardmatch, but really he is jealous of his brother and want's the wizard's staff all for him self. Still my favorite character though. read this book for yourself. NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 29, 2017
Nothing is stronger than family. Lennie tries to find a way to bring her family together during the exciting, but overly-competitive Wizardmatch. How will she be able to bring her extended family back together, and more importantly, how will she make up for the hurt she's caused her very own brother?
August 16, 2018
I can totally get behind a story where life is just not fair. I get it, there are things that are beyond our control, especially when dealing with other people's actions. But I've got a TON of complaints about how the writer had the mother handle this situation and how it all resolved itself. No. Just no. It was a fast read, but I am just too unsatisfied with how this played out.
April 9, 2023
I think this is a cute book for kids, just with weird problems.
It was pretty funny, and I found myself laughing out loud many times, especially when it comes to Fluffles.
It took me a minute to realize Poppop was the adult. He acts like he's a toddler, and that gets frustrating very quickly. Michael, being the same way, was frustrating as well.
I think the "problems" Lennie is having are a little ridiculous. I don't think a twelve-year-old would be worried about her man-child GRANDFATHER not wanting her because she's not white or because she's a girl, especially when several other girls were picked to compete, AND, her BROTHER, is also not white. She's mad a person of color wasn't picked after a person of color was picked? The way the "person of color" problem is slipped in at every opportunity with a bunch of kids is kind of weird, and I don't think it's realistic for the age group we are following and everywhere she mentions it she suddenly forgets her brother has the same heritage.
I liked the arc with the villain. I think it plays out exactly how a jealous twelve-year-old would act, and I'm happy with how it affected the story as a whole.
I enjoyed the ending as well. Everyone working together was adorable, and I'm happy with the outcome.
It was pretty funny, and I found myself laughing out loud many times, especially when it comes to Fluffles.
It took me a minute to realize Poppop was the adult. He acts like he's a toddler, and that gets frustrating very quickly. Michael, being the same way, was frustrating as well.
I think the "problems" Lennie is having are a little ridiculous. I don't think a twelve-year-old would be worried about her man-child GRANDFATHER not wanting her because she's not white or because she's a girl, especially when several other girls were picked to compete, AND, her BROTHER, is also not white. She's mad a person of color wasn't picked after a person of color was picked? The way the "person of color" problem is slipped in at every opportunity with a bunch of kids is kind of weird, and I don't think it's realistic for the age group we are following and everywhere she mentions it she suddenly forgets her brother has the same heritage.
I liked the arc with the villain. I think it plays out exactly how a jealous twelve-year-old would act, and I'm happy with how it affected the story as a whole.
I enjoyed the ending as well. Everyone working together was adorable, and I'm happy with the outcome.
June 9, 2018
I did enjoy this one, but I thought it was building up to a bigger ending than it did. I felt like the plot completely fizzled out at the end, and characters who'd been pretty villainous the whole time "magically" (no pun intended) transformed.
June 13, 2018
Overall, well done. I look forward to checking out this author in the future. The story was well told and brought up some emotions I wasn’t quite expecting. I highly recommend, not just for middle grade readers, but for other readers looking for a good story.
July 13, 2018
4.5 stars
Such an easy and entertaining read! It's a lovely middle grade about family bonds and discovery of what really matters, while crazy comic magic happens throughout the whole story :D I would have loved it as a child!
Such an easy and entertaining read! It's a lovely middle grade about family bonds and discovery of what really matters, while crazy comic magic happens throughout the whole story :D I would have loved it as a child!
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