The Hatmaker

by Seth Wilks

When Jeremy discovers he has the ability to make magic hats with near limitless potential, he sells them to save his family store. But the results are disastrous for the town, and their situation is worse than before. Desperate not to lose the store, he sells one last hat to a mysterious magician who promises more than Jeremy ever dreamed possible. But instead, he gets more than he bargained for. Discovering he has brought about the end of his town - and quite likely the whole world! - Jeremy must figure out how to stop the magic he created, and learn that parents usually do know what they're talking about.

310 pages, Paperback

Published November 4, 2018

Reviews

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for a book to read to your kids, this is a perfect option that your kids will love.

Also, you are like me and enjoy magic and are young at heart this is great for us adults as well.

What I loved about this book is that it was not predictable. That it brought me back to being a kid and loving magic tricks, and old fashioned magicians, but then went so much farther. It really captures the imaginative mind of a kid, and how they see the world. It had me laughing at times and trying to read as fast as I could to find out what would happen next. There is some violence (but nothing too bad for younger children). I feel like this book has some great morals and teachings for kids to open discussions with them (if that is what you like to do, I know I do).

Definitely will be passing book on to my friends with kids to read and highly recommend.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for families - perfect to use as a read aloud for all ages but challenging enough for older children to read independently. The fast pace plot, engaging story line and short chapters will leave readers not wanting to put the book down so they can find out whats happens. Wilks leaves readers anticipating more with an ending that hints to a sequel.

The obstacles and choices Jeremy face are realistic and one's young readers would relate to. The interaction between Jeremy and his friends is accurate and relatable. This book will lead to great discussions about right and wrong, power and using one's voice for good.

[Monika Amber · Rating 1 out of 5]

My eldest daughter, 11 years old, was the one who read this book and found it too scary for her preference. It was very outside of her normal genre of choice and as she read she discovered that the story was slow, as well as she struggled to see the characters development, except for Peter, who is the character she enjoyed best.
She read it optimistically hoping it would improve but found it never really hit the mark.
There were moments that she enjoyed, like when one kid turns into a giant, but aside from that she would only recommend this book to those who enjoy dark and frightening story lines.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for families to read together, or for young readers who are reading at an independent level. The language is realistic and understandable for the younger readers. The text is interspersed with illustrations that young children will love, and the plot is engaging and keeps the reader interested to see what happens next. I love that while there is magic in the book, it still is very realistic in its depictions of real issues that everyday people grapple with, and many teachable moments that the readers, especially the young readers, can take away with them. I look forward to reading what this author comes up with next!

[Mark And · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was enjoyed by my daughters, 10 & 12 years old. My 10 year old said she loves how diverse, developed and believable the characters are. My 12 year old shares that she enjoyed that the story jumps around to follow different story lines. This has kept her interest, which can be hard to do!

[Cheryl Wilks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is a contemporary fantasy, told with humour and fast paced imaginative action. When Jeremy discovers he can make magic hats but has no idea of how he can do this, we discover many weird things happening that add to the humour and action of the book.
I enjoyed this book and was pleased to find that the ending made it clear that we are responsible for our own actions and wrong is never right. My interest was kept throughout the book and everything written seemed to be relevant to the story.
I would recommend this book to anyone. It is also a good story to read aloud to all ages.

[Gabby · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

There were elements of this book that I enjoyed but then there were a lot of elements that made me want to pull my hair out. I found it a struggle to get through which is a shame as I loved the old horror series. This book could have ended much sooner apart from inane reasons. I am sorry I loved the idea of it but struggled with the overall fight with the bad guy.