How to Save a Unicorn

Giada the Healer #2

by Meg Cannistra

To save a unicorn’s life, Giada the Healer will have to risk it all.

Giada Bellantuono has traveled all the way from Italy to New York City to follow her begin her official training as a magical veterinarian! It wasn’t easy going against generations of family tradition, not to mention saving said family from wicked witches.

But when Giada hears rumors of a lost baby unicorn roaming the tri-state area, she has reason to suspect that the Streghe del Malocchio are back and behind the disappearance. She’s fought them once before, and she can do it again! With the help of some unlikely friends, Giada will have to venture beneath the city into Olde Yorque and put everything on the line to save the creatures that she loves.  

Genres: Fantasy

190 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2023

Reviews

[J.D. Holman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another good installment in the series, with an ending that leaves room for future adventures.

Giada, her familiar Sinistro, and her friend Alessia are now studying in America. There's a great amount of world-building again in this book, with some good lessons about stereotyping, some neat American-specific creatures, and an expansion of the magic system. Also, kudos to working in Crohn's Disease with a side character - and, minor spoiler, it's not something magically healed.

I will say that my subconscious was so excited near the climax of the book that I actually dreamed about finding the unicorn and the purse. That's fun, to enjoy a story that much.

[Jeimy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a digital ARC from the publisher and was terrified of picking up this book. Though Cannistra hadn't let me astray yet, I loved How to Heal a Gryphon and was afraid that the second volume about Giada's journey would let me down. I should not have been concerned.

With her family's approval, Giada is now stateside, no longer bound to her family's directive that she be a guaritrice, she is finally going to learn how to heal animals. Soon she hears the story of the a missing unicorn and that the Stregue del Malocchio--pronounced maloik stateside--might be involved.

(Sidenote - I also listened to the audiobook and cracked up every time "maloik" was uttered. I have never understood how people who are proud to be Italian Americans have no qualms mispronouncing their own Italian names, last names, and other words in Italian.)

With the help of her friends Giada goes to Irving School where, with the help of a librarian, she gets an idea of what she must do to help find the magical creature. Giada and friends also travel to Olde Yorke and finds that the U.S. Streghe are different than the Italian Streghe.

There were parts of this book that reminded me of Tilly and the Bookwanderers and of Road to the Wizard: A Topsy-Turvy Tale of Oz, but the similarities never made the book feel derivative.

I am writing this review months after reading the book. Waterstones has named Impossible Creatures as its Book of the Year so I'm hoping the rekindled interest in middle grade novels with magical creatures may lead readers to Cannistra's series as well.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved the first in this series and enjoyed this one as well. I mean with a unicorn on the cover how could you go wrong!?

I enjoyed the different types of mystical and mythological creatures that were included. I hadn’t heard of some and had fun looking them up and learning more about them.

I also liked that Moss’a character was dealing with the recent diagnosis of Crohn’s and was figuring out how to make some changes in order to feel more himself again. I could see that it would really mean something to someone that has Crohn’s but it could also help someone dealing with someone similar or having consideration for someone they know that is.

The story takes us around NJ and NYC in search of a missing unicorn and trying to uncover who is responsible. They meet some interesting characters and creatures along the way. I loved the Irving School and the library especially. It had me wishing I could attend and that we got to spend more time there than we did in the book.

I also enjoyed that the Stregha del Malocchio were a whole different thing in this book. Olde Yorke was a whole different place and the Stregha were different as well. It led to some interesting moments about prejudice and preconceived notions which I thought were good.

The one downside of this book was Giada unfortunately. I found in the last book that she was plucky and sassy and brave and kind but this book she veered more into impatient, rude, and dismissive of other’s opinions and feelings unless reminded by a friend to be more polite. It felt like in the first book there was more body positive parts as well but this seems to have been forgotten in this book and was only mentioned twice that I can think of and one was about applying anti chafing powder so her thighs wouldn’t rub which felt off to me.

Overall I enjoyed this cute little book and look forward to reading what comes next for Giada as she travels the world to spread the word about the danger that the Stregha and the world are facing.

I received an advanced reader copy of the ebook from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

[Bokuvera · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought she would have grown and developed as a character by book two but she’s even more, arrogant, stubborn, annoying, and obnoxious. The story would have been great if she had grown as a character and if the actual adventure had more base and planning. It felt like the author pulled a plot idea from out of a hat and didn’t know how to implement it so she just added random elements as she went. there has to be a mystery! “Let’s add a very long library scene!” There needs to be righteous indignation that doesn’t really build the plot or characters “let’s save some horses!” We need to make diverse characters! “ let’s give a kid Crohn’s disease without explaining that it is Crohn’s disease or what Crohn’s disease is after all my readers are only children of course they spend all their time on web MD!” Etc. the other annoying this is that the author switches from Roman mythology and gods to Greek mythology and gods. Apollo is Greek his Roman name is Phoebus yet his sister the goddess of the hunt is referred to as Diana which is her Roman name. She should have been called Artemis which is her Greek name. Little things like this are super annoying. For a generation that’s getting excited about Percy Jackson due to to the new tv show any children that read this book will inevitably get confused by the lore. It’s very unfortunate because I was excited to find a body positive, diverse character, animal centered novel.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This sequel offers another chance to rescue a magical creature. Giada has been allowed to come to New Jersey to study with a vet rather than a physician. Her best friend is also in the United States, and Giada is staying with Mott's family. From here, the book slowly unfolds as the three set out to rescue a kidnapped unicorn. I appreciate that readers learn about Crohn's Disease and how it affects life. Mott learns what he can still do and begins using his magic again. Alessia finds her own courage and develops her skills. We meet a new character, Jodi, who joins the hunt and offers her own skill set. Sadly, Giada doesn't grow or change and remains the same as she was in the first book. I really hoped we would see some development there. I'm looking forward to the third book.

[Kathreadsall · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to Save a Unicorn is a joy to read!

This was one of my most anticipated releases for this year, as I adored the first book in the series, and I love unicorns! This was such a wonderful next adventure for Giada and her friends! I loved learning about Moss, and thought the representation of living with Crohn's disease was well done.

I loved learning more about the magic system, and how different countries had a different relationship with magic. Giada is really growing as a person, and I'm excited to sea where she goes next!

This is one of my favorite middle grade fantasy series!

[Bookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

My 4th grader and I enjoyed this novel about a teenager (Giada) who follows her dreams and moves to New York to apprentice as a "magical veterinarian." She becomes involved with a mysterious case of a missing unicorn and the book follows her adventures to save this majestic animal.

Big thank you to NetGalley, Inkyard Press, and author Meg Cannistra for an advanced reader copy to review!

[Julia Pika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley & Inkyard Press for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

A fun sequel! I think I preferred the first one but I still did enjoy the magical NYC exploration--especially the huge magical library. Cannistra does a great job with disabled representation with the character of Moss having Crohn’s and dealing with it throughout the book. I really like that everyone was accommodating and supportive of them and never made it an issue. I wish the book was longer!

[Shelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Giada is back! I really appreciated the change in setting, and I hope we get to continue to travel the world in subsequent books. I was intrigued by the inclusion of a new character, Moss, a teen boy with Crohn's disease. I haven't seen a literary character, either children's or adults, with this affliction before.

I loved the inclusion of the gargoyles and Jersey Devils. And of course the unicorn. I only wish we got more of them in the story!

[Danielle Hammelef · Rating 3 out of 5]

After enjoying the characters and world building of the first book, I bought this one to continue the adventure. However, the pacing in this novel is very slow (there's lots of focus on taking snack breaks and researching in books), the dialogue felt stilted and too adult-sounding, and the plot seemed just pieced together with coincidences. I was hoping for a character growth arc for Giada, but she remained a constant stubborn know-it-all.

[Inkyard Press]

Young Adult Fantasy & Magic, Young Adult Social Issues, Young Adult Animals
Miniseries
A Giada the Healer Novel (Book #2)