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Young Wizards #6
A Wizard Alone
Kit and Nita return to join forces against the evil Lone Power, this time over the heart and mind of a young autistic, in Diane Duane's sixth installment of the Young Wizards series. Initially, Kit finds himself flying solo as Nita has sunk into a deep depression over her mother's recent death. Luckily, his telepathic pooch, Ponch, is happy to fill Nita's niche temporarily, as long as biscuits are involved. Kit tries to understand why autistic wizard-in-training Darryl McAllister has been stuck in his Ordeal, or initiation, for over three months. Is it merely the fault of his autism? Inside Darryl's mind, Kit and Ponch find complex landscapes of weird beauty that belie Darryl's rocking, vacant exterior. But they also find the Lone Power, attacking Darryl with an unrelenting brutality that is excessive, even for the Source of all Evil. Meanwhile, Nita is distracted from her sadness by trying to discover the meaning of a series of strange dreams in which a being is pleading for her aid. Could the dreams be a call for help from Darryl? And if so, will Kit and Nita come together in time to destroy the Lone Power before it destroys them?
Though a novice to the series would definitely benefit from reading the previous books, Duane's latest mix of science and spell casting is thought provoking in its own right. She slips enough facts into this fiction to ensure that young readers will not only enjoy the quest, but also learn something along the way. (Ages 10 to 15) --Jennifer Hubert
Length 09:05:00
9 pages, Audiobook
First published October 1, 2002
73 people are currently reading
2533 people want to read
About the author
Diane Duane
167 books2,416 followersDiane Duane has been a writer of science fiction, fantasy, TV and film for more than forty years.
Besides the 1980's creation of the Young Wizards fantasy series for which she's best known, the "Middle Kingdoms" epic fantasy series, and numerous stand-alone fantasy or science fiction novels, her career has included extensive work in the Star Trek TM universe, and many scripts for live-action and animated TV series on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as work in comics and computer games. She has spent a fair amount of time on the New York Times Bestseller List, and has picked up various awards and award nominations here and there.
She lives in County Wicklow, in Ireland, with her husband of more than thirty years, the screenwriter and novelist Peter Morwood.
Her favorite color is blue, her favorite food is a weird kind of Swiss scrambled-potato dish called maluns, she was born in a Year of the Dragon, and her sign is "Runway 24 Left, Hold For Clearance."
(From her official website)
Besides the 1980's creation of the Young Wizards fantasy series for which she's best known, the "Middle Kingdoms" epic fantasy series, and numerous stand-alone fantasy or science fiction novels, her career has included extensive work in the Star Trek TM universe, and many scripts for live-action and animated TV series on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as work in comics and computer games. She has spent a fair amount of time on the New York Times Bestseller List, and has picked up various awards and award nominations here and there.
She lives in County Wicklow, in Ireland, with her husband of more than thirty years, the screenwriter and novelist Peter Morwood.
Her favorite color is blue, her favorite food is a weird kind of Swiss scrambled-potato dish called maluns, she was born in a Year of the Dragon, and her sign is "Runway 24 Left, Hold For Clearance."
(From her official website)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews
October 21, 2014
This is a review of the New Millennium Edition of this book specifically in regards to how it was changed from the original edition. I don't think the NMEs are listed separately on goodreads so hopefully I'm putting this in the right place.
A Wizard Alone was originally published in 2002 when knowledge about autism was different from what it is now and the movement for autistic self-advocacy was far less visible. I think the first version of the book was trying to be respectful towards autistic people, but reading it now it's pretty awful, showing a misunderstanding of what autism is and a magical cure at the end. However, I am very pleased with the new revision of the story. The whole plot regarding Darryl's autism has been reworked heavily going from something offensive, into what I think is one of the best representations of an autistic character in YA fiction ever.
To avoid heavy spoilers i won't go into too much detail regarding the changes that were made but it's clear that the author put a lot of effort into showing autism respectfully. For example, in the scene where Kit first learns that Darryl is autistic, he goes off and researches autism online... the new edition says Kit read a lot of blogs by autistic people and their families. At the end, the scene where Darryl defeats the Lone Power in a way that magically cures his autism has been changed; it doesn't get cured and instead Darryl asserts that he wouldn't want to change his autism because it's part of who he is.
I think you could still make criticisms of the representation of autistics in this book, though, namely that Darryl is an abdal. This means he is basically, a magical conduit of goodness/innocence into the world. That kind of plays into stereotypes about autistic people being innocent and saintly. At the same time, Diane Duane was working from a pre-existing story and Darryl having this power is too important in the mythology of the series to change it so drastically, so i really don't think there's anything that could have been done better. All in all, the new edition of this book is honestly one of the best depictions of an autistic character in mainstream fiction I can think of, and I think it was really good of Diane Duane to recognize that her past work had problems and to revise it in this way.
As for other aspects of the book... When I was a kid this was my least favorite of the Young Wizards books, and it had nothing to do with the autism stuff that I didn't understand then, I just didn't find the plot to be as interesting as the others. I still agree with that -- everything about Darryl's Ordeal is a good read, but it doesn't stand out to me or have as much emotional depths the same way some of the other books in the series do. That would be why I give this four stars instead of five. However i still definitely recommend it to anyone who's read previous books in the series and I especially recommend the new edition to anyone who found the original version offensive.
A Wizard Alone was originally published in 2002 when knowledge about autism was different from what it is now and the movement for autistic self-advocacy was far less visible. I think the first version of the book was trying to be respectful towards autistic people, but reading it now it's pretty awful, showing a misunderstanding of what autism is and a magical cure at the end. However, I am very pleased with the new revision of the story. The whole plot regarding Darryl's autism has been reworked heavily going from something offensive, into what I think is one of the best representations of an autistic character in YA fiction ever.
To avoid heavy spoilers i won't go into too much detail regarding the changes that were made but it's clear that the author put a lot of effort into showing autism respectfully. For example, in the scene where Kit first learns that Darryl is autistic, he goes off and researches autism online... the new edition says Kit read a lot of blogs by autistic people and their families. At the end, the scene where Darryl defeats the Lone Power in a way that magically cures his autism has been changed; it doesn't get cured and instead Darryl asserts that he wouldn't want to change his autism because it's part of who he is.
I think you could still make criticisms of the representation of autistics in this book, though, namely that Darryl is an abdal. This means he is basically, a magical conduit of goodness/innocence into the world. That kind of plays into stereotypes about autistic people being innocent and saintly. At the same time, Diane Duane was working from a pre-existing story and Darryl having this power is too important in the mythology of the series to change it so drastically, so i really don't think there's anything that could have been done better. All in all, the new edition of this book is honestly one of the best depictions of an autistic character in mainstream fiction I can think of, and I think it was really good of Diane Duane to recognize that her past work had problems and to revise it in this way.
As for other aspects of the book... When I was a kid this was my least favorite of the Young Wizards books, and it had nothing to do with the autism stuff that I didn't understand then, I just didn't find the plot to be as interesting as the others. I still agree with that -- everything about Darryl's Ordeal is a good read, but it doesn't stand out to me or have as much emotional depths the same way some of the other books in the series do. That would be why I give this four stars instead of five. However i still definitely recommend it to anyone who's read previous books in the series and I especially recommend the new edition to anyone who found the original version offensive.
November 14, 2012
Full disclosure first off: I have mild Asperger's, and I'm an anti-ableist campaigner (online and sometimes off). I'm also physically disabled.
The first time I read this book, I really enjoyed it, with the ideas surrounding internal landscape, and how Darryl is on the outside compared to how he is on the inside. I still love the author's dealing with Nita and her family, and how they are in the aftermath of "Dilemma", and Ponch and his squirrels. But how Darryl is "locked in" is much more uncomfortable now than on first reading.
I was 18 when I first read this. Any questionable stuff about autism needing to be cured went over my head at the time - and I think it would probably do so for the age range at whom this book is aimed. In that case, I feel this is not a bad book for teenagers, but it may be misleading as to how autistic people feel about all this.
The author is a former psychiatric nurse, so I can sort of see how she got to that conclusion, but it doesn't make me comfortable with the concept. And that is a big chunk of the concept of this particular book, though there is quite a good reason given for the Lone Power's "locking-in" of the character.
It's got some people and situations very relevant to the later series, so I don't suggest avoiding it, but it is my least favourite of the series for its (apparently unknowing, which is odd, but I would not have known either before getting into the anti-ableist movement, and I *am* on the autistic spectrum!) ableist attitudes regarding autism and "curing" it. So you might have to grit your teeth here and there.
So my star rating for this will go between what my initial reading would have said, and what my later, more educated feeling is: 3.5 rounded down to 3. Not the best of this series.
The first time I read this book, I really enjoyed it, with the ideas surrounding internal landscape, and how Darryl is on the outside compared to how he is on the inside. I still love the author's dealing with Nita and her family, and how they are in the aftermath of "Dilemma", and Ponch and his squirrels. But how Darryl is "locked in" is much more uncomfortable now than on first reading.
I was 18 when I first read this. Any questionable stuff about autism needing to be cured went over my head at the time - and I think it would probably do so for the age range at whom this book is aimed. In that case, I feel this is not a bad book for teenagers, but it may be misleading as to how autistic people feel about all this.
The author is a former psychiatric nurse, so I can sort of see how she got to that conclusion, but it doesn't make me comfortable with the concept. And that is a big chunk of the concept of this particular book, though there is quite a good reason given for the Lone Power's "locking-in" of the character.
It's got some people and situations very relevant to the later series, so I don't suggest avoiding it, but it is my least favourite of the series for its (apparently unknowing, which is odd, but I would not have known either before getting into the anti-ableist movement, and I *am* on the autistic spectrum!) ableist attitudes regarding autism and "curing" it. So you might have to grit your teeth here and there.
So my star rating for this will go between what my initial reading would have said, and what my later, more educated feeling is: 3.5 rounded down to 3. Not the best of this series.
October 1, 2012
auuuuuggghhh the ableism I may vomit
At the beginning, I was really excited about this book, because I thought it would have a positive take on how an autistic person could wield magic and fight ultimate evil in his own way. I also liked the description of how Nita dealt with grief. I thought this was going to be the best book in the series yet.
Wow, was I disappointed. The depictions of autism got worse and worse as the book went on, and by the end I was gnashing my teeth in rage. Autism does not make you a saint or an otherworldly power. Autistic people are fully aware that other people exist in the world, so it's not solipsism, thanks. Most importantly, most autistic people who are able to articulate their own desires and choices would not, if you gave them the opportunity, choose to be "cured." Autistic people aren't broken. They have a different way of seeing the world that people who don't share that view don't understand. But that doesn't mean they can't live happy lives and even value the way their alternative neural wiring reveals the world to them.
Magical cures for neurodivergent and disabled people are an old, old trope that needs to die. Maybe instead of obsessing over how to get rid of these types of difference, we should think about how to accept them. I love Diane Duane, but I was deeply disappointed by this book.
At the beginning, I was really excited about this book, because I thought it would have a positive take on how an autistic person could wield magic and fight ultimate evil in his own way. I also liked the description of how Nita dealt with grief. I thought this was going to be the best book in the series yet.
Wow, was I disappointed. The depictions of autism got worse and worse as the book went on, and by the end I was gnashing my teeth in rage. Autism does not make you a saint or an otherworldly power. Autistic people are fully aware that other people exist in the world, so it's not solipsism, thanks. Most importantly, most autistic people who are able to articulate their own desires and choices would not, if you gave them the opportunity, choose to be "cured." Autistic people aren't broken. They have a different way of seeing the world that people who don't share that view don't understand. But that doesn't mean they can't live happy lives and even value the way their alternative neural wiring reveals the world to them.
Magical cures for neurodivergent and disabled people are an old, old trope that needs to die. Maybe instead of obsessing over how to get rid of these types of difference, we should think about how to accept them. I love Diane Duane, but I was deeply disappointed by this book.
September 8, 2018
Wow. WOW! Diane Duane does it again. She continually amazes me and I bow down to her brilliance. Her years writing ST fiction really shows and shines in this series, which is far more sci-fi based than fantasy, and takes a more technical approach to wizardry than you'd ever seen in Harry Potter or similar series. Her ability to use prose to paint a picture and gut punch you with emotions is finely honed by this point too, and while these are YA she never talks down to her intended audience and the issues tackled make this series accessible and enjoyable for all ages. Once again, I'm glad I'm reading these now as an adult, because I don't know how much of this would've really sunk in if I'd read this series as a kid. Not that most of these books were even around when I was a kid. ;)
We start off this book with the emotional and psychological turmoil that resulted from the events in The Wizard's Dilemma. I wanted to see how the Callahans would cope, I wanted more Kit POV and more about Ponch. I got all that and much, much more. We get a new wizard, Darryl, and while Kit and Nita are originally sent to help him, it's soon apparent that all is not as it seems and that there are more wizards in need of help than Darryl I had no idea how anything here would be resolved. I was just along for the ride. :D
As for the autism aspect, when Duane originally wrote this book in 2002 she came at autism from a medical viewpoint, as something wrong that needed to be fixed. What we knew and understood and accepted about autism then is already largely outdated to what we know about it today, and there's been social pushes and breakthroughs in seeing it not as something that needs to be fixed but accepted and embraced. The edits done to the NME brings much of this up to date, and while there are still a couple of head-tilting moments - usually coming from the neurotypical characters who have no experience with autism and were quickly shown to be in over their heads, but once or twice from the narrative itself - overall I was happy with how it was handled. (Note: I'm not autistic, so I can't and won't speak for anyone who is, so YMMV.)
We start off this book with the emotional and psychological turmoil that resulted from the events in The Wizard's Dilemma. I wanted to see how the Callahans would cope, I wanted more Kit POV and more about Ponch. I got all that and much, much more. We get a new wizard, Darryl, and while Kit and Nita are originally sent to help him, it's soon apparent that all is not as it seems and that there are more wizards in need of help than Darryl I had no idea how anything here would be resolved. I was just along for the ride. :D
As for the autism aspect, when Duane originally wrote this book in 2002 she came at autism from a medical viewpoint, as something wrong that needed to be fixed. What we knew and understood and accepted about autism then is already largely outdated to what we know about it today, and there's been social pushes and breakthroughs in seeing it not as something that needs to be fixed but accepted and embraced. The edits done to the NME brings much of this up to date, and while there are still a couple of head-tilting moments - usually coming from the neurotypical characters who have no experience with autism and were quickly shown to be in over their heads, but once or twice from the narrative itself - overall I was happy with how it was handled. (Note: I'm not autistic, so I can't and won't speak for anyone who is, so YMMV.)
August 8, 2024
Kit and Nita are trying to find out why an initiate has been on Ordeal for over three months. They know something must be wrong, but they are having a hard time finding out what is going on. Darryl McAllister is not an ordinary wizard, and the fact that his Ordeal has continued for such a lengthy time shows that the Lone Power must be up to something.
This assignment is especially difficult for Kit and Nita, because Nita is grieving for the loss of a loved one. She has been retreating into herself and shutting Kit out, so Kit feels like he has to take on the assignment alone and he gets himself into trouble without Nita there to watch his back. This theme is mirrored in the way that Darryl retreats into himself as well. Both Nita and Darryl have to find the courage to face the world again.
As always, it is utterly impossible to describe the wonder, the grandeur, the sheer enchantment of a book by Diane Duane. There's something so indescribably foreign and deliciously familiar in all her characters. They possess great magical power; they encounter mystic beings; and they get embarrassed when their socks don't match. Those little down-to-earth moments, like drinking a cup of tea and finding your favorite tennis shoes before going off to fight in a magical war, are what make her stories so special.
There's always a current of awareness running under her stories that glances out through little things, showing the dark and brightness in every human heart with a startling clarity. I love the way that each wizard responds to and experiences the magical powers they harness, and there is a reflection of struggle and understanding inside themselves. It makes the magic system so deep and wide and omnipresent in each aspect of the story, because of its complexity and actuality.
(I'm trying so hard to explain the particular enchantment of this magical setting, but I'm failing miserably. It won't make sense unless you've read the magic yourself.)
As always, I adore Nita and Kit's friendship! They are so comfortable together, and there is such a depth of understanding between them. Every scene with them is so carefully and beautifully written. In this book, they have some awkwardness in their friendship because of Nita's grief. She is embarrassed by her intense feelings and it's difficult for her to share her thoughts with Kit the way they normally would. They work through it in the end, but it takes some serious introspection to restore their trust.
I love that this author always deals with heavy subjects - sacrifice, and honor, and the meaning of truth- but there's also much light-hearted fun in her books.
I can't wait to read the rest of the series!
This assignment is especially difficult for Kit and Nita, because Nita is grieving for the loss of a loved one. She has been retreating into herself and shutting Kit out, so Kit feels like he has to take on the assignment alone and he gets himself into trouble without Nita there to watch his back. This theme is mirrored in the way that Darryl retreats into himself as well. Both Nita and Darryl have to find the courage to face the world again.
As always, it is utterly impossible to describe the wonder, the grandeur, the sheer enchantment of a book by Diane Duane. There's something so indescribably foreign and deliciously familiar in all her characters. They possess great magical power; they encounter mystic beings; and they get embarrassed when their socks don't match. Those little down-to-earth moments, like drinking a cup of tea and finding your favorite tennis shoes before going off to fight in a magical war, are what make her stories so special.
There's always a current of awareness running under her stories that glances out through little things, showing the dark and brightness in every human heart with a startling clarity. I love the way that each wizard responds to and experiences the magical powers they harness, and there is a reflection of struggle and understanding inside themselves. It makes the magic system so deep and wide and omnipresent in each aspect of the story, because of its complexity and actuality.
(I'm trying so hard to explain the particular enchantment of this magical setting, but I'm failing miserably. It won't make sense unless you've read the magic yourself.)
As always, I adore Nita and Kit's friendship! They are so comfortable together, and there is such a depth of understanding between them. Every scene with them is so carefully and beautifully written. In this book, they have some awkwardness in their friendship because of Nita's grief. She is embarrassed by her intense feelings and it's difficult for her to share her thoughts with Kit the way they normally would. They work through it in the end, but it takes some serious introspection to restore their trust.
I love that this author always deals with heavy subjects - sacrifice, and honor, and the meaning of truth- but there's also much light-hearted fun in her books.
I can't wait to read the rest of the series!
January 21, 2016
This a good story, on par with the strength of previous books in the series. I really liked seeing Nita save the day this time. Her story arc from the previous book had a good ending here. And we see more of Kit's family and Kit needing a helping hand.
The only problem is Darryl, the autistic wizard. I would love to read the updated/rewritten version of this book just to see Darryl treated more like a... a person. The way that autism is described in this original version of the story is definitely troubling. I didn't think it was terrible, but if there's any book in this series that should have been rewritten - it's this one. I'm glad Duane did!
The only problem is Darryl, the autistic wizard. I would love to read the updated/rewritten version of this book just to see Darryl treated more like a... a person. The way that autism is described in this original version of the story is definitely troubling. I didn't think it was terrible, but if there's any book in this series that should have been rewritten - it's this one. I'm glad Duane did!
November 25, 2024
CW for ableism/“curing” the autistic character
January 18, 2016
There are two things you need to know about A Wizard Alone. The first is that it’s the sixth book in the Young Wizard series, which starts with So You Want to Be a Wizard, and that you should probably read the series in order. Secondly, there are two different versions of A Wizard Alone and the differences are significant. There is the original version and the New Millennium Edition. For this reread, I read the New Millennium Edition and I would advise you to do the same.
and she’s fallen into a depression. Meanwhile, Kit has started on a new assignment, looking for an autistic eleven year old potential wizard who’s been on Ordeal for three months now.
The differences between the two editions of the book have a lot to do with the autistic wizard, Darryl McAllister. The original had some serious problems with its portrayal of autism. When Diane Duane was reworking the series to set all of the books in the 2000s, she went back and on the advise of autistic readers changed parts of A Wizard Alone, in particular the ending. these two reviews are by autistic reviewers who compare and contrast the two versions depiction of autism. Note that both involve spoilers. If you have the option, I heavily recommend that you read the revised New Millennium Edition.
Given the weightiness of Nita’s initial sections, I really appreciated the lighter sections with Kit’s family. I love the ongoing humor with the disagreement between the TV and the remote, and I liked seeing more of his family’s dynamic. Ponch, Kit’s dog, has been playing a larger role since the last book, and I absolutely adore him. He’s got to be one of my favorite literary canines. Ponch has been going through changes with his owner being a wizard, and there’s a moving scene where he connects how he feels upset when is person is hurt to realizing that other people can be hurt as well. Yet through all of it, he remains such a recognizable dog, especially in his schemes to get more dog biscuits.
A Wizard Alone has a smaller scale than some of the other Young Wizard books. It’s not about millions of lives being at risk, but instead focuses on Nita, Kit, and Darryl. Possibly it was a bit slower because of this, but it’s still a book that I really enjoyed.
I highly recommend this series for a lot of reasons I’ve already gone over in my reviews of the previous books.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
“She felt as if there was some kind of thick skin between her and the world, muffling the way she knew she ought to feel about things… and she didn’t know what to do to get rid of it.”
and she’s fallen into a depression. Meanwhile, Kit has started on a new assignment, looking for an autistic eleven year old potential wizard who’s been on Ordeal for three months now.
The differences between the two editions of the book have a lot to do with the autistic wizard, Darryl McAllister. The original had some serious problems with its portrayal of autism. When Diane Duane was reworking the series to set all of the books in the 2000s, she went back and on the advise of autistic readers changed parts of A Wizard Alone, in particular the ending. these two reviews are by autistic reviewers who compare and contrast the two versions depiction of autism. Note that both involve spoilers. If you have the option, I heavily recommend that you read the revised New Millennium Edition.
Given the weightiness of Nita’s initial sections, I really appreciated the lighter sections with Kit’s family. I love the ongoing humor with the disagreement between the TV and the remote, and I liked seeing more of his family’s dynamic. Ponch, Kit’s dog, has been playing a larger role since the last book, and I absolutely adore him. He’s got to be one of my favorite literary canines. Ponch has been going through changes with his owner being a wizard, and there’s a moving scene where he connects how he feels upset when is person is hurt to realizing that other people can be hurt as well. Yet through all of it, he remains such a recognizable dog, especially in his schemes to get more dog biscuits.
A Wizard Alone has a smaller scale than some of the other Young Wizard books. It’s not about millions of lives being at risk, but instead focuses on Nita, Kit, and Darryl. Possibly it was a bit slower because of this, but it’s still a book that I really enjoyed.
I highly recommend this series for a lot of reasons I’ve already gone over in my reviews of the previous books.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
April 7, 2011
I read this book as an unabridged audiobook not realizing I was entering headfirst into a long running series. Despite my complete lack of knowledge about the previous five books events my enjoyment of the book wasn't lessoned by bouts of confusion which says a lot for the talent of the author. Yeah, there were a few gaps here and there but nothing I couldn't get past or figure out by continuing to read along.
Kit Rodriquez is a young wizard (as I'm sure everyone but me already knows), who along with his talking dog Ponch, are attempting to figure out why it is taking so long for a potential wizard to complete his Ordeal (something that must be done, apparently, before he can become a full blown wizard). As they investigate and eventually enter the boys' mind, Kit learns that Darryl is autistic and witnesses shocking moments of violence upon the young defenseless boy that are perpetrated by The Lone Power. Both Kit and Ponch, especially, are shocked and determined to reach the boy, even if it means entering the strange and dangerous worlds inside Darryl's mind.
Kit's best friend and usual partner in wizardry, Nita, has her own set of troubles. The death of her beloved mother has sent her family members and herself into a deep depression. Dad and Nita's sister are having a difficult time getting out of bed and it's up to Nita to keep them moving through life even if she has to resort to magic to do it. It's so easy and tempting to drown in sadness, as Nita acknowledges, but she's taken it upon herself to keep her remaining family intact. As if that weren't more than enough to bear, she's also been plagued by some very odd dreams involving clowns. Eventually her dreams get her involved with Kit's current dilemma with The Lone Power and Darryl.
This book was great from beginning to end. The plot was interesting and it was a tremendously emotional read. Nita's grief and efforts to keep plodding through life with the glimmer that maybe someday things wouldn't hurt quite so much were written with realism. Even Ponch, the dog, has some surprisingly emotional revelations and reactions to the things he's seeing. Kit's a plucky young character who is easy to like but it's strong and insightful Nita's story that will stick with me for some time to come. There's also enough humor mixed in to prevent the story from becoming overly gloomy. I particularly enjoyed Ponch's take on things and Kit's interactions with a prickly DVD player and its antagonistic remote control.
I'm definitely going to locate the other books in the series to catch up on what I've missed.
Kit Rodriquez is a young wizard (as I'm sure everyone but me already knows), who along with his talking dog Ponch, are attempting to figure out why it is taking so long for a potential wizard to complete his Ordeal (something that must be done, apparently, before he can become a full blown wizard). As they investigate and eventually enter the boys' mind, Kit learns that Darryl is autistic and witnesses shocking moments of violence upon the young defenseless boy that are perpetrated by The Lone Power. Both Kit and Ponch, especially, are shocked and determined to reach the boy, even if it means entering the strange and dangerous worlds inside Darryl's mind.
Kit's best friend and usual partner in wizardry, Nita, has her own set of troubles. The death of her beloved mother has sent her family members and herself into a deep depression. Dad and Nita's sister are having a difficult time getting out of bed and it's up to Nita to keep them moving through life even if she has to resort to magic to do it. It's so easy and tempting to drown in sadness, as Nita acknowledges, but she's taken it upon herself to keep her remaining family intact. As if that weren't more than enough to bear, she's also been plagued by some very odd dreams involving clowns. Eventually her dreams get her involved with Kit's current dilemma with The Lone Power and Darryl.
This book was great from beginning to end. The plot was interesting and it was a tremendously emotional read. Nita's grief and efforts to keep plodding through life with the glimmer that maybe someday things wouldn't hurt quite so much were written with realism. Even Ponch, the dog, has some surprisingly emotional revelations and reactions to the things he's seeing. Kit's a plucky young character who is easy to like but it's strong and insightful Nita's story that will stick with me for some time to come. There's also enough humor mixed in to prevent the story from becoming overly gloomy. I particularly enjoyed Ponch's take on things and Kit's interactions with a prickly DVD player and its antagonistic remote control.
I'm definitely going to locate the other books in the series to catch up on what I've missed.
May 3, 2017
Review blurb for work:
Another beautiful, emotional entry in the Young Wizards series, this time focusing on a new young wizard with autism. I understand that there has been an evolving controversy about Duane's handling of autism in this story--specifically in terms of the end of the story--and that Duane has actually revised the story in later versions to align better with our current understanding of autism, which was substantially different at the time of her writing. Ending and controversy aside, however, I thought Duane did a fine job of casting an autistic character in a lead--and quite literally "empowered"--role, and allowing me as a reader to see through his eyes in both concrete and abstract-but-emotionally-resonant ways, as I got to know Darryl through Nita and Kit's respective interactions with him both in the real world, and through the lens of their collective wizardries.
Another beautiful, emotional entry in the Young Wizards series, this time focusing on a new young wizard with autism. I understand that there has been an evolving controversy about Duane's handling of autism in this story--specifically in terms of the end of the story--and that Duane has actually revised the story in later versions to align better with our current understanding of autism, which was substantially different at the time of her writing. Ending and controversy aside, however, I thought Duane did a fine job of casting an autistic character in a lead--and quite literally "empowered"--role, and allowing me as a reader to see through his eyes in both concrete and abstract-but-emotionally-resonant ways, as I got to know Darryl through Nita and Kit's respective interactions with him both in the real world, and through the lens of their collective wizardries.
June 3, 2010
"Large parts of childhood hurt, and adults did with that remembered pain exactly what kids did when they could: Let whatever good memories they had bury it. Oh, the moments of delight, of pure joy, were there, all right, but what adults seemingly couldn't bear was the idea that their whole childhoods hadn't been that way, that the trouble and sorrow of their adult lives, the result of the Lone Power's meddling in the worlds, wasn't something they'd always had to deal with, right from the start. So despite whatever kids tried to tell them, adults just kept on reinventing childhood as something that was supposed to be happy all the time, a paradise lost in the past."
December 5, 2018
I'm kinda confused how there are two versions of this and what to make of an ebook-only revised (New Millennium) one, but I'm also certain that I just read the older version, because it definitely contained some problematic bits. Look: I really enjoy Duane, I loved this series when I was younger, and even though I can't recall if I've read this one before, going back to Nita and Kit has been comforting. I like the writing style, I like the morals espoused by this system of wizardry, and I love the emphasis on friendship and teamwork throughout the series. In some ways, I liked this book's focus on mental illness better than the fifth book's storyline about cancer. I found it easier to read, although I think both conditions are well-represented.
The thing is, there's no way to talk about this book without pointing out the outdated representation of an autistic character. I'd read some critical goodreads reviews before starting, so I knew to expect it, but it was still frustrating at moments. For the majority of the book, I felt the representation of an autistic character to be . . . well, okay. Not perfect, but the symptoms of autism felt researched, in things like avoiding eye contact and mirrors. Kit feeling pity for Darryl felt uncomfortable but also in line with his character, yet the book never addressed the idea that differently-abled does not mean incapable. There were large chunks of the book where, acknowledging my own ignorance about autism, I couldn't definitely say that the story was ableist and point out its flaws. With that said, here's a fairly spoiler-y review written by an autistic person (many thanks to the other reviewer who linked to it) which does a good job of pointing out the original story's virtues and flaws. It sounds like the revised version takes into account not only more recent research into autism but also anti-ableist criticism in a positive way.
As for the rest of the story . . . I'm pretty sure I enjoyed the first four books more than this one. Bits of it reference the first and fifth books, most notably, and the storyline doesn't feel as unique as its predecessors. Helping someone stuck in Ordeal seems like a re-hash of Nita and Kit's own Ordeal, at least a little bit--and viewing this one as a third party makes it distant and uninteresting. If I'd read the entirety of the series recently enough to remember details, maybe I'd have enjoyed it more, but Nita's apathy spread throughout the entire text, and I couldn't worry about Darryl as much as Kit did. It's not a bad installment in a lengthy series, and this book definitely opens up bigger and brighter options for the following books, but it lacks the uniqueness that makes the earlier books so exciting.
The thing is, there's no way to talk about this book without pointing out the outdated representation of an autistic character. I'd read some critical goodreads reviews before starting, so I knew to expect it, but it was still frustrating at moments. For the majority of the book, I felt the representation of an autistic character to be . . . well, okay. Not perfect, but the symptoms of autism felt researched, in things like avoiding eye contact and mirrors. Kit feeling pity for Darryl felt uncomfortable but also in line with his character, yet the book never addressed the idea that differently-abled does not mean incapable. There were large chunks of the book where, acknowledging my own ignorance about autism, I couldn't definitely say that the story was ableist and point out its flaws. With that said, here's a fairly spoiler-y review written by an autistic person (many thanks to the other reviewer who linked to it) which does a good job of pointing out the original story's virtues and flaws. It sounds like the revised version takes into account not only more recent research into autism but also anti-ableist criticism in a positive way.
As for the rest of the story . . . I'm pretty sure I enjoyed the first four books more than this one. Bits of it reference the first and fifth books, most notably, and the storyline doesn't feel as unique as its predecessors. Helping someone stuck in Ordeal seems like a re-hash of Nita and Kit's own Ordeal, at least a little bit--and viewing this one as a third party makes it distant and uninteresting. If I'd read the entirety of the series recently enough to remember details, maybe I'd have enjoyed it more, but Nita's apathy spread throughout the entire text, and I couldn't worry about Darryl as much as Kit did. It's not a bad installment in a lengthy series, and this book definitely opens up bigger and brighter options for the following books, but it lacks the uniqueness that makes the earlier books so exciting.
August 21, 2024
Eeesh I was reading the original book because that's what my library has and it was rough in the beginning. Being autistic and having autistic friends and knowing even severely non verbal autism and what it looks like made this book a bit of a slap to the face. I paused and looked up Diane on tumblr to see what she's said about her writing of it and it helped.......a small amount. It does suck that she never really apologizes for it but just says it's impossible to please everyone and enough people related to this for me to keep it.
Idk it just was the worst book of the series so far and has made me really question if I wanna keep going
Idk it just was the worst book of the series so far and has made me really question if I wanna keep going
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2019
I was hoping the audio version would be the re-issued version. It isn't. No I want to get my hands on the updated version because I love everything this author has done and it was disappointing that this book fell so so flat. I'm really glad that she redid it.
October 12, 2024
I liked the story, but the message is very "cure autism," which is harmful. Also, autism is portrayed as both devastating and uniform. I gave it four stars for the story, but be warned.
April 29, 2018
This is a 3 for my enjoyment and a 4 for the quality of the book. Went with 3 as this is also about what I like. In part this is dealing with the aftermath of one of the series main character's mother dying, and also the impact of autism. So not the relatively light read I wanted and took a little while to finish.
Full review coming shortly.
Full review coming shortly.
June 18, 2016
THIS SERIES. Good heavens, I would be okay with my life if I could write like Diane Duane.
One of the many things I love about Duane's universe is that it's so unapologetically complex. The way Duane's wizards have to do magic is part art, part science, part linguistics, and totally fascinating. I love that she breaks down language here via Nita's research and, when Really Big Magic has to be done, is very clear about what that takes within the rules of this world.
The main plotline here, that of assisting new wizard-to-be Darryl who is autistic, is an interesting tack. Duane certainly wouldn't have been able to pull it off, I think, were it not for the preceding book (The Wizard's Dilemma); the metaphorical and metaphysical aspects of that prepared the reader to spend at least half of this book inside someone else's mind. Duane expects a lot of her readers in terms of following her to some pretty out-there places, but follow her I did.
I totally understand the rest of the reviews that push back against the way Duane handled Darryl's autism. The Mrs. Callahan character does a pretty good job of representing the incredible breadth of autism and how it manifests and also how hard it is to medically get a handle on (and also, this was published in 2002, so looking at it in 2016 means we have different landscapes of understanding). I think Duane has several really smart safeguards against getting too ableist--yes, she still gets there, but not in an unbearable way.
As ever, Duane writes an entertaining yarn. Beneath the complexities and huge topics is a really good story to which I kept eagerly returning. And I have to put one quote in here just because (as a religiousy type) it struck so hard:
"But the trouble with sainthood these days is the robe-and-halo imagery that gets stuck onto it." Carl got that brooding look again. "People forget that robes were street clothes once...and still are, i a lot of places. And halos are to that fierce air of innocence what speech balloons in comics are to the sound of the voice itself. Shorthand. But most people just see an old symbol and don't bother looking behind it for the meaning. Sainthood starts to look old-fashioned, unattainable...even repellent. Actually, you can see it all around, once you learn to spot it." (221)
One of the many things I love about Duane's universe is that it's so unapologetically complex. The way Duane's wizards have to do magic is part art, part science, part linguistics, and totally fascinating. I love that she breaks down language here via Nita's research and, when Really Big Magic has to be done, is very clear about what that takes within the rules of this world.
The main plotline here, that of assisting new wizard-to-be Darryl who is autistic, is an interesting tack. Duane certainly wouldn't have been able to pull it off, I think, were it not for the preceding book (The Wizard's Dilemma); the metaphorical and metaphysical aspects of that prepared the reader to spend at least half of this book inside someone else's mind. Duane expects a lot of her readers in terms of following her to some pretty out-there places, but follow her I did.
I totally understand the rest of the reviews that push back against the way Duane handled Darryl's autism. The Mrs. Callahan character does a pretty good job of representing the incredible breadth of autism and how it manifests and also how hard it is to medically get a handle on (and also, this was published in 2002, so looking at it in 2016 means we have different landscapes of understanding). I think Duane has several really smart safeguards against getting too ableist--yes, she still gets there, but not in an unbearable way.
As ever, Duane writes an entertaining yarn. Beneath the complexities and huge topics is a really good story to which I kept eagerly returning. And I have to put one quote in here just because (as a religiousy type) it struck so hard:
"But the trouble with sainthood these days is the robe-and-halo imagery that gets stuck onto it." Carl got that brooding look again. "People forget that robes were street clothes once...and still are, i a lot of places. And halos are to that fierce air of innocence what speech balloons in comics are to the sound of the voice itself. Shorthand. But most people just see an old symbol and don't bother looking behind it for the meaning. Sainthood starts to look old-fashioned, unattainable...even repellent. Actually, you can see it all around, once you learn to spot it." (221)
January 8, 2009
I remember the first time I read, So You Want to be a Wizard. I loved it. Boy, I looked all over my library for my OWN Wizard's manual. If wishes could come true, I'd join forces with Kit and Nita!
I love this series and was glad when I discovered the author was adding to it again. I dove into book 6 with a zest, imagine my surprise with the newest kid to join the wizarding world.
Nita is still mourning the loss of her mother after losing the battle with The Lone Power for dear mum's life. I cried at the end of that book, probably because the cancer angle struck a little too close to home.
Kit is lonely, missing his partner, but has his trusty dog, Ponch, to keep him company and help out on assignment. Now, if we could just determine what is going on with Ponch, maybe things will start to fit into place. Needless to say the old duo looks to be maybe a trio in the future.
Kit's assignment is to observe a new wizard trapped for three months in his Ordeal. Worried that something must be terribly wrong, Kit gets sucked into the problem and it might just take Nita overcoming her grief to save him.
The new wizard is autistic, which gave this book a whole new angle. Not only did it bring up autism and give some good information, I really liked the author's "insider's view" of what was going on in the boy's head. Let's just say it was pretty fantastic. Especially when he passes some of his traits on to Kit.
Autism is something that has many people questioning so there's definitely a plethora of theories of how the autistic brain works. The author weaves some of these theories into quite the fascinating worldscape for her characters to battle things out.
The last book dealt with cancer and this one deals with autism. The author really is covering some hefty topics and doing them well.
I love this series and was glad when I discovered the author was adding to it again. I dove into book 6 with a zest, imagine my surprise with the newest kid to join the wizarding world.
Nita is still mourning the loss of her mother after losing the battle with The Lone Power for dear mum's life. I cried at the end of that book, probably because the cancer angle struck a little too close to home.
Kit is lonely, missing his partner, but has his trusty dog, Ponch, to keep him company and help out on assignment. Now, if we could just determine what is going on with Ponch, maybe things will start to fit into place. Needless to say the old duo looks to be maybe a trio in the future.
Kit's assignment is to observe a new wizard trapped for three months in his Ordeal. Worried that something must be terribly wrong, Kit gets sucked into the problem and it might just take Nita overcoming her grief to save him.
The new wizard is autistic, which gave this book a whole new angle. Not only did it bring up autism and give some good information, I really liked the author's "insider's view" of what was going on in the boy's head. Let's just say it was pretty fantastic. Especially when he passes some of his traits on to Kit.
Autism is something that has many people questioning so there's definitely a plethora of theories of how the autistic brain works. The author weaves some of these theories into quite the fascinating worldscape for her characters to battle things out.
The last book dealt with cancer and this one deals with autism. The author really is covering some hefty topics and doing them well.
March 30, 2022
(This review is about the New Millenium Edition e-book of this novel, not the older edition from 2002.)
When my autistic 11-year-old read and loved So You Want to Be a Wizard and then decided he wanted to read the entire series, I was first excited that he was enjoying a series that I had enjoyed, and then concerned as I remembered this particular novel, which featured an autistic wizard who was magically cured of his autism at the end of the novel... so I knew I wanted to read the series again before he got there, so we could talk through some of the elements I disagreed with. Luckily, thanks to Goodreads, I learned about the New Millennium Edition of this series. Diane Duane evidently did a major overhaul of the first four books of the series to make more technological consistency. More importantly for my reading purposes, though, Duane also tried to fix a lot of glaring ableism that existed in the original version of A Wizard Alone. At the moment, the only way to read this edition is to purchase it directly from the author as an e-book from her website, but if you are going to read through the Young Wizard series, I most definitely recommend spending the $3.50 to reading this particular version of the book instead of the original.
First, a brief non-spoiler plot overview and review: Nita finds herself depressed and struggling just to function with daily life after the events of the previous book. Kit tries his best to be supportive and understanding, but also, he kinda misses their old relationship. Carl and Tom call Kit in to see if he can find out what's going on with another wizard, Darryl, who, the manual says has been on his Ordeal for the last 3 months. Kit asks Nita for backup on this mission, but she feels like her depression is making it so hard to think that she just can't trust her ability to do wizardry, so Kit is on his own for this mission. Meanwhile, Nita starts having dreams that someone is trying to reach out to her for help, but Nita is having a hard time communicating with them and decides to do some personal research and dive into building her vocabulary in the Speech. These two plots eventually intersect, and Kit, Nita and Darryl have their inevitable showdown with the Lone Power. This is still not my favorite book in the series- ignoring the problematic elements, I just don't find the plot arcs to be terribly compelling- but it's not an absolutely terrible book either, so reading it as part of the wider series is still worth it.
Slightly more in-depth discussion after this point will include some spoilers:
-------------------------
It's hard to know how to balance criticizing the problematic elements which are still in this book, while giving Diane Duane credit here for obviously trying to do better by her autistic character now that she knows better. The trouble is that she's a bit limited by things which were baked into the existing story structure that she can't really change now. For instance: Darryl, the autistic character, is an abdal, meaning a saint- a conduit for the Power into the universe because of his his goodness and innocence. (although if he ever is told that he's a saint, that will shut off his Power and even kill him for some reason?). This is an essential plot element, given that being a saint evidently comes with the ability to be in multiple places at once, but it's... kind of problematic attaching sainthood to a black disabled character. I'm going to skip the whys of that, as they've been discussed thoroughly in a lot of places including:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/InspirationallyDisadvantaged
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MagicalNegro
So, Kit discovers that we've got a black autistic saint wizard. And he goes to talk to Tom and Carl about it, and they tell him that it's not as though wizardry were ever confined to just the neurotypical. Which... is great and all, but also, at this point if they know that, they should probably get Kit in contact with one of those other autistic wizards so that they can give him backup. Of course, that would become an entirely different book than the one that she's already written.
I'm also not thrilled that Kit, by spending so much time in Darryl's brain, starts... sort of becoming autistic? This feels like it has kind of troubling implications. Autism is not contagious, so essentially making it magically contagious seems... iffy. Again, essential part of the original plot that would be basically impossible to edit out. I noticed a few places where Duane tried to put into the text that Kit starting to "become autistic" because of that magical connection to Darryl was a problem for Kit simply because that's not how his brain was designed to work, not because Kit being autistic would be inherently bad.... but it never quite landed for me. YMMV.
Aside from the problematic autism elements, I'm also not super happy with the way that Nita's depression seems to be magically cured just by meeting Darryl. I don't know if it's a new thing that she talks with her school psychologist about the grief staying with her even with the fog of depression being gone, but either way, it seemed too... sudden. Too plot convenient.
So, now the pros of the new edition: I appreciate the fact that Duane now has Kit go and read the blogs of actually autistic people as part of his research in learning about autism. I appreciate that the autism isn't being caused by Darryl's Ordeal, but that it's presented that going through the ordeal is just giving Darryl so much to deal with that his normal coping mechanisms aren't working for him. I also really liked the conversation at the end, where the three wizards are talking about doing wizardry out in the big wide world, and Darryl suggests that the wizardry might be hard for him because of the way he sometimes has trouble controlling his actions. Nita suggests using wizardry to cure himself, and Kit and Darryl basically tell her "No, you shouldn't try to fix what's not broken, just different." No magical cure. There' shouldn't BE a magical cure. Don't fix what's not broken.
This may not be my favorite entry into the series, not by a long stretch, and there's still some definite problems with it, but I'm no longer dreading sharing it with my son.
When my autistic 11-year-old read and loved So You Want to Be a Wizard and then decided he wanted to read the entire series, I was first excited that he was enjoying a series that I had enjoyed, and then concerned as I remembered this particular novel, which featured an autistic wizard who was magically cured of his autism at the end of the novel... so I knew I wanted to read the series again before he got there, so we could talk through some of the elements I disagreed with. Luckily, thanks to Goodreads, I learned about the New Millennium Edition of this series. Diane Duane evidently did a major overhaul of the first four books of the series to make more technological consistency. More importantly for my reading purposes, though, Duane also tried to fix a lot of glaring ableism that existed in the original version of A Wizard Alone. At the moment, the only way to read this edition is to purchase it directly from the author as an e-book from her website, but if you are going to read through the Young Wizard series, I most definitely recommend spending the $3.50 to reading this particular version of the book instead of the original.
First, a brief non-spoiler plot overview and review: Nita finds herself depressed and struggling just to function with daily life after the events of the previous book. Kit tries his best to be supportive and understanding, but also, he kinda misses their old relationship. Carl and Tom call Kit in to see if he can find out what's going on with another wizard, Darryl, who, the manual says has been on his Ordeal for the last 3 months. Kit asks Nita for backup on this mission, but she feels like her depression is making it so hard to think that she just can't trust her ability to do wizardry, so Kit is on his own for this mission. Meanwhile, Nita starts having dreams that someone is trying to reach out to her for help, but Nita is having a hard time communicating with them and decides to do some personal research and dive into building her vocabulary in the Speech. These two plots eventually intersect, and Kit, Nita and Darryl have their inevitable showdown with the Lone Power. This is still not my favorite book in the series- ignoring the problematic elements, I just don't find the plot arcs to be terribly compelling- but it's not an absolutely terrible book either, so reading it as part of the wider series is still worth it.
Slightly more in-depth discussion after this point will include some spoilers:
-------------------------
It's hard to know how to balance criticizing the problematic elements which are still in this book, while giving Diane Duane credit here for obviously trying to do better by her autistic character now that she knows better. The trouble is that she's a bit limited by things which were baked into the existing story structure that she can't really change now. For instance: Darryl, the autistic character, is an abdal, meaning a saint- a conduit for the Power into the universe because of his his goodness and innocence. (although if he ever is told that he's a saint, that will shut off his Power and even kill him for some reason?). This is an essential plot element, given that being a saint evidently comes with the ability to be in multiple places at once, but it's... kind of problematic attaching sainthood to a black disabled character. I'm going to skip the whys of that, as they've been discussed thoroughly in a lot of places including:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/InspirationallyDisadvantaged
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MagicalNegro
So, Kit discovers that we've got a black autistic saint wizard. And he goes to talk to Tom and Carl about it, and they tell him that it's not as though wizardry were ever confined to just the neurotypical. Which... is great and all, but also, at this point if they know that, they should probably get Kit in contact with one of those other autistic wizards so that they can give him backup. Of course, that would become an entirely different book than the one that she's already written.
I'm also not thrilled that Kit, by spending so much time in Darryl's brain, starts... sort of becoming autistic? This feels like it has kind of troubling implications. Autism is not contagious, so essentially making it magically contagious seems... iffy. Again, essential part of the original plot that would be basically impossible to edit out. I noticed a few places where Duane tried to put into the text that Kit starting to "become autistic" because of that magical connection to Darryl was a problem for Kit simply because that's not how his brain was designed to work, not because Kit being autistic would be inherently bad.... but it never quite landed for me. YMMV.
Aside from the problematic autism elements, I'm also not super happy with the way that Nita's depression seems to be magically cured just by meeting Darryl. I don't know if it's a new thing that she talks with her school psychologist about the grief staying with her even with the fog of depression being gone, but either way, it seemed too... sudden. Too plot convenient.
So, now the pros of the new edition: I appreciate the fact that Duane now has Kit go and read the blogs of actually autistic people as part of his research in learning about autism. I appreciate that the autism isn't being caused by Darryl's Ordeal, but that it's presented that going through the ordeal is just giving Darryl so much to deal with that his normal coping mechanisms aren't working for him. I also really liked the conversation at the end, where the three wizards are talking about doing wizardry out in the big wide world, and Darryl suggests that the wizardry might be hard for him because of the way he sometimes has trouble controlling his actions. Nita suggests using wizardry to cure himself, and Kit and Darryl basically tell her "No, you shouldn't try to fix what's not broken, just different." No magical cure. There' shouldn't BE a magical cure. Don't fix what's not broken.
This may not be my favorite entry into the series, not by a long stretch, and there's still some definite problems with it, but I'm no longer dreading sharing it with my son.
February 10, 2015
In this book, Nita's recovering from the death of her mother. Grief makes everything more difficult. Much of the grief recovery stuff is boring and depressing. I read all of it, even though it made me feel more hopeless about life, something I really don't need considering I normally suffer from depression.
Meanwhile, her partner, Kit, is dealing with a wizard who has been on Ordeal for three months. Ordeal being the final test that new wizards go through to prove whether they really have what it takes to be a wizard. Three months is unusually long, but then the person on ordeal is also unusual, in that he's autistic. Both Kit and Nita get to visit him, from two different perspectives. Kit uses his dog's ability to travel between universes to get into the boy's head, while Nita is, without her knowledge, being visited by the kid in her dreams. There the best part of the book occurs, where she sees him as a knight, and he tells her, "Tell what fights the Enemy that It will be held here," the knight said. "That It will have to fight here, again and again. But that It won’t pass." For some reason, those words resonate with me. That while the battle's hopeless, it still needs to be fought.
Eventually, they discover that due to the boy's uniqueness, that he can trap the Lone One inside his mindscape indefinitely. Tada, they win, haha.
Also features a TV that gets all of the channels in the universe, some of which are cooking channels. And you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.
Meanwhile, her partner, Kit, is dealing with a wizard who has been on Ordeal for three months. Ordeal being the final test that new wizards go through to prove whether they really have what it takes to be a wizard. Three months is unusually long, but then the person on ordeal is also unusual, in that he's autistic. Both Kit and Nita get to visit him, from two different perspectives. Kit uses his dog's ability to travel between universes to get into the boy's head, while Nita is, without her knowledge, being visited by the kid in her dreams. There the best part of the book occurs, where she sees him as a knight, and he tells her, "Tell what fights the Enemy that It will be held here," the knight said. "That It will have to fight here, again and again. But that It won’t pass." For some reason, those words resonate with me. That while the battle's hopeless, it still needs to be fought.
Eventually, they discover that due to the boy's uniqueness, that he can trap the Lone One inside his mindscape indefinitely. Tada, they win, haha.
Also features a TV that gets all of the channels in the universe, some of which are cooking channels. And you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.
November 26, 2011
Relative to the rest of the Young Wizards series, this story is no less well-thought out, but it's a great deal more internal, traversing psychological planes of adventures, not anything physical. Duane still makes an internal brain-scape an interesting setting, but it's hard for that to compare with some of the other scenes she's drawn -- epic fantasyscapes, other planets, etc. It's also a darker novel (which the last one was, as well, for mostly the same reason: ).
There are still the bright moments in between the heart-achey-ones (and the newest wizard in this book inspires a ton of both, but to describe why would spoil the book's early on, and later on, excellent twists. ) in a non-spoilery example, Darriane and Nita's misery is aching, but it's hard not to snicker gleefully when Nita dumps Darriane's bed on Pluto. The scenes with the school psychologist are good examples of both happy and sad plot propellant -- prompting the exploration of Nita's depression but also providing her a clue to solve this installment's biggest problem.
In fact, I talked myself around to 4 stars, just by reflecting on all that.
There are still the bright moments in between the heart-achey-ones (and the newest wizard in this book inspires a ton of both, but to describe why would spoil the book's early on, and later on, excellent twists. ) in a non-spoilery example, Darriane and Nita's misery is aching, but it's hard not to snicker gleefully when Nita dumps Darriane's bed on Pluto. The scenes with the school psychologist are good examples of both happy and sad plot propellant -- prompting the exploration of Nita's depression but also providing her a clue to solve this installment's biggest problem.
In fact, I talked myself around to 4 stars, just by reflecting on all that.
October 17, 2009
Why have I waited so long to get back to this series? The first five books in Diane Duane's Young Wizard series are great, and book six is no exception. In A Wizard Alone, Nita is trying to come to terms with her mother's death. This leaves Kit a bit on his own with an assignment to check on new wizard, Darryl McAllister, who has been on Ordeal for three months. I really liked Darryl. Not only were all of the details about autism very interesting, but I really liked how they were woven into the story as an essential part of who Darryl is. I also really liked all of Ponch's involvement, and I hope that is something that Duane explores more in future books. I won't wait as long this time to read book seven, Wizard's Holiday!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2011
This was the first book of the Young Wizards series that I read. It caught my attention because there was a major character with autism. When I read the novel, it didn't seem very related to autism in any clinical sense but I found the book imaginative, well-written and fun. I enjoyed all the characters and was moved by the story of loss. As a result, I have begun to read the other books in the series. To date, I have just read the first and realized that the presence of the autistic character was a big hook for me but I am enjoying the other novels as well. It's a series for those who like wizards as well as stories about families and friendships and generally what it means to be alive and to grow up.
November 28, 2008
What happens when someone who is autistic is offered wizardry? Especially when wizardry is really only offered to children? That's part of what this book is about.
The underlying message seems to me to be "no matter what it feels like right now, you are not truly alone". As someone who's battled depression for a very long time, I know what that phrase sounds like to someone who is under the bell jar and what it sounds like outside. This book does a good job of not sounding preachy about the message - just quietly puts it out there for your consideration.
I usually read YA books for an escape or for a fiction snack. This one turned out to be a healthy snack. Who knew?
The underlying message seems to me to be "no matter what it feels like right now, you are not truly alone". As someone who's battled depression for a very long time, I know what that phrase sounds like to someone who is under the bell jar and what it sounds like outside. This book does a good job of not sounding preachy about the message - just quietly puts it out there for your consideration.
I usually read YA books for an escape or for a fiction snack. This one turned out to be a healthy snack. Who knew?
March 10, 2010
Re-read 3/10/10. Easy to dismiss as being just-for-kids but Diane Duane's Young Wizards series is amazingly good--maybe too good for only kids. There's a lot of wisdom here and some science, and a mythology that's believable and convincing. They aren't dumbed down and she isn't afraid to let bad things happen to her characters, either. In this book I really liked what she had to say using anger constructively.
March 23, 2015
I know that this book has some problematic views of autism which is why I would like to read Diane Duane's updated edition sometime soon. However, keeping this in mind, I very much enjoyed the book otherwise. I loved reading more from Kit's point of view and seeing how Nita deals with .
July 3, 2016
These books seem to get more and more serious on the subject matter. Very interesting reads, but a lot more serious than the series started off.
I do enjoy how it's now showing both Kit and Nita's view. It adds a new dynamic to the stories, and it shows how different viewpoints have different responses.
Anyway, this is a very enjoyable series.
I do enjoy how it's now showing both Kit and Nita's view. It adds a new dynamic to the stories, and it shows how different viewpoints have different responses.
Anyway, this is a very enjoyable series.
February 5, 2017
Definitely my favorite of Young Wizards so far. Darryl is an amazing new character and we got all kinds of cool new wizardry info. Really hoping to see some new folks again, too. All in all just adored this book so much.
October 29, 2024
Goed boek om te lezen Nog steeds zijn er momenten die niet helemaal boeien, maar het verhaal was zeer goed te volgen zeker met de moeilijkheden die Kit had.
September 24, 2017
I really enjoyed this as another installment in the series. Like A Wizard's Dilemma, it followed Kit and Nita at home, which I appreciated. Again, it felt a lot more like a genuine follow-up to So You Want To Be A Wizard than second through fourth books in the series to me. The emotional gloominess experienced by all the characters dragged it down a little for me, but it made sense in the context of the story, so I can't really complain.
An autistic character was introduced in this story, which is an idea that I liked, though I was a bit underwhelmed by the execution. I have heard that Diane Duane rewrote the book to update her portrayal of autism with a more modern understanding of it, and the edition I read was definitely the original, so I can't speak one way or another as to whether I like her new representation. All I can say about the original was that the way other characters' viewed Darryl, the autistic character, was strange to me. For one, Kit viewed him for a brief moment or two and knew instantly that he was autistic, which seemed strange for me. As someone who worked at a center for people with developmental disabilities, a person could act like Darryl did in that scene for a variety of reasons, not all of which are autism, so the fact that Kit instantly landed on that diagnosis and no one questioned it seemed a little odd. I was also a little skeptical at the idea that Darryl couldn't understand the concept of other people; I've never met anyone, autistic or otherwise, who seemed completely incapable of understanding that other people existed. Aside from that, however, I don't think Darryl's autism was represented much, at all, because no one ever really interacts with him normally in this book. He is seen very briefly from afar, and every subsequent scene he is in takes place within his own mind. Nita and Kit don't meet him in real life until the end of the book, at which time he is no longer autistic.
These comments aside, I wasn't bothered by all of the things that other people are criticizing in their reviews. One of the biggest issues that people seem to have with this book was that Darryl got rid of his autism at the end of it. I don't find that too unreasonable, and it kind of annoys me a bit that this is so taboo to some people. I can totally respect that there are people out there with autism who are completely content to remain the way they are, but I'm certain that there are also people out there who would prefer not to have it, and the attitude that it's ableist to even consider finding a way to get rid of it for people who want to just seems like it would hold society back. Darryl wanted to get rid of it, and he did. That should be empowering, should it not? I didn't see anywhere in the book where Darryl was told he would be less of a person if he chose to keep it.
Another issue that a lot of people seem to have is the fact that Darryl is both autistic and an abdal, but I don't think these things are necessarily related. Nowhere in the book does it say that Darryl's autism caused him to be an abdal. In fact, I doubt that's true, as I was under the impression an abdal is something you are born to be, while the book implied that Darryl wasn't always autistic. Also, he remains an abdal even after he is no longer autistic; therefore, the condition can't have been a cause of his being an abdal.
Therefore, while I'll admit that Diane Duane's portrayal of autism is far from perfect in the original version of this novel, I also think people have been a bit oversensitive about it, as well. Either way, I definitely enjoyed this book and look forward to continuing the series.
An autistic character was introduced in this story, which is an idea that I liked, though I was a bit underwhelmed by the execution. I have heard that Diane Duane rewrote the book to update her portrayal of autism with a more modern understanding of it, and the edition I read was definitely the original, so I can't speak one way or another as to whether I like her new representation. All I can say about the original was that the way other characters' viewed Darryl, the autistic character, was strange to me. For one, Kit viewed him for a brief moment or two and knew instantly that he was autistic, which seemed strange for me. As someone who worked at a center for people with developmental disabilities, a person could act like Darryl did in that scene for a variety of reasons, not all of which are autism, so the fact that Kit instantly landed on that diagnosis and no one questioned it seemed a little odd. I was also a little skeptical at the idea that Darryl couldn't understand the concept of other people; I've never met anyone, autistic or otherwise, who seemed completely incapable of understanding that other people existed. Aside from that, however, I don't think Darryl's autism was represented much, at all, because no one ever really interacts with him normally in this book. He is seen very briefly from afar, and every subsequent scene he is in takes place within his own mind. Nita and Kit don't meet him in real life until the end of the book, at which time he is no longer autistic.
These comments aside, I wasn't bothered by all of the things that other people are criticizing in their reviews. One of the biggest issues that people seem to have with this book was that Darryl got rid of his autism at the end of it. I don't find that too unreasonable, and it kind of annoys me a bit that this is so taboo to some people. I can totally respect that there are people out there with autism who are completely content to remain the way they are, but I'm certain that there are also people out there who would prefer not to have it, and the attitude that it's ableist to even consider finding a way to get rid of it for people who want to just seems like it would hold society back. Darryl wanted to get rid of it, and he did. That should be empowering, should it not? I didn't see anywhere in the book where Darryl was told he would be less of a person if he chose to keep it.
Another issue that a lot of people seem to have is the fact that Darryl is both autistic and an abdal, but I don't think these things are necessarily related. Nowhere in the book does it say that Darryl's autism caused him to be an abdal. In fact, I doubt that's true, as I was under the impression an abdal is something you are born to be, while the book implied that Darryl wasn't always autistic. Also, he remains an abdal even after he is no longer autistic; therefore, the condition can't have been a cause of his being an abdal.
Therefore, while I'll admit that Diane Duane's portrayal of autism is far from perfect in the original version of this novel, I also think people have been a bit oversensitive about it, as well. Either way, I definitely enjoyed this book and look forward to continuing the series.
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