Today I’m covering a middle grade fantasy, EVA EVERGREEN, SEMI-MAGICAL WITCH by Julie Abe. Here are ten things I loved about it:
1. Eva
I have to start with Eva Evergreen herself. Eva is a twelve year old witch just be sent out on the quest that will make her an official Novice Witch. Being a witch is all she’s ever dreamed of, but if she fails her test, what little magic she has will be stripped away. So Eva is more than eager to prove herself on her quest. Her spirited nature and her cleverness in the face of adversity help make her a compelling protagonist.
2. Eva’s Semi-Magicalness
As mentioned in the title, Eva is what you could call semi-magical. Despite having a mother that’s one of the most famous witches in their world, Eva’s magic is fairly limited, and prone to fail when she tries to do things that are too big. As a result, Eva has to come up with more clever solutions for her problems, often blending inventions and magic together to help her town.
3. Sense of Underdogness
With Eva’s lack of magical ability and the urgent need to prove herself (she only has a month to do it or lose all her magic completely) make her a clear underdog. It’s easy to root for her, especially as it seems that everyone that can go against her does.
4. The Style
EVA is written in a very pleasant to read style. It gives me major Studio Ghibli vibes, and means that this shouldn’t be a difficult read for even slow readers. It’s a very relaxing style, that makes reading EVA a very non-stressful experience for everyone.
5. Eva’s Relationship with her Parents
Where are the parents? Is a common question in middle grade and young adult stories. In the case of EVA, Eva has a good relationship with her parents (one of whom is magic-less, and the other of whom is one of the most famed and powerful witches) but both of them are forbidden from interfering with her quest. It’s nice to see a story where the parents are loving and involved in their child’s life, with a good relationship with that child, but the child protagonist is still allowed to go off and determine their own story.
6. The Sense of Town Community
Most of EVA takes place in one town, the town where Eva is to stay for one month and help in order to pass her test. EVA did a great job developing the town as a vibrant location and really portraying the sense of community among the people in town.
7. Vibrant Minor Characters
The cast that makes up the town in question is just as vibrant as the town itself. From kids Davy and Charlotte to the various shopkeepers in town, EVA does a great job at making even the most minor of characters feel full of life and personality.
8. Simple Yet Immersive Worldbuilding
EVA is a story that knows that sometimes less is more with worldbuilding. As much as you’re given, there’s a lot more that you don’t know, and in this case, that’s okay. The reader knows what they need to for this story, but isn’t distracted by a thousand needless details. There are hints and references to show that the world is bigger than just what we see in EVA. It’s the exact right level of worldbuilding for this story.
9. Perfect Pacing
EVA is a quick read that moves along at a quick pace, but at the same time, it doesn’t make you feel rushed. It’s a cozy feeling read, but something is always happening to move the story along.
10. Good for All Ages
EVA is firmly a middle grade novel. However, it’s charms can hold an audience even older than that, and if you enjoy any middle grade fantasy, you may very well enjoy EVA.
So that’s ten things I loved about EVA EVERGREEN, SEMI-MAGICAL WITCH by Julie Abe. I’d mainly recommend it for readers in the middle grade age range, but if you’re a teen or adult that is able to enjoy the occasional middle grade, then I’d highly recommend EVA.
Comentarios