This morning, I have a middle grade fiction book to share! Check out A Curse of Mayhem, read my thoughts on the book and learn about author Sunayna Prasad! You can also visit this book series spotlight post to learn more about the other books in the series.
Category: Middle-Grade Fiction (Ages 8-12), 173 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Amazon KDP
Release date: July 2019
Format available for review: ebook (mobi (for Kindle), EPUB, PDF)
Will send print books out: USA
Tour dates: June 10 to Jun 28, 2024
Content Rating: G: There is no mature language or adult content whatsoever.
History, like magic, has a habit of repeating itself.
It’s been six months since thirteen-year-old Alyssa McCarthy left magic behind for good. Or so she thought…
Then the enchanted objects that protected her disappear. Now a skeleton named Errol has cursed her with magical powers that keep getting her in trouble. Suddenly strange things are happening with disastrous effects, and if Alyssa can’t remove the magic, she will lose everything she holds dear. In order to get rid of her unwanted wizardry, Alyssa will have to boost her bravery and confidence and determine who Errol really is. But every time Alyssa uses an enchantment, Errol is one step closer to getting his flesh back and becoming alive, and he will do anything to achieve his goals…even if it means destroying Alyssa’s happiness.
Originally published in 2016 as “Wizardry Goes Wild” and “The Unruly Curse” in 2019, “A Curse of Mayhem” is book two in the exciting and suspenseful “Magical Missions” series.
A Curse of Mayhem is Written for Middle School Readers. If you read the first book in the series, the writing style, character dialogues, and behaviors are very similar to those in this book. If you didn't read the first book in the series, there are some slight attempts to help new series readers catch up, but the book can still be read as a stand-alone without missing much detail from the first book. The dialogue and characters are immature and may not be very relatable for older teens or adult parent readers. However, the novel is written for middle school ages, and younger readers, ages 8-11 or so, will likely find the magic more entertaining and the dialogue and middle school dramas more relatable.
Don't Expect Much Realism in A Curse of Mayhem. The story is fast-paced, with many character introductions, fast-paced dialogue, and little time for character growth and development. While the storyline is interesting and engaging, and the author does create an updated magical adventure more suited to today's tech-driven tweens, there are many scenes that adults and older teens will find pretty unrealistic. Having said that, there are many tween, middle school-aged behaviors and learning opportunities for younger readers in this series as they face their differences from middle school peers and learn to find their place in groups of friends and adults.
Would I recommend A Curse of Mayhem? This is a fun, magical story for older elementary-aged readers and younger middle-school children. Alyssa McCarthy is still a bit immature, but she accomplishes a little bit of growth and self-discovery in this book. Parents and older teens who enjoy reading along with younger readers will not find a realistically deep, thought-provoking fantasy, but younger readers should relate well to Alyssa and her middle school dramas.
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Sunayna is passionate about world-building as well as fantasy and magic. She especially likes reading fantasy books as well as creating original magical creatures and other enchanted elements She also likes to blog, cook, draw, and get active.
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