Wizardry Goes Wild Review

Alyssa McCarthy's Magical Missions: Book 2: Wizardry Goes Wild

By Sunayna Prasad

After months of living a normal life, thirteen-year-old Alyssa McCarthy faces magic again. Only this time, though, she is cursed with it, thanks to an old depressed skeleton named Errol. Alyssa's time with her godfather, Alex, will never be the same again, as she can perform sorcery, but never control it. From letting out enchantments at school to creating outdoor disasters, Alyssa is bound to face consequences. She can only get rid of her powers if she can boost her confidence levels and improve her bravery. But it's not as easy as it sounds. She must measure those abilities with a special device called a skillometer. Will she be able to get rid of her unwanted wizardry?

...........................................................................

MY REVIEW

Alyssa McCarthy had defeated an evil wizard six months ago. Now, all of a sudden, another wizard has found her and is creating problems for her. This wizard has enchanted Alyssa, causing her to do uncontrollable magic in order to resurrect the Master wizard. When chaos ensues, Alyssa vows to do whatever it takes to defeat the wizard and hopefully never do magic again.

This was book two of the Alyssa McCarthy series. I must say, I did not enjoy it as much as the first one. It was written from the perspective of a preteen, but there were parts that were beyond what a preteen would think to do or say. I liked that the protagonist was a young girl, and even that age group was fine, but the plot was too far fetched as to be believable. Even the humorous parts missed the mark. The conversations between Alyssa and her guardian would all of a sudden turn explosive for no good reason. I think the author was trying to evoke it as a preteen’s volatile personality but it didn’t quite hit the mark. The conversations also would feel stilted and rushed. I believe the story could greatly improve with a little warmth added in.

...........................................................................

**The above opinions are 100% my own, whether I purchased the book or it was given to me to review.

From Frights to Flaws by Sunayna Prasad 1

Alyssa McCarthy's Magical Missions: Book 1: From Frights to Flaws

By Sunayna Prasad

Twelve-year-old Alyssa McCarthy is sick of her uncle's unfair rules and longs for a better life. After discovering the existence of magic, she finds out about a dark wizard hunting her down. An unforgettable storm occurs in Alyssa's ordinary New Jersey town before the sorcerer kidnaps her to the Fiji Islands.

On the enchanted island of Yanowic, Alyssa learns that she is unable to get out of the country due to a giant shield. She must defeat some dangerous creatures and the evil wizard in order to leave. But with sorcerers and magical technology getting in her way, can Alyssa succeed?

...........................................................................

MY REVIEW

After Alyssa’s parents died, she went to live with her aunt and uncle, and her younger cousin Hailie. Things were fine until her aunt dies, leaving her uncle to raise both girls. After that, things went downhill. Uncle Bruce became withdrawn. The girls started homeschooling and their days consisted of endless chores. And to top that off, they had the meanest babysitter ever. A few weeks before her thirteenth birthday, things around Alyssa start getting weird. Magical things. She soon discovers that a mean wizard is planning to kill her and he is the one causing trouble for her. But how can she make everyone understand what is going on if they don’t believe that magic is even real?

What pre-teen wouldn’t enjoy this story? It has magic, fantasy characters, and of course, suspense. I started off feeling sorry for Alyssa and Hailie, but then, the adventure kicked in, making me forget to feel the pity. Through it all, though, I shared the excitement of the adventure. I think the story and characters could have had more depth though. There should have been more on the reasoning for the wizard to target Alyssa. The reason given was basically a misguided blame that doesn’t really add up.

...........................................................................

**The above opinions are 100% my own, whether I purchased the book or it was given to me to review.