#Review: FAIRY MAGIC by Donna Kunkel

 

3 of 5 stars

Tasha Rose is looking forward to finishing high school. With only a few weeks left, she receives a mysterious letter about a magic school in Aspen Glen. This was an intriguing way to set up the story, and I was looking forward to following Tasha in her magical education, especially when "traveling doors" were introduced. Unfortunately, chapter two immediately jumps to five years later, and it wasn't clear how Tasha attended magic school full-time while also apparently graduating as a RN nurse along with her friend Helen. This was the first lost opportunity to connect with Tasha. Both Tasha and Helen still must complete the sixth and final year of their magical training, and that's when they meet Nick Fortnight.

Nick has apparently been working to support his family for the past five years and returns to Aspen Glen to finally receive his high school diploma while training in the magical arts as well. Nick appreciates the help Tasha and Helen offer so he can catch up on his studies, and soon he and Tasha are exchanging longing looks. There are some interesting rules at the school, such as "don't go outside during the full moon," but the author never capitalizes on the reasons why, which is definitely another lost opportunity to inject some additional magical elements into the story. The magical fairies are cute but don't play a very big role in the grand scheme of things.

I never really connected with either Tasha and Nick. There's a lot of telling--Tasha did this, then Nick did this--which makes it hard to connect with their feelings. There was really no drama about their budding love story until the very end. Nick invites Tasha to go to prom with him. In high school, Tasha had a bad experience around prom and is excited to finally enjoy one. Of course, nothing works out as she hopes. The last chapter attempts to pull all the relevant plot lines together, but while it is a creative solution, it is revealed in a humiliating way for Tasha, which I didn't think was entirely necessary.

This was a very short book that could have been a unique story if the author had fleshed out the magical school more instead of teasing us with certain situations that never went anywhere. There were so many lost opportunities that could have elevated the book into a fun and enjoyable read. 

I voluntarily read the advanced reader copy provided by N.N. Light Book Heaven, and all opinions are my own.