The Best Kind of Magic

April 3, 2017
A missing person leads the mayor of Chicago to call on the supernatural community for help in debut author Cestari’s enjoyable first book in the Windy City Magic series. High school senior Amber Sand is a wannabe baker with a gift for matchmaking, but her powers pale in comparison to those of her mother, a witch, and Amber’s psychic best friend, Amani, a “precog.” Even so, Amber and the mayor’s son, Charlie, are thrown together to help, leading to plenty of consternation when things start to take a romantic turn, though Amber knows she’s not his soul mate. Cestari adds amusing magical underpinnings to familiar growing pains: feelings of inadequacy in school, trying (and failing) to meet parental expectations, and botched romantic entanglements. (That girl who always seems to have Manchester Prep’s students and teachers falling all over her? A siren.) Amber’s doubts about her abilities—both in the magical community and in the kitchen—and her sharp wit make her an authentic and relatable narrator as she’s forced to learn how to see the magic in the everyday. Ages 12–up. Agent: Jess Regel, Foundry Literary + Media.

March 15, 2017
A magical matchmaker searches for her own true love in this magic-infused Chicago.Amber Sand descends from a long line of witches--her family goes all the way back to Salem--but all she can do is look into someone's eyes and see their true love. Matchmaking is a far cry from being a witch like her mother or a precog like her best friend, Amani Sharma--or a siren like Ivy Chamberlain, the villain in an underbaked bullying plotline. Also poorly developed is Amber's relationship with her mother, summed up with her frustration that -Mom always thinks like a witch first and a mother second.- Then Charlie Blitzman, one of Amber's classmates, asks for her help in finding his father's missing girlfriend. As they investigate, Amber and Charlie draw closer, but Amber can't help feeling guilty. She's falling for Charlie--but she knows she's not his true love. Or maybe her matchmaking isn't sure-fire, given how Amani reacts to her predicted true love....Character development feels forced. Amber seems to act immaturely for a high school senior, and her use of sign language with Amani comes across as obtrusively quirky. Despite the use of a Swahili first name and Sanskrit surname to signal that Amani may be a person of color, there is no exploration of her identity. The conclusion clumsily sets up a sequel, one bound to blow up Amber's sweet, engaging romance with Charlie. Somewhat enjoyable provided it's not examined too closely. (Fantasy. 12-16)

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April 1, 2017
Gr 7-10-Amber Sand comes from a family of highly respectable and powerful witches. Except Amber isn't a witch. She's a matchmaker, down on the lower end of the supernatural scale. Amber enjoys giving people the news they want to hear-that they will not end up alone-and she works out of her mother's magic shop. Unfortunately, she can't see her own perfect match. Not helping matters is her best friend Amani, who can see into the future but won't give Amber any hints. The mayor's son, Charlie, asks for her help. His dad's girlfriend has disappeared. While the mayor wants to find her, Charlie wants to break them up. Amber agrees to help, and they are soon making their way through Chicago's supernatural world. The teens start to develop feelings for each other, but Amber knows they're not meant to be. What good is it to date someone when you know you won't end up together? Though initially this fun read seems to be another cutesy supernatural tale, it also explores the question of fate. Amber is a strong heroine who refuses to back down from bullies and struggles with her relationship with her mother. There is a bit of mystery with the missing girlfriend, but it's solved well before the end. The conclusion and the characters will leave readers wanting more. VERDICT This is a perfect light summer read and a good addition to most libraries.-Faythe Arredondo, Tulare County Library, CA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2017
Grades 7-10 Amber Sand is definitely not a witch. Her mom is, though, and Amber has spent her entire life surrounded by Chicago's secret magical underworld. Amber's just a matchmaker: she can see everyone's soul mate but her own. She works in her mother's magic shop on tourist trap Navy Pier and hangs out with her best friend Amani, a reluctant seer. When Charlie Blitzman, son of Chicago's mayor and the most eligible guy in school, asks Amber for help tracking down his dad's missing girlfriend, she isn't sure how she can help, but promises to do what she can. Problem is, the more time she spends with Charlie, the more she falls for him. But she can see that she's not Charlie's true love, so what's the point? Supporting cast members are a little one-sided, but this cute take on paranormal romance is stuffed full of entertaining supernatural creatures: a nightclub-owning vampire, a high-school siren, a gold-digging leprechaun. Though this particular mystery is neatly wrapped up, enough loose ends promise more adventures to come.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2018
Amber's already lowly position in Chicago's magical community is challenged when she begins to doubt her matchmaking powers. This identity crisis affects both high-school and city politics as Amber helps her classmate, the mayor's son Charlie, find his missing stepmother-to-be (while fighting off her own feelings for him). Despite plot inconsistencies, Cestari's debut fantasy is appealing, limning as many real-world issues as magical ones.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)