One Jar of Magic by Corey Ann Haydu – Book Review
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Title: One Jar of Magic Author: Corey Ann Haydu Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books Release Date: February 9, 2021  |
Rose Alice Anders is meant for great things. Ever since she was born, her father, has believed that she will be just as great, just as talented, and just as special as he is. Rose’s father is Wendell Anders, the greatest magic catcher of Belling Bright, and he thinks that Rose, or Little Luck, will carry on his legacy. However, when it is time for Rose to join the other 12 year-olds to catch magic on New Year’s Day, her performance shatters her confidence and splinters her family. She only manages, with the help of her brother, to get one jar of magic. When the spell around Rose is broken, she begins to see her world in a different way. Where magic was once of ultimate importance, Rose starts to realize the magic of other, ordinary things. This new perspective just may help Rose see that she has been special all along.
One Jar of Magic provides an intimate look at a family struggling with an abusive father. While Rose shuts out the dark moments and dark chapters of her life, the insidious nature of the abuse still permeates the narrative. In the beginning, author Corey Ann Haydu delicately draws out these moments. By the end, Rose’s father’s true nature is exposed as she copes with the years of trauma she has endured. While the magical world Haydu builds seems important and fun, it really serves as a backdrop for Rose’s story. At times, the world-building blurs too closely with reality. It also too easily crumbles by the novel’s conclusion. Still, the magical world does not detract from other elements that are the books strengths, including its characters, sibling relationship, and Rose’s transformation. Above it all, One Jar of Magic opens up avenues to important conversations about child abuse and the trauma it inflicts. Although not an easy read, it is a worthwhile one for the fact it brings these issues to the forefront. All characters assume the White Default.
Thank you to Edelweiss+ and publisher, Katherine Tegen Books, for an eARC of this book.
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