Reviews

All the Colors of Magic by Valija Zinck

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braverontheoutside's review against another edition

5.0

Such a lovely book, I listened to the English translation. Story of a girl who’s father was a wizard and she has just found out she is magic.

The world is cute and the writing is beautiful

kmoz's review

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

profmgbj's review

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adventurous lighthearted

3.75

moonblossom123's review against another edition

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3.0

This was a bit of a frustrating read for me. Fell in love with the cover, was intrigued by the synopsis... yet slightly unpleasantly surprised about the actual content. I ended up also enjoying this book, (there's a lot of quirky magic, the protagonist is very likeable) but it's just not put together well enough to be one of those children's books one can not outgrow. Adult characters were often not very believable, the pacing of the overall story wasn't quite right. But there were still enough elements to barely earn a third star for me. Might recommend it to 9 year-old girls, not so much to adults.

readersaurusrobin's review

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4.0

What did you like about the book? All the Colors of Magic is a delightful fantasy about a girl who discovers she is more than she thinks she is. Living with her mother, grandmother, and mysterious cat in a house that resembles (to her) a dragon, ten year old Penelope learns that she is capable of amazing feats – and – that the father who her mother once loved so ardently may not actually be dead. As she comes into her power she sets off to discover the truth and right a wrong. A fine adventure for the under-12s

The title doesn’t fit the story – The only color that figures importantly in the plot is Penelope’s hair. Also, it takes approximately 100 pages for the adventure to truly begin. It feels like a lot of groundwork for a relatively quick payoff. There is also a brief section of the story, in which Penelope meets Gina & family, that takes away from the action more than it adds.

This is a fun read for kids who also enjoy Funke’s The Thief Lord (though this is a younger read) or the Araminta Spook series by Angie Sage. Readers who enjoy this might also like The Secret of Sooty Wick Inn by Lindgren.