The Root of Magic is one of those books that the adult me has issues with (the mom “forgets” about her oldest child due to the illness of the younger one; her relationship with her ex-husband is stereotypical and the daughter takes on a “mother role” due to the fact it is all about her brother). The kid in me however thinks this is an awesome book.
I started out with the negatives because, while I totally understand where Kathleen Benner Dubb is coming from (when a child is sick you tend to focus on them, perhaps unintentionally shutting out the rest of the world) the cliché was too much for me. I would have liked to have seen a mix of the mother balancing the worry and the hope she will later get.
The story is solid: Willow, a twelve-year-old girl, is on her way home from a hockey meet. Her brother ill and her mother stressed from driving in a horrific storm, angry at her husband for not being there and worrying about her son when they get into an accident. But a miracle occurs, and someone is right there as it happens and able to save them. They go to the town of Kismet, where there are strange occurrences. Ones that Willow will get to the bottom of no matter what. But what she finds is beyond anything she could imagine and will be faced with a choice that perhaps no one should have to make.
Spoiler: the adult will figure out the secret early and what Willow’s choice will be. The text is someone flowery, but not unreadable. Sometimes Willow’s observations are a bit mature for her age but setting aside a little disbelief is needed for the story as a hole.
This book is out in June which I find funny as this book is totally set in an extreme New England winter storm. I am not sure how this would tie in with the theme of “free will vs. fate” (perhaps spring would have been more realistic, but the fact a tree grows and bears fruit in the winter helps prove a point. And a storm is needed to help move a couple plot points along). While there is nothing OMG FANTASTIC about this book for me, it was a nice cozy read, that I will have no problem recommending to people.