Title: Chase Tinker and the House of MagicSeries: Chase Tinker #1
Pages: 248 Pages, Kindle
Publication: Crossroad Press, August 13th 2012
Genre: Middle-Grade, Fantasy
Source: Thanks to the author for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review!
Rating: 4/5 Cupcakes!
In Chase Tinker's world, magic, lies and secrets can be a lethal combination...
Thirteen-year-old Chase Tinker can't understand why he has the power to move things with his mind. Besides that, his dad has been missing for over a year, causing his mom to be too upset to pay much attention to her sons, so now he's been busted for shoplifting. As if this isn't enough to worry about, his younger brother Andy suddenly has a weird magical ability too. Can things get any crazier? Chase thinks.
Then, a grandfather they thought to be long dead arrives at their door. He wants Chase and Andy to come visit him so they can learn about their supernatural heritage, and why they have magical powers in the first place.
The boys soon find out that Grandfather, along with their cousin Janie, lives on a remote island in the middle of Puget Sound in an out-of-this-world house where fantastic magic can be found in practically every room, stairway and corridor. Chase can't believe their dad has been keeping so much from them.
It's an even bigger shock when Chase learns that all their magic is controlled by a powerful and mysterious Relic in the attic, and if anything happens to this Relic, every bit of Tinker magic will be lost forever. He's even more disturbed when he learns his family has a dark and powerful enemy that is determined to steal all their magic, their house and their Relic.
Now Chase must find a way to stop these evil beings, while at the same time figuring out what has happened to his dad, unraveling even more Tinker lies and secrets and not letting on that he has a huge crush on the housekeeper's daughter.
I've had this book on my review pile for a very long time and I kept meaning to get around to it, but somehow something kept popping up (sorry, Malia)! The other day I decided it was about time I finally read it and I must say, I really enjoyed it! I was also reading it on a stormy day, so it really set the atmosphere.
Chase Tinker and the House of Magic is about thirteen year old Chase who soon discovers that he has supernatural powers and he belongs to one of the most magical families in the world. Chase has been a trouble-maker since the disappearance of his dad a year or so ago. When his brother starts demonstrating powers as well, Chase and Andy, his little brother, are immediately over-whelmed. When their supposedly dead grandfather arrives at their house one day, informing them of the heritage, Chase and Andy can't believe how much has been kept from them! Sent for the summer to go live by their grandfather in his magical house, Chase and Andy learn more about their family history and how to control their powers. They also discover that there is a terrible enemy that is out to steal their family magic and destroy them. With danger lurking around every corner, Chase, Andy, their cousin Janie and the housekeeper's daughter, Persephone, will have to work their hardest to save their family's magic!
I must say, I really enjoyed Chase Tinker and the House of Magic! It was an action-packed, fast-paced, creative read which constantly had me hooked! I absolutely LOVED the idea behind it and I would love to visit the Tinker house and explore all the hundreds of magical rooms. If Malia writes a book on just the rooms in the house, I'll be first in line to buy it! I don't generally read books that contain too much magic but luckily this wasn't too dark. It was just such a fun, fantastic read and I had a marvellous time reading it!
I really liked the characters. They were all portrayed so realistically, and the dialogue between them was also portrayed the way kids would speak to each other. I felt so sorry for Chase and Andy, I can imagine how awful they must have felt with the disappearance of their dad.
Chase, our protagonist, really grew throughout the novel. In the beginning he was this troubled kid who was a mischief maker but throughout the book he really grew into his own. At first I thought he was quite grouchy and I couldn't really connect with him but I really grew to like him. He is fiercely loyal, brave and protective. He makes some bad decisions, but he deals with the consequences in a mature manner and I really loved him by the end of the book!
Chase, our protagonist, really grew throughout the novel. In the beginning he was this troubled kid who was a mischief maker but throughout the book he really grew into his own. At first I thought he was quite grouchy and I couldn't really connect with him but I really grew to like him. He is fiercely loyal, brave and protective. He makes some bad decisions, but he deals with the consequences in a mature manner and I really loved him by the end of the book!
I really liked the secondary characters, as well. Andy was so cute and I loved his and Chase's relationship. They bickered frequently but there were times where they were in serious danger and you could see that they would die to protect the other.
I loved Janie! She's Chase and Andy's cousin and she's so spunky and clever and I felt bad that they called her a know-it-all, because she's was just trying to help. I also love how she put people in their place and stood up for what she believes in. Oh, and I adore Maxwell, too! Maxwell being her pet ferret!
I liked Persephone as well and sometimes it seemed almost as if she was a big sister to Janie. I would like to learn more about her as sometimes I didn't feel like I got to know enough about her, but hopefully in th next few books! I'm also hoping that there will be a developing romance between her and Chase, as it's adorable watching Chase crush on her!
I really liked their grandfather and Mrs Periwinkle, too! They really grew on me.
The plot actually held quite a few unexpected twists. This is a book for younger readers so I was expecting a predictable plot, but I didn't find it predictable in the slightest! The ending really surprised me and it saddened me as well. A seriously shocking plot twist!
The writing was great too. There was some description but not an over-whelming amount and she didn't drag out things but kept the story set as a fast-pace and had me unable to press the button on my Kindle fast enough! I did find one or two errors but that didn't deter me from enjoying the book!
I really enjoyed Chase Tinker and the House of Magic, it was filled with mystery, magic and mayhem! I wish I had read it sooner! This is a fantastic book for people of various ages craving a magical adventure. A book that I'm sure everyone will thoroughly adore! Chase Tinker and the House of Magic was well-written, creative, magical and it had me hooked the whole way through. A truly delightful read. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!
I give it: 4/5 CUPCAKES!
