Book Review #016 : Of Magic And Memory by Cristy Zinn

"She was the brightest thing I'd ever seen - it was like the sea lived in her eyes, like the sun lit her hair on fire. And she had this strength, in the way she stood, as if life had tried to knock her down and she'd stood firm. She was not tame or soft, she was fierce and wild, and I fell in love with her the very first moment I saw her." - Cristy Zinn

Oh my goodness, this is such a beautiful story!

OMAM is a story about Ava, a girl on the verge of womanhood, who suddenly has to deal with her mother dying unexpectedly. Not only does she come to the realisation that she has magic of her own, but she also discovers that her mother, Ginger, lived an entirely hidden, second life.

As Ava tries to understand her magic, these two worlds merge and overflow; she meets two beautiful and magical creatures, Russet and his sister Ebony, and tries to protect them like her mother did.

On her journey of self discovery, Ava falls in love for the first time, discovers secrets within secrets, faces dangers and strangers, yet she remains true to herself in every way.

Cristy has created such a beautiful world for this story; it is vivid and vibrant and draws you right in. The places seem familiar and intimate, reminding us of somewhere we've actually been and makes us want to go back again, like you can catch a bus and go for a visit.

Magic has been given a bit of a fresh spin in this story; it is a more subtler form, aimed at helping rather than hurting.

The characters are truly beautiful and well written. Ava is a remarkable young lady, innocent yet tough; naive but with her own sense of self; determined and valiant! Admittedly, I don't know any 14 year old girls (I'm three times that age, lol) to compare her to, but I feel she handles herself in a really smart way and that she possesses an understanding of what her boundaries are but she reasons things out logically and almost always makes the right choice! I just love her to bits!!

Ebony made the biggest impression on me, though, because she intrigues me no end - my first thought after finishing the book was, "Ebony needs her own story!"

Ava's Aunties are eccentric - we all have one of those, don't we? - pretending to be indifferent and aloof. Her father is quite understanding, in the sense the he realizes that Ava is at an age where the need to make her own decisions and come to her own conclusions are important to her. I wish we learned a little more about Ginger, Ava's mother, but there is enough back story to cover the necessities.

The villain in the story is more of an anti-hero in the end, understandable and relatable, always misunderstood yet not willing to understand things himself, to open himself to new concepts and ideas... this character shows us, truly, how our innate beliefs cause our lives to become choked and stagnant, disparaging others for not feeling the same way, feeling ostrisized and unwelcome all the time.

This story certainly plays well to its intended audience, middle grade / young adult, but it makes for a really good read for anyone; it includes a little romance, a little violence and a lot of fantasy - I recommend this book to parents of teenage daughters, parents, friends and their friends, too! I loved it and I think you will, too, Definitely worth a read - go get it now!

To see my full review, including an interview with the author, visit my blog : mrpinkink.wordpress.com