I don’t normally read YA or children’s books so I found it quite hard to give it a star rating . However I can see why this would appeal to it’s audience . A strong child left to her own devices and responsible for running a ramshackle house and is surrounded by adults who are either ill, or completely self centred , or incompetent. She struck me as a bit of a Cinderella character . The magic in this story has yet to properly reveal itself but I am sure any young person will be entranced . ( I assume this is middle grade for ,say, 9 to 12 years )