The cover is good, bright, breezy, full of action with all the main characters enjoying themselves. It has all the right ingredients for the 7 to 12 age group target readers. The school bully is thwarted, the messages are theft is bad, bullying is bad, honesty good, family life is good. Most children seem to like magic powers and tricks, and Max, the hero, gains great powers accidentally, and the use of these powers (including being able to have conversations with their pet dog) is the theme of the book. The reservations that I have about this book are that it is London-centric. You have to accept the rhyming slang and the use of slang words, like "dunno" etc. The first third of the book seems to be written by someone different to the rest of it. I'm not sure about the inclusion of the worms, gangsters, and knives and extortion. Although a youngster having magic powers is imaginative, and acceptable, I'm not sure that any 12 year old could see himself running a stall on a market and handling the money.
As I said at the start, the book has the right ingredients but I am unsure whether the final cake is quite what it should be, or could be.
As I said at the start, the book has the right ingredients but I am unsure whether the final cake is quite what it should be, or could be.