The Magic Misfits: Carter by Neil Patrick Harris

Reviewed by Hanwen

You just discover that your uncle is a thief. He doesn’t steal food-- instead, he steals jewels, wallets, watches, and earrings. What would you do? You don’t have a home, and you also don’t go to school, so would you run away? Tell your uncle and hope he changes? Welcome to the world, at least in Carter’s view.

Carter is an orphan, and his parents disappeared when he was only a few years old. He is sent to live with his uncle, Uncle Sly. Uncle Sly, along with Carter’s parents, are magicians. The thing with Uncle Sly is that he uses his fast hands to steal valuable things. Thinking Carter might be a useful apprentice, his uncle trains and teaches him magic. Except, when Carter finds out his uncle steals, he promises to never steal, never. He ends up running away from his uncle, and finds himself in a city named Mineral Wells. He meets three other kids, all crazy in magic. In the city, a man named Bosso sets up a carnival to rob people, just like Carter’s uncle. Together, the four kids realize Bosso wants to steal the Star of Africa, the world’s largest diamond, on its worldwide tour. How will they stop him? Find out in The Magic Misfits: Carter by Neil Patrick Harris.

One reason I like this book is because it is full of magic. The author includes superstitions and magic breaks, teaching you magic tricks and how to do them. Even in the actual story, it is jam packed with magic and magicians. Leila, Ridley, and Theo (the three other kids Carter teams up with) all do magic, just in slightly different ways. They can break out of straitjackets, make things disappear and appear, and they have many other skills.

Another strong point of this book is that there is a lot of action, especially at the end. However, at the beginning, Carter, the main character, is in some action: “He twisted his body until the rolling turned into a somersault. As he pitched himself forward, head over heels, Carter yanked his bag away from the man’s grip, planted his feet on the shifting gravel, then leapt toward the train’s last car.” Action-packed right? And that’s only the third page. Just think about how descriptive the action will be when the protagonists try to beat the antagonists!

I would definitely rate this book a 10/10. It’s a great book, and I can’t really say anything bad about it. The transitions are really smooth and the story keeps you in the dark when the author wants. If you like adventure and magic, why are you still looking at your device? Go to the library and get this book!

Little, Brown and Company, 253 pages