My rating: 4 of 5 stars
About five years ago (ugh, don't look at how long books have been on my TBR) a patron at my library who didn't really like to read, recommended this book to me. I added it to my TBR and even bought it on Audible. I just never read it.
I think that books kids love, especially boys who don't like to read, deserve a closer look sometimes. Why, after recommending a hundred books over a few weeks time he picked up this random book I'd never heard of before and devoured it ... enjoying it so much that he waited for me outside my office to tell me how excellent it was. This is the kind of book I have to read.
So I put it on my list and it just never made it to the top. Until a few days ago when I finished an audio book and decided to sort thru my list, see what had been in my audible account the longest and listen to that. So that's the long story of how I ended up reading The Novice.
The book itself was a fun read. It is perfect for slightly older readers of Harry Potter who love the friends together can conquer this somewhat magical school thing.
We open with Fletcher, an orphan who is an outcast in their village. Someone who is kind and thoughtful, but only a select few adults see it and kids his age are pretty much jerks. He is the outsider who is gifted something magical ... and then something terrible happens ... and then he runs away. And in the first few sentences of this book, you are hooked and turn up the reading speed because you're excited and want to find out more ... faster.
The quality of the book's writing is average and the storyline is predictable. The world-building is only fair and the character development is merely average. The plot carries the story quite nicely and makes for an exciting read. But for all intents and purposes, this is a three star book. It good, but still average in most ways.
But I couldn't give it only three stars because I still remember that excited patron waiting to tell me how excellent the book was. So I think if you have a real-life teen, they will love this. Especially if they loved Harry Potter or an of the stories out there that are based at magical schools.
I've had some requests for details I used to blog about, so I'll start including those at the end of the reviews
Age Appropriateness: Middle School + (no sex, language, or gore)
Format Read: Audio book from Audible
Reason Read: Recommended to me
Who would like it: readers of Harry Potter, fantasy readers, boys and girls who like exciting stories
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