Magic Can Be Murder ReviewtWhen thinking of magic and witches the stereotypical mean, warted, big nosed, long haired, ugly, heartless witch comes to mind. This witch usually has a broom, spell book, and a big spell pot. However, in the book Magic Can Be Murder, by Vivian Vande Velde, I liked how the two witches are nothing like that. Nola, the teen witch, and her mother are both witches. They aren't the most beautiful people on earth, but they are nothing like the stereotypical gross and mean witches. As a young girl Nola’s mother always moved the two of them from town to town. Being as young as Nola was she thought it was normal. Her mother also taught her to never use her powers and spells out in public because she said it was rude, and again Nola thought this was normal. As Nola grows older she starts to understand the truth of the matter; if anyone finds out about her and her mother’s secret they will be put in jail. tOne of Nola’s favorite spells is the bucket spell which I think is really interesting. She collects peoples hair and places a single strand into a bucket of water and can see exactly what the other person is witnessing or doing. Nola likes to do this because she likes to know how normal people live without using spells all the time. While traveling from house to house, Nola and her mother find work at master Inis’s house. He lets them in for the night and they become his maids along with his other maid, a young beautiful girl, Brinna. While staying at the house Nola does the bucket spell. However, before she can tip the bucket to stop the spell she hears screaming. Her mother has broken some of master Inis’s precious possessions, and with that they are kicked out of the house. I felt this part was a little rushed but it was still interesting. tThey continue to travel and find work at another home. Nola remembers about the bucket and not tipping it over. The spell is still going on and if anyone finds it they will come looking for her and her mother. Nola makes a courageous decision to go back to the house. She has to figure out how to get into the basement without any suspicions and before anyone else finds the bucket. Before she leaves to go back to the house she takes one of Kirwyn’s, master Inis’s son, hairs and places it in a bucket. When she is spying on him she witnesses a murder. This is when everything goes chaotic and I like how the author intertwined this huge problem into the story. Nola knows the truth, but the people at the Inis household do not. She must help the detectives solve the mystery, tip the bucket, and save her and her mother’s secret from the world. I didn't agree with how Nola went about this problem to save her secret. I thought she could have chosen a better alternative. However there are plot twists at every flip of a page. This book’s detail, plot, characters, and ending will keep you on the edge of your seat!
My first love, as a kid, were fantasy novels set in other worlds or in a world suspiciously like medieval Europe. As I grew older, I moved and broadened my horizons, but I still have a weak spot for medieval based literature. This book sounded like something I’d like.MAGIC CAN BE MURDER is a fast, cute read that fits the bill. I will be the first to admit, I read this while at home sick, so parts were probably lost on me. That being said, the book was well written and the murder portion was also well done. I enjoy the process of the medieval detective coming in and working with just their wits and questions because the didn’t have modern science to back them up. Nola was a likable character, and you couldn’t help feeling sorry for her a bit. A great deal of the book happens because she does things she thinks will help. She’s so paranoid about witch hunters, because her mother can’t quite keep it together, that she brings some of it on herself. Yet you can’t blame her for it.The love story is well done, though I wish there had been a little more reaction at the end when he discovers her identity. It was a bit too easy for my taste, but it was still good, and still matched his character. The death at the end, which I will refrain from naming so I don’t spoil it, was a little far fetched. The mechanics of it sort of worked and yet still make me scratch my head.All in all, if you enjoy medieval type fantasy and whodunits, you’ll enjoy this one.
What do You think about Magic Can Be Murder (2002)?
I liked the characters, particularly that of Nola. The story showed the fear and prejudice against witches. It pointed out a bit that often, eccentric behavior would be accused of witchcraft, of course Nola and her mother are "witches".I did not like that part of the plot where Nola so poorly treated Brinna. Brinna was nothing but kind and helpful. It bothered me that she was taken advantage of by Nola, I would have liked to have Nola tell the ivestigators that she needed "Mary" (Brinna in a mag
—Lisa the Librarian
2.5 stars, because despite not being the best YA book, I read it super fast and it was the perfect length for my flight from Detroit to Philly over the weekend. And it kept me entertained and sane during a hellish flight filled with unhappy children. It gets the extra half star just for that.I liked most of the characters, and though there were no unexpected "twists", the plot was interesting and kept me engaged. I liked that because the heroine had no idea what she was doing half the time, the reader was surprised as things unfolded. Good quick read. Entertaining, and a lifesaver on that fucking flight.
—Rachel
Clever mystery, with humor, in an interesting medieval time period, where people really can do magic. Nola and her mother move from town to town trying to stay ahead of the authorities who want to burn them or ban them when they learn that Nola can "bespell" water via witchcraft. It's really just a simple spell, toss a hair into water and she sees what that person is doing at the moment. But when she witnesses a murder and tries to extricate herself from being involved, things just get worse. Okay, so Nola can also make herself appear to look just like anyone else. Cool spell, but using it complicates matters when the constable sees her as another servant who is a witness! It's very clever and funny, and I liked it. Short and sweet.
—Christina
