Snowglobe
by Amy Wilson
From Goodreads:
When daydreamer Clementine discovers a mysterious house standing in the middle of town that was never there before, she is pulled towards it by the powerful sense of a mother she never knew. The place is full of snowglobes, swirling with stars and snow and each containing a trapped magician, watched over by Gan, the bitter keeper of the house. One of these is Dylan, a boy who teases her in the real world but who is now desperate for her help.
So Clem ventures into the snowglobes, rescuing Dylan and discovering her own powerful connection to the magic of these thousand worlds. Vowing to release the magicians from the control of their enchantments, Clem unknowingly unleashes a struggle for power that will not only put her family, but the future of magic itself in danger.
My review:
This book is deliciously magical!
Plot…
12-year-old Clementine lives with her dad and leads a fairly normal life, except her mom left when she was very young and Clem still wonders why. She questions where her mother is, and if she’ll ever return. Clem has a special magic to her which makes her different. She doesn’t have many friends and deals with bullying at school. One day while in class her magic is accidentally misused and she’s suspended from school. Her father seems to be quite understanding about it and gives her a special book that belonged to her mother. The book introduces her to a whole new world of magic which until now has been completely hidden from her. She discovers a house full of snow globes with a different world in each one. When a fellow schoolmate gets trapped inside one of them, Clem has to find a way to save him.
Characters…
Main characters include Clem, Dylan (classmate), Clem’s dad, and her two aunts (Ganymede and Io) which are her mother’s sisters.
Clem is courageous and kind. She wants to do what’s right, but more than anything, she wants to find out what happened to her mom. She’s learning more and more about her own magical powers as time goes on.
We don’t learn a whole lot about her dad, but Clem’s relationship with him is pretty close. He looks out for her, but also allows her the freedom to learn about her mother’s past and to discover her own magic. Clem’s dad loved her mother very much and also wonders why she disappeared.
Dylan is a fellow classmate at school who’s now trapped in one of the snow globe worlds. It took me some time to like his character because he doesn’t stand on his own two feet when it comes to his bullying friend (Jago). As you read more about Dylan, you learn about his past and his behavior is better understood.
Ganymede and Io are Clem’s aunts and both have magical powers with Ganymede having control over all of the snow globe worlds. For some time it’s hard to guess whether they’re good or bad. They don’t seem to have a clue what happened to Clem’s mother/their sister (Callisto). Clem learns more about her aunts throughout the book.
My thoughts:
This is my first book by Amy Wilson. I saw the cover, read the blurb, bought the book, and let me tell you, I absolutely fell in love with this book from the very first pages. It’s so full of magic with such a unique premise! I can say that I’ve never read a story like this before. I’ve always loved snow globes and the thought of jumping into them and entering different worlds is fascinating to me. This is a book I wish I had when I was a kid.
I thought the story was written well, even with a few parts being fairly predictable. It’s action packed at times and I couldn’t wait to see how the book would end. Main themes include loss, family, love, sacrifice, bullying, and friendship.
This beautifully heartwarming story is a perfect middle-grade read for winter. I’d say it’s best for 4th grade and up. If you’re a fan of fantasy and adventure, give this one a try.
4.5*****
Find this book on Goodreads and Amazon:
- Paperback: 271 Pages
- Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books (October 18, 2018)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1509885803
- ISBN-13: 978-1509885800
Great review, Mischenko! I’m a huge fan of fantasy and adventure. Sounds like the perfect winter book for middle schoolers and families to read by the fireplace, sipping hot chocolate!!! (And as a kid–okay, still as an adult ;), I was/am enthralled by snow globes!!!)
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Thanks, Julia! It’s truly a book for all ages. Psst! I didn’t read this one with my kids! Heehee ❤💚❤
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This sounds like a lot of fun, and I love the cover! Great review!
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It really is. Thank you! 💙❄💙
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Wonderful review! Snow globes are amazing and all so different in their own way. Like they each tell their own story. Sounds like a great book for all. 🔮
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Thank you! Yes, they surely are. This is definitely a book for all! ❤💚❤
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This sounds like a great winter story for those middle graders out there or a family read. I saw above you didn’t read this one with your kids. tsk tsk. 😃😃
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Lol 🤣 Yeah, they have their own stuff they’re reading and I just couldn’t wait for this book. It’s a great read! 😘❤🎄
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I love her cover, in fact all her covers are so pretty! I will have to look for this one, it’s my fav genre… middle grade fantasy!!❤️
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I fell in love with it too! I know it was on NetGalley at one point, but I missed it. I’m so glad we bought it though. Definitely interested in your thoughts! Thanks! ❤🎅💚
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That was the first thing I did was look to see if it was a NetGalley book.. maybe I will add it to my Christmas wish list!
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The cover!!! I need to read some more Christmas books. Great review! 🙂
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Isn’t it pretty? It instantly grabbed me! Thank you ❤🎄❤
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This looks and sounds so beautiful! Fab review!!
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Thanks, Mackey! ❤💚❤
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A great review. This sounds like a terrific book.
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Thanks, Jennie. This is a wonderful book indeed. ❤💚❤
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You are welcome!
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Ooo! One of my favorite Christmas films is similar to this story! It’s called Snowglobe, it premiered on ABC Family & stars Christina Milian. 🙂 You & your kiddos would love it! & I think I would love this book!! ♡
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Really? How weird! I’m going to have to check that out, Hunida! I do think you’d like the book then. Thanks! ❤💚❤
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And from 2007! How did I miss this? We’ll have to watch it this weekend. ❤
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I hope you enjoy it!! 😀
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Aww. Sounds and looks beautiful. Lovely review.
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It really is, Nina. Thanks! ❤
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I’m reading this book just now and enjoying it so much. It’s so imaginative with strong characters.
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I thought it was great too! Hope you end up loving it. 😉 Thanks for your thoughts. ❤
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