Sequel to Lissa Evans' Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms, Horten's Incredible Illusions takes all of the best parts of the first book and adds a bit more magic to produce a story that Z and I really enjoyed. In the first book, Stuart Horten (with the "help" of April, one of the nosy triplets next door) followed clues to find the secret workshop of his Great Uncle Tony, an illusionist/magician who disappeared years before. Now, after discovering a treasure trove of complex illusions, Stuart and April want to find out how each one works and to reveal the secrets held within.
Z and I were a bit thrown at the end of the first book when the "magic" seemed to come out of nowhere. But since we were prepared for it this time, it was exciting and fun. The different illusions were unique and Z had a blast solving the puzzles. The growing friendship between April and Stuart was also fantastic. I thought it was a great example for Z as he starts developing closer friendships ... yes, even with girls. Overall, I think this is a great pair of books for kids from about 8-12 who enjoy adventure and magic.
Seeing through the illusions,
K and Z
I picked this up right away when it came out but haven't gotten around to reading it. I'm glad to hear that it is as good as or better than the first. Was just thinking about Stuart's dad the other day when a fried and I were discussing crossword puzzles.
ReplyDeleteOh, Stuart's dad is great in this one! You're going to enjoy it. :)
DeleteThis sounds like a series I need to start - I like clever middle grade.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if this will even be more than two books. It seemed pretty wrapped up at the end. So it would be easy to just breeze through these two!
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