Marvelouz sees her sister's beautiful garden and before her sister can offer guidance about growing a garden Marvelouz rushes off to buy seeds and grow her own garden. How hard can it be? When nothing happens overnight she uses her magic. Chaos ensues. Book Two continues the Mishaps of Marvelouz Witch as her story grows with every book. This series is set in the 1800s in a simpler life. But is it?
Marvelouz sees her sister's beautiful garden and before her sister can offer guidance about growing a garden Marvelouz rushes off to buy seeds and grow her own garden. How hard can it be? When nothing happens overnight she uses her magic. Chaos ensues. Book Two continues the Mishaps of Marvelouz Witch as her story grows with every book. This series is set in the 1800s in a simpler life. But is it?
The day was sunny and just beginning to warm in Ricochet Forest and Pounce was certainly in high kitten spirits. It was a beautiful day. The breeze that waffled through the window of Marvelouz’s cabin was a mixture of sweet herbs from her window boxes and the pungent scent of moss and damp earth from the forest floor. The fresh breeze had the small black kitten busy pouncing on dust bunnies that scurried under the table like mice and were causing him to hop sideways across the kitchen floor with his tail completely fuzzy in his best impression of a Halloween fiddler crab. Pounce was not an ordinary cat. In the world of magic, he was called a Pairing. A pairing is a strong connection between a magical creature and a witch. He had immediately paired with Marvelouz when she had tumbled from her broom onto the sidewalk in front of Hagandoffers Pet and Pairing Shoppe just a few short weeks ago. Strong pairings were as important as choosing the correct wand. They could make a very powerful witch or they could prevent their witch from ever reaching their full potential. Pounce was happy and content with his new home and his very own witch. Over the past few weeks, he had grown to love her very much and hoped that right now she was noticing him as he gallantly rid their little cabin of all the rogue dust bunnies in the kitchen. He dove back under the table for another bunny and then decided to peek out at Marvelouz to see her satisfaction and await her praise.
I didn't read book one in The Mishaps of Marvelouz Witch series, but book two takes us on a wild journey as the young witch attempts to grow a beautiful garden like her older witch sister, Sparkleful.
As the story begins, we catch up with Marvelouz, who was gifted a private dwelling for her thirteenth birthday. The customary "coming-out" gift allows a young witch to practice magic safely and privately. This present was perfect for Marvelouz since her spells tended to backfire. Her lack of magical control came into play as the story progressed.
Marvelouz idolized her older sister, Sparkleful. Marvelouz wanted to do everything Sparkleful did for no other reason than to prove she could. When Marvelouz flew to her sister's garden, her eyes became saucers. Before the witch stood the grandest garden she'd ever seen, and Marvelouz knew she had to create one herself.
Marvelouz made several mistakes during the adventure. She should've taken her time and had patience with the process. She should've asked for assistance. Marvelouz wasn't technically alone in the gardening fiasco. The witch had Pounce by her side. Ponce was a black cat and Marvelouz's "pairing." People who read paranormal/supernatural stories might recognize the word "familiar." "Pairing" and "familiar" are (basically) the same thing.
Pounce was a magical cat. He communicates with humans using puff messages. When Pounce has something to say, he sends the thought up in little clouds of smoke, and the picture forms to show it. The artistry of his thoughts was spectacular. Every illustration was well-crafted.
Marvelouz and Pounce gardening skills need tweaking. While they managed to grow crops and flowers, her garden didn't resemble the ones we'd see in our yards. Her garden became animated and not in a sweet, fairy tale way. Her plants were angry. They had eyes and fangs. Marvelouz's spell backfired in epic proportions. She needed help and relied on a talking crow to forward her SOS to Sparkelful.
Mishaps of Marvelouz Witch: Marvelouz Grows a Garden had humor, suspense, and action. Karen Fronterhouse created unique characters and a storyline that will fascinate elementary students.
While the story had many great attributes, one being Julez the fanged blue mushroom, it also contained numerous editing mistakes. Despite the hiccups, I recommend the story to young readers who enjoy magic-infused reads.