Amari and the Great Game by B.B. Alston
Middle Grade Magical Realism
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Amari and the Great Game (Supernatural Investigations #2) by B.B. Alston
5 STARS, Middle Grade Fantasy/Magical Realism, My format: hard cover
Goodreads Synopsis | Buy on BookShop | Buy ebook on Kobo
Reviews in Amari series: #1 Amari and the Night Brothers
Amari is back at the Bureau as a Junior Agent. But things turn more difficult than she expected when the new Prime Minister enforces and anti-magician agenda.
Personal Review:
The first two-thirds or so of this book were pretty good. The last 150 pages were absolutely fantastic.
Amari is back and her friends are back with her! The Bureau and "secret school" set-up is really fun and makes for a great setting. I like that the school is not really a secret anymore so that Amari doesn't have to lie to her mom or her friend Jayden.
The friends in the books were top notch. Seeing Amari interact with Elsie (her bestie from the first book), Jayden (her friend from her neighborhood), and Lara (bully turned friend) was so well done. The moments when they were all together were my favorite. I laughed for several minutes about an incident about a shade (a little animal in the supernatural world) and I am so happy that element was in the book. Seeing healthy peer relationships in middle grade books is rare and Amari's friends are the best.
I love Amari's growth, too. She has gained confidence and is trying to see the best in everyone around her. But she is also cautious when signs of foul play show themselves. Her character is really well done and I think she is a great example for middle grade readers.
The adults are also great. The "good guys" have a really good balance of letting Amari make her own decisions while trying to offer her some wise counsel as she goes through her many adventures.
If parents are looking for an alternative to Harry Potter for their younger readers, so far I can highly recommend this series as a replacement.
I'm excited for the third book!
Content Warnings:
there are some evil beings in the supernatural world, such as wraiths; magical fights between good and evil magicians; some trickery and kids doing things without adult permission