This is a cute, clean read for younger readers.

Are you a young girl? Do you like magic? Animals? Friendships? Then, this is going to be your next favorite novel!

Maia and her friends discover magical talents, make friends with talking animals, and go around saving the world. As an older reader, it was all rather shallow, involving sudden, wonderous magical abilities and quick, miraculous solutions. The characters also felt young for Year Six. Admittedly, as an American, I have no idea how old that is. I get the feeling it’s older than second or third grade, though, which was how old Maia and her friends behaved.
Younger girls will love every minute of it. The adventures, the magical animals, the friendships, the suspense. The pictures, characters, and content are prefect for young readers, as well.
In addition to the magic, there’s an interesting friendship twist as well. Ionie is a mean girl that Maia discovers is really just lonely. Maia is far from heroic in her behavior towards Ionie. Constantly looks for excuses why she can’t include her, and not behaving any differently towards her even after hearing that she desperately needs a friend.

Spoiler

Towards the end of the novel, Ionie saves Maia and her friends’ lives, and takes a step towards them. However, I was disappointed by Maia and her friends’ response, which was basically to continue ignoring her as before, despite the similarities between them, and despite the eternal gratitude they should have towards her. (I mean, she did save their lives).

I would’ve loved to see them become her friend.
I can only hope the next 12 books in the series make up for this.

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Content: clean
Scary scenes involving

Spoiler

a Shade in a mirror that overtakes Maia’s sister’s mind, and later gets out of his mirror and tries to harm Maia. He’s defeated.

Because of this mirror, Clio’s sister obsesses over her looks,

Spoiler

for quite a few scenes until the mirror is destroyed, and then she’s magically better

.
Maia and her friends consistently ignore the mean girl, who they discover is just lonely.
Clio once mentions a famous YouTuber couple who broke up.
The story involves magic, talking animals and shades. Maia is told she can see the future.