Brittle Magic by Kate O'Shaughnessy

Brittle Magic by Kate O’Shaughnessy is an engaging middle-grade magical realism novel. At the heart of the story is Shiloh whose older brother passed away after he was pushed down a set of stairs before she and her twin brother were born. Her family refuses to talk about him and what happened and as a result, Shiloh’s mother has become overprotective and her father, while very caring for his family, is fairly disengaged from life.

Complicating this scenario is everyone in her family has talent aka magic except Shiloh who has spent years trying to figure out what hers is. In her quest to do this, she suspects her ability to figure it out is linked to her deceased brother and whatever happened to him. As she pursues both, she pushes and renegotiates not only her boundaries but those of her family’s as well.

Shiloh is a persistent and determined character. As she tries to figure out exactly the story behind her deceased brother’s life and death, she realizes her parents, by keeping the information and their feelings locked up, are still struggling and she ultimately wants to help them deal with the grief and heal as much as she wants the answers for herself.

Shiloh’s character growth is easy to see. There is a maturing process that takes place and it mostly shows up in her relationships with her twin brother, older sister, and the new girl in town. However, she didn’t feel very genuine to me. As I read I kept having to remind myself that this was twelve year old girl, not a teenager. It was her dialogue when interacting with her parents; it didn’t always feel authentic for a twelve-year-old. A good example of this is towards the end when she and her mother have the clearing-of-the air conversation just as the family reunion is starting. It felt very much like Shiloh was the adult and her mom was the angsty teenager.

I really appreciate the way O’Shaughnessy weaves magic into the story as an everyday occurrence. The people in town who don’t know what is special about Shiloh’s family simply accept the talents that make each family member unique rather than questioning them. That approach makes the magical elements feel natural within the story.

At the core, Brittle Magic is a story about grief, family, secrets, and healing. Readers who have experienced the loss of someone they love—or who are working through complex family emotions—may find a lot to connect with here. Despite my criticism of Shiloh’s voice and interactions with some of her family, I still recommend this novel for its ability to engage the reader and its thoughtful exploration of grief, healing, and family.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's Books for providing me with an advanced reader's copy. All opinions are my own.