The Magic Library of Waterfall Way by Julie Abe

“Words - words were precious. More precious than anything I’d found in the empire. My family was no longer at my side, but the books we’d read together stayed in my memory. I’d retell the stories to myself during long days of chores at guilds that didn’t want me or on car rides with Aquaria, when my stomach was sloshing from nervousness. Stories - just like my family - never told me that I was Unremarkable. The words simply invited me in, beckoning as soft as a cloud like pillow, a place for me to rest.” - Lyra, The Magic Library of Waterfall Way

The Magic Library of Waterfall Way by Julie Abe is a cozy middle-grade fantasy novel. Lyra Hunt is an orphan who was born Unremarkable or, in other words, ordinary. This curse is not what you want to be in a land where everyone belongs to a Guild and is some level of Remarkable. If an Unremarkable does not join a Guild by the age of twelve they are given to the Mists. One last attempt is made to find a Guild for Lyra to join and when that fails, she is forced to return to the Capital. On the way back, she accidentally stumbles across Waterfall Way which is home to the Guild of Scholars. Their Guild Master agrees to give her a chance but she must carefully choose a quest she believes she can complete because she only gets one and the quests are binding. If she can’t complete it, she is stuck with it forever and won’t be able to try and join any other guilds. On top of this, their Guild doesn’t often get quests sent their way. When a quest appears the very next morning that promises to return magic to the Guild of Scholars, Lyra with the help of some friends, embarks an adventure that shows her a different definition of family.

Lyra Hunt, the protagonist, is a very relatable character for this age group. Tweens will identify with Lyra’s angst over fitting in somewhere. They will also see that she is adaptable and chooses to be positive despite her tragic start in life and her subsequent struggles. And anyone who loves books and libraries will also relate to Lyra’s passion for reading.

This book reads on the younger side and the tone is light. I definitely got Disney vibes with all the personification of objects present throughout the story. The book cover is wonderful - colorful and engaging. However, I did find the writing to be abrupt at times. Books similar to The Magic Library of Waterfall Way are Aqeel Ahmed’s The Forgotten Library and Unsinkable Cayenne by Jessica Vitalis.

This novel will be available August 25.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books for the advanced copy to read. All opinions here are my own.