February 15, 2023
A runaway teen spirit medium encounters real magic. Eva Root hadn't planned on becoming a fraudster running fake s�ances, but when Mrs. Blodgett takes her from Miss Augusta Grandage's Home for Unwanted and Destitute Girls, that's what she demands of the pink-cheeked 7-year-old. She's lived with Mrs. Blodgett for nearly half her life, bilking the unsuspecting out of their savings, before she finally swipes a wad of cash from Mrs. Blodgett's carpetbag and runs away. When she meets a boy called Henry Poole on her train journey, she's unsure how to deal with his genuine friendliness, and she decides to join him at his destination: the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. It doesn't hurt that she's been having visions that seem to lead her to Henry, and he's been drawing visions of his own, including pictures of Eva's dreams and Eva herself. The magical adventure they're consumed by in Chicago is dreamy, with lost time, lost memories, and, for most of their adventure, very little free will. The unmoored reality flows dreamily, and the prose is nearly the opposite, disconnected and staccato. The result keeps readers at a distance, as if Eva's experiences and reactions are all padded in cotton wool. Spot art adds to the historical setting. All characters appear to be White. An emotionally distant historical fantasy. (Fantasy. 10-13)
COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
February 20, 2023
After Mrs. Blodgett adopts Eva Root from Miss Augusta Grandage’s Home for Unwanted and Destitute Girls, the seven-year-old is quickly schooled in the ways of running séances, a craft to which she is well suited. Nearly seven years later, a séance in Ohio yields more than the usual when a voice in Eva’s head tells her, “Come see the Fair!” Learning that Mrs. Blodgett plans to abandon her that night, Eva preemptively steals a wad of the cash she’s helped to earn and boards a train to Chicago, en route befriending a talented artist named Henry Poole. Henry is traveling to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, summoned there by his own drawings, which have been mysteriously taking the form of Chicago Fair panoramas—and, strangely, of Eva, whom he’s never met. There, a hidden, mysterious Pavilion of Magic, and enigmatic overseer Mr. Magister, quickly lure Eva, threatening to trap her and her abilities in a web of dark magic. Interweaving Chicago’s fiery history with a sinister world’s fair setting and a memorable heroine, Savit (The Way Back) sketches a complex, high-stakes take on magic’s underpinnings and seductive powers. Characters read as white. Ages 10–up. Agent: Catherine Drayton, Inkwell Management.
March 1, 2023
Grades 5-8 Orphaned Eva speaks to the dead during her nightly shows--or that's what her caretaker would have their audiences believe. She doesn't believe real magic exists, until a performance when she hears a voice whisper that she must come see the fair. A fortunate run-in with an unusual boy, Henry, on a Chicago-bound train suggests that the fair may be the 1893 World's Fair. Eager to explore the remarkable event, Eva and Henry meet a mysterious Mr. Magister, keeper of the enchanted Pavilion of Magic. Though initially the two are taken in by the endless wonders, it becomes increasingly clear that real magic may require more than they can give, and the seemingly sweet Mr. Magister may have something sinister up his sleeve. It's a terrific premise with a strong start, and the incredible fair springs to life via gloriously evocative descriptions. The ambitious story may become tricky to follow, however, thanks to repetitive incidents of magically muddled memories. Still, those who enjoy magic mixed in with their history will be rewarded with a remarkable visit to this World's Fair.
COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
March 1, 2023
Gr 3-7- Come see the Fair! is what Eva keeps hearing the voices tell her. Unsure of what this means, her psychic powers lead her onto a train headed for Chicago where the World's Fair is taking place. She does not know the purpose for this trip, and readers don't really find out until the very end. The vivid description of the characters and setting is alluring and feels perfectly surreal, which will keep readers engaged. The more complex vocabulary makes this perfect for younger, strong readers. VERDICT This story, intended for middle school readers, combines magic mixed with adventure and mystery and throws a little bit of historical fiction into it, would also attract high school and adult readers as well.-Cassandra Bland
Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
March 1, 2023
Savit (The Way Back, rev. 9/20) skillfully blends historical fiction, fantasy, and murder mystery in his novel about Eva Root, billed by her traveling con-artist guardian as a medium. In the opening scene, Eva is interrupted mid-seance by a voice imploring her to "come see the fair." Sharp-witted Eva realizes she needs to take her chance and run away, and she randomly gets on a train to Chicago -- not knowing that it is where the magnificent Chicago World's Fair is currently being held. On the train she meets Henry, who also feels he is being "called, " through his drawings. The two visit the fair, where Eva begins to have strange experiences and where she meets the mysterious Mr. Magister, who calls himself the "Baron of American Magic." Savit conveys the wonders of the fair and the grittiness of post�? Great Fire Chicago as he gradually adds more threatening elements to the story; occasional sketchlike black-and-white illustrations by Mildred Hankinson add atmosphere. Savit layers the fantasy elements onto real-world historical details, so that Eva moves between Mr. Magister's fantastical world and the fair without leaving the pavilion; in a thrilling chase sequence the author conveys speed, action, and surprise through stacatto phrasing and a stream-of-consciousness style. Eva is a strong heroine, and the villain (with several child murders in his past) is genuinely menacing. Susan Dove Lempke
(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
January 1, 2023
Savit (The Way Back, rev. 9/20) skillfully blends historical fiction, fantasy, and murder mystery in his novel about Eva Root, billed by her traveling con-artist guardian as a medium. In the opening scene, Eva is interrupted mid-seance by a voice imploring her to "come see the fair." Sharp-witted Eva realizes she needs to take her chance and run away, and she randomly gets on a train to Chicago -- not knowing that it is where the magnificent Chicago World's Fair is currently being held. On the train she meets Henry, who also feels he is being "called," through his drawings. The two visit the fair, where Eva begins to have strange experiences and where she meets the mysterious Mr. Magister, who calls himself the "Baron of American Magic." Savit conveys the wonders of the fair and the grittiness of post�? Great Fire Chicago as he gradually adds more threatening elements to the story; occasional sketchlike black-and-white illustrations by Mildred Hankinson add atmosphere. Savit layers the fantasy elements onto real-world historical details, so that Eva moves between Mr. Magister's fantastical world and the fair without leaving the pavilion; in a thrilling chase sequence the author conveys speed, action, and surprise through stacatto phrasing and a stream-of-consciousness style. Eva is a strong heroine, and the villain (with several child murders in his past) is genuinely menacing.
(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)