The Time of Green Magic

Entrancing audiobook reading experience full of realistic blended family tensions and swirling, uncanny magic flowing through the family's new home, a house with room for all three children to explore who they are now that they are siblings. McKay's writing goes from realism to fantastical seamlessly. Voice performance by Saffon Coomber was brilliant, varying between matter-of-fact narration, humorous interpretations of each family member's unique voice, deft interweaving of external and internal emotions, and then terrible foreboding as the green magic grows, shifts, and threatens. I loved this listening experience with my own two children as we commuted to school each day so much that I bought the hardcover to have on the shelf for us to remember sharing this story and to re-read one day for a new way of enjoying McKay's writing.

Cute but kinda chaotic Yes, I picked this book up because the cover. It’s gorgeous! And the story is cute, but it was kind all over the place. Well, for this adult brain it was. I do think that a child would like it. It’s a good story that deals with how impactful change can be on a child’s life and how resilient and adaptable they are.

This book was enjoyable. I like the characters growth throughout all of them. The writing flowed well and good. The story was some fantasy, magical realism but mostly contemporary. I’m not a huge fan of contemporary so this may be why I gave it an average rating. When there were parts that had a magic moment is when I liked it but during the parts of daily characters lives I found my interest died off. Overall I think this is a great read for middle grade kids and I think they would enjoy it regardless.