Undercover Magic by Ellie Boswell

Pages - 247

Published by Atom - Summer 2012

Sophie Morrow groaned and pulled the duvet over her head as the house filled with clattering and noise. There was no way it was time to get up!

Goodreads Summary

Sophie and Katy should be the worst of enemies - witches and witch hunters just aren't supposed to be friends! So they've got to try and keep their special powers a secret from their friends and family if they want their BFF-dom to last.

But when Sophie's grandmother goes missing in mysterious circumstances, the girls are willing to try anything to find her. Even if it means risking revealing themselves. Can they keep their magic undercover and get back to Turlingham Academy in one piece.

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This really is a lovely refreshing and modern series for tweens. Sophie is a sassy girl with her finger on technology, there is no escaping modern times in this book, as she texts and downloads music. Though Sophie isn't just a sassy tween, she is also a witch, whose best friend has been sent to get rid of her! Sophie and Katie have a very unique friendship because if Katie's family knew the truth, Sophie wouldn't still be able to use magic; she would be on her way to madness as Katy's family would destroy her new talent.  

This book delves further into Sophie's history and we learn a lot more about her family and where her magic came from as she embarks on a school project to discover her family tree. Sophie learns about some new family members and finds herself reunited with ones she never thought she would see again. Sophie also plays as match maker between her friends as she gently nudges her friends together. As for her own love life, well that looks like it is about to take a very unsuspecting turn. 

I love the setting of this series -  the building is so old and Gothic in style, fitting perfectly with the old school magic that spirals through the story. I enjoyed getting to know more about the history of witches and their rivalry with the witch hunters, showing that life wasn't always such a constant battle between the two. 

My only niggle with this book is that sometimes events are solved too easily - there appears to be no build up. For instance certain characters suddenly returning with a lame excuse for their reasons for staying away. However, I then remember that this book isn't aimed at adults, it is aimed at the 8 to 12 year old age bracket and they would be more than happy with the reasons given. 

This series  is an easy read and one I would definitely recommend for reluctant readers as the books can easily be read in one sitting.