Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Re-Read? Yes! And since it was quite short, it would take no time at all.

Recommend? I recommend this to fans of music and fantasy. I also think middle or older teens would enjoy this more so then younger teens.

Release Date: December 22, 2009
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 240

Synopsis:

Nimira is a music-hall performer forced to dance for pennies to an audience of leering drunks. When wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to do a special act - singing accompaniment to an exquisite piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it is the start of a new life. In Parry's world, however, buried secrets stir. Unsettling below-stairs rumours abound about ghosts, a mad woman roaming the halls, and of Parry's involvement in a gang of ruthless sorcerers who torture fairies for sport. When Nimira discovers the spirit of a dashing young fairy gentleman is trapped inside the automaton's stiff limbs, waiting for someone to break the curse and set him free, the two fall in love. But it is a love set against a dreadful race against time to save the entire fairy realm, which is in mortal peril.

My Thoughts:

Magic Under Glass is a sweet story about a girl who is trying to make it in the world-- a world where magic exists and secrets are everywhere. A beautiful foreigner, Nimira makes her living by dancing in a show where she paid little and thought little of. However, her life is flipped around when a wealthy sorcerer hires her and she leaves the little dance show to work for him-- as a singing partner to a automaton. However, there are rumors that this automaton is haunted, so much so, other girls who were hired before her have fled.

There is a certain magical charm about Magic Under Glass and the love story between a young girl and an enchanted automaton. The characters were interesting and you never knew if one was going to turn out good or bad. There were several instances where I thought for sure certain characters were going to betray other characters and they end up not doing so. I also loved the whole faerie aspect and it really did surprise me. I had no idea faeries were going to be involved at all! This book in itself was a lovely surprise.

I had very few issues with Magic Under Glass-- Those issues I did have came later in the novel. I feel the pace changed and it felt a bit carried on. I liked the character development, but I felt the story didn't flow as smoothly. I felt like there was unneeded information and that certain things happened without much reason. Nothing big, but enough to bother me. Besides those minor hiccups, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I look forward to future books by Jaclyn Dolamore.

Details:

Cover: 4.0
Plot: 3.5
Characters: 4.5
Writing: 4.0

Source: From Publisher.