OK, I didn't finish this book 'cuz I just can't. Rare for me to stop caring about characters or find out how conflicts are resolved, but the writing style defeated me. ( )

This was an odd book for young adults. It was an odd book no matter who it was written for. Main characters are mostly adults, having affairs, having adult issues. One character is middle school...Listen Taylor. One character is a second grader. Can't think of a single person I would recommend this book to. ( )

The story follows four different characters. Listen Taylor, who finds a spell book after moving in with her father's girlfriend, Marbie. Fancy Zing and her struggles with her life. Marbie Zing who thinks she may ruin her life with one mistake. And, Cath Murphy, Cassie Zing's second grade teacher. I thought the book would be more about Listen Taylor and the spell book. It is, but it is also about so much more. The Zing family has a secret and each Friday night they meet in the family shed. I enjoyed the book, but was somewhat disappointed in it. ( )

The description of this book -- a 12 year old who gets involved with her stepmother's magical family and a spell book she finds in their house -- sounded good, but the voice is very YA, so much so that a spell book that you can only open one page of a day ends up sounding very childish. The author seems less interested in the protagonist than in the girl's stepmother and teacher. It didn't surprise me to read that she is a YA writer. I just don't think many 12 year olds will care what the stepmother and teacher are thinking about and worrying about -- and I don't many older teens will be all that interested in the protagonist. ( )

The spell book of Listen Taylor is a family-like book and is a revised version of 'I have a bed made of buttermilk pancakes'.

This book is set in Sydney, Australia and it has many characters. Some of the characters are Listen, Cath Murphy, Marbie and Fancy Zing and Warren Woodford. In every chapter it changes character and readers are lead into their point of view.

It starts when Listen finds the spellbook. It tells her when to turn each page and if she doesn't do as it asks, the book will not work.

The spellbook is meant to give Listen happiness, so she decides to follow the book. The spells do work but some of them go against Listen.

What we are to find out is will the spellbook give Listen the happiness she has been longing for, or will it not?

I recommend this book for girls 12+ and I would recommend this to anyone interested in magic.