Even and Odd - by Sarah Beth Durst (Paperback)

About the Book

A half-magic girl learns about heroism and taking action when she and her sister confront a wizard who endangers others for her own gain.

Book Synopsis

A half-magic girl learns about heroism and taking action in this middle grade fantasy when she and her sister confront a wizard who endangers others for her own gain.

Even and Odd are two sisters with magic, but lately, it seems like that's the only thing they have in common. Odd doesn't like magic, and Even practices it every chance she gets, dreaming of the day she'll be ready to be a hero.

When the hidden portal between the mundane world the sisters live in and the magical land they were born in shuts abruptly, the girls are trapped, unable to return home.

With the help of a unicorn named Jeremy, their magic adventure for kids begins as they discover a wizard is diverting magic from the border to bolster her own power. Families are cut off from each other on both sides of the border, and an ecological disaster is brewing. But the wizard cares nothing for the calamitous effects her appropriation of magic is having. Someone has to do something to stop her, and Even realizes she can no longer wait until she's ready: she needs to be a hero now.

• A Unique Magic System: Even has magic on even days, Odd has it on odd days. But sharing their power is the only thing these two sisters seem to have in common.
• Portal Fantasy Adventure: When the gateway between the magical world of Firoth and their ordinary Connecticut town closes, the sisters are trapped and must find a way back.
• A Quirky Unicorn Sidekick: To get home, they'll need the help of Jeremy--a unicorn who loves soda, plays card games, and might not be as brave as he seems.
• A Coming of Age Quest: Even has always dreamed of being a hero, but she never thought her first quest would happen before she was ready.

Review Quotes

"Juxtaposing the sisters' real world with a whimsical one populated by unicorns, dragons, mermaids, and more, Durst inserts a subtle message about the separation of families through closed borders.... [A] feel-good portal fantasy." - Publishers Weekly

"Using the unrest at the border, Durst deftly weaves in a narrative of the separation of families with themes of standing up to unchecked power and finding the hero within." - Booklist

"Humor abounds... Whimsical fun." - Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Sarah Beth Durst is the author of fantasy novels for children, teens, and adults. Winner of the Mythopoeic Award and an ALA Alex Award and thrice nominated for the Andre Norton Award for YA Science Fiction and Fantasy, she lives in New York. www.sarahbethdurst.com, Twitter: @sarahbethdurst.