cover image CIRCLE OF DOOM

CIRCLE OF DOOM

Tim Kennemore, . . FSG, $16 (203pp) ISBN 978-0-374-31284-8

Set in an English village, Kennemore's (Wall of Words) light-hearted but uneven caper introduces a trio of siblings who toy with the notion of having magical powers. When the ancient and despicable next-door neighbors ruin Lizzie Sharp's 13th birthday party, Lizzie vows to "magic them to destruction." She brews up a potion, intending it as a "piece of fun"—but the neighbors suffer a serious accident and must move. Cheered by her success, Lizzie tries more "magic," to the awe of seven-year-old Max and to the skepticism of 10-year-old Dan. Kennemore is at her strongest with her realistic depictions of the three children, who mix feelings of affection, rivalry and vulnerability. The plotting is often clever, especially when Dan susses out bits of news that enable him to "predict" the results of Lizzie's experiments. However, the narrative comes to seem like a set-up for the cold water ultimately thrown on Lizzie's hope for magic (bestowing the surname of Harry Potter's Muggle relatives on Max's nemesis, Nathan Dursley, may splash a little of that water on readers, too). Low comedy—the use of pet excrement in the potions; the copious vomiting endured by the teacher whom Lizzie bespells—points to an audience younger or less mature than that suggested by the vocabulary, pacing and length. In the end, the book seems a weaker cousin 0f works by Hilary McKay and, occasionally, Roald Dahl (the Dahl comparison sharpens with the Quentin Blake–esque line drawings and cover, by Tim Archbold). Ages 8-12. (May)