So You Want to be a Wizard

A Review by April

This is a spectacular novel that twists the reality of life, with a hidden world of talking trees, insane killer checker cabs, and an evil darkness that persists to dominate all that is known.

In this captivating work of literature, the author, Diane Duane, excites the reader with numerous adventures in which the main characters Nita, Kit, and Fred have to rise above their fears, and have faith in themselves to survive.

Nita, a thirteen year old book lover, gets bullied and beat up by her school rival, Joanne, and her posse. When she discovers the book, So You Want To Be a Wizard, in her local library, it unlocks the secrets behind Manhattan’s hidden society of wizards. In this other society, all life that exists speaks the same language that they call the Speech. Every life from whether it is a star, tree, or even a helicopter can understand the Speech. Nita specializes in the ‘real’ life, that of plants, animals, and trees.

Nita discovers a twelve year old boy named Kit, and they team up to create an unbreakable bond. Kit is a beginner wizard too, and together, they fight evil and run a race against time to save all life that exists. During one spell they perform, they receive a white hole (the opposite of a black hole) that they name Fred. Fred tags along through all of the wild adventures.

With Diane Duane’s vast imagination, she creates a world unlike any other. This is one of the best magical books that I have read since Harry Potter. I would give it five stars over all because of its excellence. I recommend it to every Harry Potter fan.

The reading level of this book is probably 10-12 years old, but it can be enjoyed by any age.

There are five books in the Young Wizards Series and So You Want To Be a Wizard is the first. The next in the series is Deep Wizardry which you can get a sneak peek of at the end of So You Want To Be a Wizard.

Author: Diane Duane
Number of Pages: 370
Publication Date: 1983
Purchase This Book