Spellstoppers is a wonderful tale of magic and adventure. Cat Gray’s imagination is endless, and she includes moments of pure joy on every page. From selkies, ghosts, magic teapots and enchanted music boxes, the story creates magic in a seemingly normal world.
Max, the main character, has spent his life having problems with electricity. For some reason, Max is unable to touch anything electric and when his mum’s new electric car breaks down as Max gets inside, it’s a step too far. Consequently, his mother sends him to go and live with his grandpa (a spellstopper) and his world is transformed to one of magic (which has a tendency to misbehave).
My favourite part is when Max attempts to spellstop a vicious stuffed weasel but is left with bitter disappointment. Living with his quirky uncle, Max discovers a strange history to his family and learns he is not as normal as he once thought. Later in the story, Max, along with his friend Kit, finds himself needing to rescue the village of Yowling from Leandra, an unpredictable evil villain who lives in the castle. The reader is left rooting for the main character throughout and is always asking whether he has the ability to become a spellstopper or not.
Although the story is told with elements of humour, Gray interweaves themes of good vs evil in a captivating voice. There are twists and turns, with exciting scenes of action. I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of Harry Potter, as it incorporates the same exiting themes of magic, told with a fresh new voice. This is a great book to engage reluctant readers, as there is something wonderous on each page and the language is not too ambitious.
Reviewer: Claire Sleath
