Rogelia's House of Magic

“Three very different girls. One Wise Teacher. A Summer they’ll never forget.”

Written by: Jamie Martinez Wood

Pages: 300

My rating 1-5 stars:
4 Stars

Meet the three apprentices of Rogelia Garcia, a wise old woman who holds the key to the magic of their ancestors:

Marina, the sweet yet spoiled Latina princess –she can hear the voices of dead people, and one of them is talking in Spanish. Marina knows she must interpret an important message from beyond, but how can she do that when she doesn’t even speak the language?

Fern, the feisty free spirit—she sees colorful auras, especially around Tristan, a cute boy from the barrio. Fern is certain that the grayish cloud hanging over Tristan is bad news, but how can she ignore him when he’s so gorgeous?

Xochitl (So-chee), the wallflower—she has the ability to turn invisible whenever she doesn’t want to deal. And considering that she’s mourning the untimely death of her twin sister, it’s a wonder that anyone can see her at all.

When Xochitl’s grandmother Rogelia becomes a maid at Marina’s house, she agrees to teach the girls the ways of the curandera (spiritual healer). Even though marina and Fern are thrilled to have the chance to understand and use their powers, Xochitl isn’t happy about sharing such a sacred pratice with anyone but her sister. Besides, maic has let Xochitl down before—why wouldn’t it now?

But as she and her new friends eventually discover, at Rogelia’s House of Magic, anything is possible.

I enjoyed this excellent story. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters. While reading it I felt as though I was with them learning the ways of the curandera. I feel that getting to know the characters is one important part of a story, and Mrs. Wood does a great job of making the characters so realistic. And the plot was good too. Which is just another reason that made me like the book. I am looking forward to reading some more of Mrs. Wood’s books, especially if they are as good as this one. I defiantly recommend this magical book to all teens out there, especially if you like fantasy books.