The Journal of Angela Ashby

I reviewed The Journal of Angela Ashby by Liana Gardner. Angela Ashby used to always go to the carnival with her mother. It was something special they always did together. After her father leaves them for “Holly the Homewrecker,” Angela’s mom doesn’t have time to take her anymore, so Angela invites her good friend Mallory. When they explore the carnival, they find an unusual tent. They go inside, and a fortune teller tells them their gifts. Angela’s just happens to come in the form of a magic journal. Anything she writes becomes reality. With her parents’ divorce, a hard middle-grade school life, and the normal challenges of being a pre-teen, Angela wants to make a lot of things happen.

I liked this book a lot. It was very interesting and well written. I loved how it had magic but also a typical pre-teen girl’s life stuff mixed together. I also really loved the friendship between Mallory and Angela. I think there was a hinted sequel, so I would like to read that! Overall, it was a good book and something different and new, especially if you are a lover of simple fantasy and light-hearted magic. Liana Gardner does a great job of mixing up humor, real-life stuff, like divorce and bullies, and a bit of unexpected magic. I give it five stars.