Only child Ramya is frustrated with her parents - busy newscasters - and with her teachers at school, who make her do hours of workshops to help with her dyspraxia (see also: Second Chance Summer by Sarah Kapit). When they move from London to Edinburgh, Ramya finally gets a chance to spend more time with extended family, including her cousin Marley. At their grandpa's funeral, a stranger gives Ramya a card and a message, sparking a journey through the city to find all of its nonhuman creatures and collect their real stories - for Ramya, unlike most, has the ability to see through the Glamour that vampires, sirens, trolls, and others use to camouflage themselves in the human world.

Ramya is a strong character with nearly palpable frustration and vitality, and the Edinburgh setting is absorbing and convincing. Ramya goes to great lengths to carry on her grandfather's work, making it her own, and learning more about her family in the process, including her rather mysterious aunt Opal.

Will make readers think deeply about ability and (what is called) disability, as well as the power of community and the destruction of division. There is room for a sequel ("The End. Ish").

Quotes

"It is a gift to look a command in the face and be able to tell the commander 'no.' Which is what you did tonight." (Ramya's grandfather, 10)

Learning difficulties and magic are equally mysterious to me. To know that I might have both in me is too much to think about right this moment. (49)

I'm used to feeling unseen....Once you've felt invisible for long enough, you start to behave in ways that will insist that people notice you. (60)

Sometimes the past feels like a room you've walked into suddenly, a space you have not bee invited into. (62)

"It doesn't matter what it looks like. What you have to say is the most important part." (Marley to Ramya, 84)

"Scared is dangerous." (Opal to Ramya, 87)

"You can't tell me that magic is real and then take it away." (Ramya to Opal, 89)

I can see through Glamour and detect magic in people, so who cares if my handwriting is messy? (97)

When no one has any expectations of you, it's easier to disappear. A bad reputation works like a charm. It keeps everyone from looking too closely. (106)

"[Edinburgh]...it's got a duality. A secret life." (Erica, 113)

...I never feel Iike I can back down from a fight. Only swim down. Deeper into the anger. (129)

"Division. Don't you feel it? People are more distrustful. More afraid. More apart from one another. It's not a mistake. It's not a coincidence. Something's causing it." (Freddy, 151-152)

"People will always do bad things for power." (Opal to Ramya, 220)

"I'm so sick of having to slow down for everyone when they need to go at their pace, but then the minute I need people to be patient, it's completely impossible....ninety percent of what makes life harder comes from them, not me!" (Ramya, 222)

I went from thinking that the world could only ever be a place for one kind of story to discovering a whole host of realities I never knew were possible. (231)

I don't believe in the Chosen One. There never is a Chosen One. No such thing exists. Only someone who chooses to do the right thing, and those who choose to follow them. (Grandpa's letter to Ramya, 233)

Why did they never help to find all the unbelievable things I can do? (270)

When you're never allowed to be the hero, becoming the villain seems inevitable. (280)

"You don't have to earn being sad. You're allowed to be." (Marley to Ramya, 282)

But the reward is this feeling. Knowing that you did a good thing for the right reasons. (305) ( )

Once again Elle McNicoll has created a compelling middle grade heroine whose adventure is exciting to follow. I loved how angry Ramya was, but how she used that anger in service instead of harm. I usually also find Elle McNicoll's stories pleasantly surprising, so I was slightly disappointed to find the beats of this one pretty standard for a middle grade fantasy. Though it introduced a lot more questions than answers and is crying out for a sequel. ( )

Very nice review, kmartin802! I agree, especially about Ramya's strong voice and standing up for herself. ( )

This was an engaging middle grade title with an intriguing main character. Ramya Knox has a learning disability - dyspraxia. It is a motor disorder meaning she falls often and has really messy handwriting. Since her intelligence is not affected, she's bright and really frustrated to be in special education classes when she sees her cousin in Gifted and Talented classes.

Ramya's parents are news presenters on television. They are really busy people who don't seem to have time for her. Her mother is also frustrated about her motor issues and is constantly criticizing her. A recent move to Edinburgh has brought Ramya from London to the same city where her aunts live. But a long ago disagreement has estranged Ramya's family from her other relatives.

When her grandfather dies, Ramya attends the funeral - without her parents - and learns that he has left her a gift. The gift opens up a whole new world for her. There is a whole magical side to Edinburgh that she has never seen. But now she learns that she can see through the glamours the hide all the non-human residents. And she learns that sirens are evil and have chaos and divisiveness as their goal.

She and her cousin - who is bright but doesn't see through glamours - are on a quest to help the magical residents of Edinburgh and to reunite Ramya's family.

The story was filled with adventures for both cousins. It was an engaging and imaginative story. It also had nice things to say about those who have learning disabilities and about the importance of families. I enjoyed the story very much. ( )