Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot – Patricia Wrede & Caroline Stevermer (YA)
I always enjoy Wrede’s writing, and this book was no exception. It was one of those books that I’d been eyeing for years, but for some reason never had a chance to purchase… so when it was sitting blatantly on the shelf at the library, I figured it was time to give it a go. It’s actually a slower read than it looks – or at least it was for me – and I think that may be because it’s written in Victorian-style language. But that just means it’s a good book to savor, not blast through!
It’s written in letter-style, between two young ladies, and apparently (as stated by the authors in the back of the book) the book came about after Wrede and Stevermer actually just decided to play “The Letter Game” and write letters in character to each other for awhile. Then, when they later sat back and talked about things, they realized they had a book… and so they polished the letters up and the rest is history! I thought that was very interesting: a book that wasn’t intended as a book… I’ll be honest, I think it shows in just a few spots where the story dragged a little, but I wouldn’t dissuade anyone from picking this up. There are two more books after this one, and I’ve got them on the list to find the next time I’m at the library (or, let’s be honest, a bookstore). A worthwhile read!
Rating: 3.5 coffees out of 5