From the Publisher
"leave(s) readers weak with laughter...Marcus is enough of a winner to earn both admiration and enthusiastic applause. " — Booklist, starred review
"This book would be a good stepping stone for those readers who enjoy the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series." — School Library Connection
"Strand maintains a taut pace with cliff-hanger endings to each chapter, even as he explores larger themes of confidence, perseverance, loyalty, peer pressure, bullying, family relationships, and the role of practice in developing skills." — School Library Journal
From the Publisher - AUDIO COMMENTARY
"Strand maintains a taut pace with cliff-hanger endings to each chapter, even as he explores larger themes of confidence, perseverance, loyalty, peer pressure, bullying, family relationships, and the role of practice in developing skills." —School Library Journal
School Library Journal
02/01/2017
Gr 7 Up—Fifteen-year-old Marcus Millian III aspires to become a magician and follow in the footsteps of Harry Houdini, Penn and Teller, David Copperfield, and Zachary the Stupendous. The latter was the stage name of his once legendary 89-year-old great-grandfather, Grandpa Zachary Millian, who recognizes true talent in his great-grandson. When Grandpa Zachary's rival, theater owner Bernard, suggests that Marcus is more suited for birthday parties than for large audiences, Grandpa Zachary wages a bet with Bernard that Marcus will pull off an illusion that will shock, stun, and astonish the world. Marcus unwillingly accepts this challenge to honor Grandpa Zachary's legacy. His illusion? Making a shark disappear from a tank. Events tumble wildly downhill as Marcus prepares for his impossible act. Along the way, he confronts bullying, mysterious and dangerous plots, unrequited love, and even death. A sarcastic tone adds to the enjoyment of this story, which captures a refreshing closeness between a teenager and his great-grandfather. The intergenerational bond is made even more believable through flashbacks that depict Grandpa Zachary creating magic with Marcus throughout his childhood. Strand maintains a taut pace with cliff-hanger endings to each chapter, even as he explores larger themes of confidence, perseverance, loyalty, peer pressure, bullying, family relationships, and the role of practice in developing skills. VERDICT Recommended for teens with an interest in magic as well as those who like Gilmore Girls—like rapid wit. A solid choice for most collections.—Donald Peebles, Brooklyn Public Library
Kirkus Reviews
2017-02-04
Marcus is a high school freshman whose vomit-inducing stage fright presents a major barrier to his dream of becoming a world-famous magician.Inspired and mentored by his great-grandfather, the retired Zachary the Stupendous, Marcus has been honing his craft since infancy. When his great-grandfather passes away unexpectedly, it is up to Marcus to uphold the family honor by developing and performing a truly spectacular illusion. With an ever narrowing window in which to prepare, combined with stress from school bullies and the aptly named Sinister Seamus, Marcus leans on his few friends to pull off the event. Marcus and his friends seem to dwell in a predominantly if not exclusively white world. Strand stuffs the dialogue full of witty banter, which is at first amusing, but over the course of the book, it gives the impression that each character, including the third-person narrator, is a would-be vaudevillian comic. The result is little depth or differentiation to the characters' speech, and their endless riffs become annoying rather than endearing. Though the central characters are all high school students, the hit-you-over-the-head humor combined with ridiculous plot elements make the book feel as though it's written for a much younger audience. Best enjoyed with willfully suspended disbelief and a laugh track. (Fiction. 12-14)
