Book Review: Magical Imperfect
Title: The Magical Imperfect
Author: Chris Baron
What’s it about?
Eatan’s life isn’t easy. His mom is in the hospital for her mental health, he’s scared of more earthquakes and his Father and grandfather, who love him
more than anything, but they don’t know how to help him. Etan’s now carrying around his case of selective mutism which, despite it’s name, isn’t a choice, leaving him as a outcast at school. So when he is asked to take a delivery for a store across the street from his grandfather’s store, to a house that’s known for housing “the creature”, he’s a little unsure. But then he meets “the creature” and realizes that she’s not a creature at all, she’s just a girl with a skin condition and also an outcast. Together, the two realize that they can take on the world as long as they have each other.
My Favorite…
Favorite Character: I liked a lot of these characters. So I’m going to go with Etan and Malia’s Grandmother. I love that Etan gives representation to selective mutism. I’ve known a few people with this condition. It can be hard to understand it if you’ve never experienced it. It’s not a choice, it’s a… state of being. I like how he talks about feeling like he is physically incapable of forming the words, even when he wants to talk. It’s not him being difficult, it’s him struggling with real life things. He’s trying as hard as he can. He can’t help it anymore then anyone around him. But he’s also kind, and real. He’s loving and selfless.
Malia’s Grandmother just kind of amuses me. She’s the older, wise, eccentric character that always tends to attract me.
Least Favorite Character: I think I’ve got to go with the kids who make fun of Malia (the creature) and Etan. Both of these kids are awesome kids. I’d be proud to be their friends and I’d love it if my kids were friends with them, too. It really bothered me when they were made fun of for struggling with things that others didn’t understand, though that’s usually the way it is.
Favorite Part: It might be the end. It was emotional and heart felt. All of it was, really, but…
Other Thoughts:
This book is written as a series of poems, where every chapter is it’s own poem. I’m seeing this style more and more, and I have to be honest, I think I’m liking it more as well. This might have something to do with the fact that I’m more comfortable with this style of writing. At first, I was a little concerned that it was going to hinder the ability to tell a full, rounded story in the form of individual poems. This is another example of doing poetry and storytelling together well and beautifully.
I absolutely loved the representation in this book. I know, I say that alot, but I can’t help it. Using Etan to get a better understanding of the struggles, including physical struggles of selective mutism and talking about the psychological component was awesome. And then, Malia came into the story. Malia who has eczema, something my daughter struggles with (on a lesser degree but it’s still a struggle). I loved the discussion of how it looks, how it feels for her, how it effects her life. I love the recognition that stress and the environment gang up against her to cause flare-ups that effect her on multiple levels. The way these two kids resonated with me as a parent who has seen pieces of these two conditions in her own kids made me emotional. They even mentioned that Malia has an odd and temperamental relationship with water, as my daughter has!
But then they add in Etan’s mother’s struggles. They don’t say specifically what her struggles are, but you get enough to infer that they are mental health struggles. She is now in the hospital with limited visiting and phone privileges and Etan doesn’t have much access to her, though she’s one of his favorite people in the world. It’s hard and it’s heart breaking but he knows that his mom needs help and she’s getting the care she needs. His father struggles with the absence of his wife, but he’s doing his best. And the neighborhood has their own thoughts and opinions about his moms mental health, which has an impact on Etan as well.
And then, there’s Etan’s anxiety surrounding earthquakes. I loved the representation for anxiety. Again, as someone who has experience with anxiety, it’s nice to see it represented as something real and impactful, and not just a weakness or flaw.
I did, though, wish that there was more magic in the story. There’s just a touch of magic,in the form of the mud and the golem, both provided by Etan’s grandfather in their own way. I’m usually a fan of magic, but, in this case, I felt like it felt out of place. It almost felt like an after-thought. It didn’t feel like it was needed to tell this story. In fact, it could have easily been removed, but Etan could have heard the story and set out to obtain the golem with the same mementos from when he was younger. It may have even made the story more impactful.
And I would have loved to have seen more of the golem. We hear the story, and Etan wants to create the golem, or, at least, the magical properties that the golem has. I can’t help it, I just feel like, if the golem was going to be this much a part of the story, I want to meet him!
While I wasn’t entirely sure going into The Magical Imperfect, I was really happy with this story. It was filled with heart, truth and emotions. I loved the way that Etan’s father and grandfather truly loved Etan and they want to help him, they do support him, they just don’t know how to figure out what he needs and how to give it to him. Etan doesn’t understand it, either, he just knows that that’s how he feels. I loved the relationships between everyone in their own rights as they grow, strengthen and evolve, but, ultimately already starting at a place of love and acceptance. Tears were cried, I’m not going to lie. I don’t know that I will read this story again, but I’m certainly glad that I did get to read it.
My Ratings:
I give this book a
5
out of
10 Golems
But that’s just what I thought. What did you think? Did you love the writing style? Hate the magic included? Who did you relate to? Tell us in the comments.
