I was so excited for this story. The description was beautiful and intriguing. I don't think the book quite held up to my expectations. I have a fascination with the Chicago Worlds Fair. What could there be not to like? Well, nothing really to not like. Just not a lot to be excited about. The plot felt sloppy and thrown together in the end. It was a good book for younger readers to learn about this time in history, but the magical elements didn't hold their usual...magic.

I had high hopes for this book, and I thought it was pretty whimsical to start off. About halfway through I felt like it got off somehow, the magic element started to get very convoluted and confusing. I also felt that the kids were supposed to be very smart and capable, but still went along with mr magister without question or complaint. Lastly, I did not like the ending. It felt so drab and like there was no growth or progression, we ended right back where it started. It was an interesting read but not an entertaining story.

The description of this book is amazing. It was one of the main reasons that I requested this title. I really wish that the book was as good as the blurb. Eva is an odd character. One that I never really connected with. I enjoyed the first part of the book where she was being forced to run fake seances, and there was so much potential when she heard a mysterious voice telling her to come to the fair. Yet the fair is where this whole book falls apart. The story dies. The villain is semi present. Supposedly there is magic. I saw very little outside of the house itself. Overall, this book just doesn’t live up to its potential. I sadly won’t be recommending this one to patrons as I don’t see them enjoying it anymore than I did.
Thank you so much to Random House Children’s and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title for an honest opinion.

Oh boy, where to start. I was very excited to read this lovely middle grade book. The synopsis was intriguing and the Chicago World's Fair setting was interesting.

I was drawn in right away, and all the elements for a good horror story were present. A place that appears and disappears, a mysterious and creepy man who's face cannot be pinned down, the strange and inexplicable passage of time: yes.

However, as the plot started to unfold, I found the story harder and harder to track with. The magical elements either didn't make sense or weren't explained well, and the plot resolution seemed rushed. It was all disjointed and left me feeling more upset because I have too many unanswered questions.

The content warnings of this book are kidnapping, murder, and suicide. Very dark for middle grade.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a copy of this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

Magic, mediums, seances, and the World's Fair... sign me up! Yes, this book had all three (and more), but there was no rhyme or reason to it. The characters were unbelievable and more frustrating than necessary. It was as though the writer wanted to write a popular book by including all the popular elements but forget to blend them together and season to perfection. Overall, it just felt off. There are better books for middle grade readers out there.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

This book kept me engaged the whole way through. I thought it would be a good way to introduce the Chicago worlds Fair to a younger audience. The plot was ok, but I felt like something was missing, some deeper meaning or more detail nuance I'm certain characters. Ok overall for a middle grade book, but too intense for an elementary age kid.

This YA novel grabbed my interest from the start...then when Eva met Mr. Magister, it began to get confusing and very, very dark. I enjoyed the descriptions of the Chicago World's Fair, and the magical world that Eva and Henry found themselves in, but I felt the story got muddled, I didn't understand a lot of the motivations of the characters, and the ending was confusing and felt rushed. I'm also not sure why Eva and Henry, who are clearly very intelligent children, never questioned Mr. Magister's demands and went along with him.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

Characters seemed to be inconsistent in their behaviors. Having a setting of the Chicago World's Fair seemed to not have any real impression on the story. For a middle grade read, parents may want to know that it has swearing.

Eva is an orphan who gets by through doing fake seances. She pretends to be loved ones talking from beyond the grave, but she knows that it's impossible. It's a scam she does to survive. But when she hears a voice in her head telling her to go to the Chicago World's Fair, she knows it's very different from the seances. This is real. She meets a boy who has visions of his own and a magician who wants her help to bring magic back to life, but her friend is suspicious. Eva needs to figure out what the magician's plan is and who to trust.

This book had so many of the things I'm always hungry for. World's Fair. Mysterious magical people and places that vanish or can only be accessed by a few people. It's got mystery, friendship, an orphan with the possibility of found family. And maybe those things are why I felt overall disappointed with the book.

The book starts out interesting but turns vaguely confusing around the middle of the book and never comes back. The beginning is a lot of fun, and the descriptions of wandering around the World's Fair is probably the closest you could get to experiencing it yourself. It's well researched and clearly something the author loves.

But once we meet the magician, things get confusing. The magic rules are hard to follow. It's not completely clear where Eva has come from and even what she wants. The setting doesn't seem solid in spite of the historical event as a major point. And one of the most frustrating parts is that the characters don't seem to question things enough. I know a lot of twelve-year-olds who would use more critical thinking than Eva does. The character motivations are never clear and they are generally shallow. Eva starts the book with more personality than she finishes it with.

Worst of all, I read the ending twice, but I am still not completely sure what happened. It depended on characters we hadn't met, and the overall message was "don't trust anything fantastical and wonderful because it will definitely be too good to be true." That could have been an interesting moral, but it felt like talking with the kind of person who discourages children from watching Disney movies in case they get the wrong idea about magic and fairy tales: it's too optimistic and we should all accept how terrible the world is. That's a pretty heavy message for this age, and it isn't handled well. Especially when it does start with such a marvelous sense of wonder.

I guess that moral applies to the book: don't judge a book by its cover because it may sound wonderful and magical from the description, but in reality, it's dark, bleak, and confusing.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book to review.

Come see the fair, the voice tells her. But Eva, a twelve-year-old orphan girl, doesn’t know where the voice is coming from or what the “Fair” is. She just knows she is tired of performing phony séances to make money for a demanding caretaker. And this is definitely the only time she has heard a real voice from somewhere other than the here and now. Eva decides to run away and ends up on a train with a boy who is drawing a place he has never been, but which a salesman tells him is The Chicago World’s Fair. Eva tells the boy about the voice she heard, and the two soon discover they are being called to the same place. What Eva finds there is something otherworldly, but which perhaps could offer her the home she has always wanted. But sinister forces may have other plans…

Readers may enjoy that the main character starts out knowing séances and the supernatural are fake, only to discover she has an inborn talent for actual magic and spiritual communication. The author effectively builds the story and the tension from strange coincidences, to a wondrous new world, to ultimately something much darker. Readers who like creepy tales of magic and other planes of existence should enjoy exploring with Eva as she tries to understand her new-found experiences.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's Publishing. I had trouble getting into this book. It just didn't resonate me with me so I kind of dnf'd it about 50% of the way.

I really enjoyed following Eva on her journey of self discovery and courage. Eva Roots is an orphan who has been taken advantage of by the adults in her life. She feels compelled to go to the world’s fair after being called there during a fake seance. Through a series of events, she discovers friendships and experiences painful losses. It brings her to a point of understanding what she wants and doesn’t want out of life.
The story was captivating from the first page. Having been called to the fair in such an unexpected fashion further enticed me into the story. The author has a great way of keeping the audience dangling as one figures out little pieces at a time. Just when you think you know what might happen next, there is a new twist or event unfolding. The ending was a bit of a surprise, but it also brought a good resolution to who Eva Root had become.
If you are particular about foul language, there is some in this book, but is only used a few times where it fit the story. The author is not generous with them and there is no “f bombs”. All the same, if you are sensitive to that for a child’s reading you may want to preview the book first before passing it along to a younger reader.
My favorite part of the book besides how well it was written, was the fun of trying to figure out what the true motivation of the person who owns the magic was, and how he would achieve his desires once they were revealed to the reader. The story was completely unexpected, entertaining and engaging.

I always feel bad when I read and dislike a middle grade or YA book and unfortunately this one falls into that category. The setting is the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago and a girl who pretends to be able to talk to spirits in seances. So far, so good. She receives a real message telling her to go to the fair and that’s where the book begins to fall apart. There she meets a magician who needs her for his bigger magical plan and there’s weird running through various exhibits and the action, I felt, got very confusing and very dark.

I found this mix of fantasy, magic, realistic, and historical fiction to be 100% interesting! I will definitely recommend this to our young patrons.

I liked this book quite a bit. It is twisty and dark in some places but The overall story is a good one about friendship and finding your place. Even though parts of it are sad it is a well written book where you feel for the characters.

For much of her life, Eva Root has been in the care of one Mrs. Blodgett, a woman who uses Eva’s preponderance for coercion to her advantage. Eva leads séances anywhere the two find themselves, carefully manipulating guests into receiving the responses they desire. But when one séance becomes more real than any before and Eva is beckoned from beyond her awareness, she does what she must to relieve herself of Mrs. Blodgett and find her way to the World’s Fair in Chicago. Along her journey, she meets a new friend called Henry, and the two discover there is more to magic than they ever realized, and that magic may not be the benevolent entity they initially expected.

This fantastic historical fiction novel expertly blends the real-life World’s Fair in Chicago with a plethora of magical elements. Much like in a dream, Eva and Henry frequently find themselves forgetting conversations or experiencing time in an unusual way. Mr. Magister, initially a welcoming and kindly man, seems to be orchestrating much of the unusual behavior the two youth experience. But as Eva and Henry wander deeper into Mr. Magister’s lair, truths come to light that make them question everything they thought they knew. The magic within the two young people is smothered by that of Mr. Magister’s pavilion, and they must fight to think for themselves as the shroud of mystery attempts to envelop them.

Mature middle grade and young adult readers will love the depth of this story, especially as it takes twists and turns that keep readers guessing as to what will happen next. Detailed descriptions, long chapters, and profound discoveries amplify the intensity of the novel, and though the protagonists are young, they are often called upon to make important decisions that affect the momentum of the story. Additionally, occasional illustrations are included at choice intervals, and these bring the novel to life while helping to depict specific moments and locales mentioned within the narrative. Engaging and filled with historical references, this is a tale that will resonate with readers long after it ends while simultaneously inspiring further research and investigation. It is an excellent precursor to Caraval or The Night Circus that is aimed at younger readers. This is a superb addition to library collections for young people.

I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's Publishing through NetGalley.
Savit blends suspense and appealing characters with enough creepiness for middle grade readers. Eva is an orphan who makes her living faking seances for the women who got her from the group home. One night something intense happens and she really hears a voice. This spurs her to run away to Chicago at the time of the World's Fair (World's Columbian Exposition). On the way, she meets Henry and he invites her to join him at his family's home. Something mysterious happens to Eva when she discovers a hidden pavilion that doesn't quite fit. Strange and eerie events happen from here and Eva and Henry discover a world of magic including a mysterious older man who woos them and separates them. Some of the story is predictable but Savit brings enough mystery and energy to these plot points to make readers want to know more. I appreciate the ending where Eva defeats the pull for power and finds her way to her own life.
TRIGGERS: Death, fires

Review copy provided by the publisher.

When orphaned Eva has a chance to escape the horrible person who has been using her to run fake seances, she jumps at the chance--especially when it leads her to the glitter of the 1893 World's Fair and to Henry, her first real friend. The Pavilion of Magic isn't open to everyone--but its denizen, Mr. Magister, assures Eva and Henry that she are welcome to stay as long as they like.

Of course it isn't that simple. The scars of the Great Fire are still a deep part of Chicago, changing those who have lived there forever in ways that Eva struggles to understand. And how can something that seems magical--that seems to replicate the home she never had--be anything but a delight? Well, you've all read YA fantasy before. I bet you have some ideas of how.

This book was a smooth read but in some ways very structurally weird. The climax depended on Eva's character insights into people she (and we) had never met, and the ultimate answer seems to be "don't trust things that seem magical and bright." I appreciated that character sacrifices were not undone by the narrative, but at the same time, "don't look for anything magical in the world, it's all bad" is...not actually a message I find very resonant. Savit has done a lot of research on the period but also uses magic to handwave a lot of socially inconvenient things. For me it was one of those books that's better to be in the middle of reading than to consider when I finished.

Come See The Fair - Not since Erik Larson wrote The Devil in the White City has there been such a dark tale of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. First, I will admit that this novel is well written and held my interest. It’s a story of a young girl, Eva Root, who starts life at the shill to a unscrupulous woman and together they travel running faux séances. Eva runs away and befriends Henry, a talented young artist, whose sketches somehow reflect future events and people. The two of them are heading to Chicago and the wonders of the 1893 World’s Fair. This is a great grab.


Unfortunately, the book, in trying to be mysterious, becomes dark, and sad, and more intense than many young readers may be able to tolerate. I’m seeing it as if Clive Barker writes YA. That’s sort of a combination compliment and a dig at the author. If the protagonists were older, this would have been an excellent book. If the book channeled a younger POV with less darkness it would have been a better book. I think the author, Gavriel Savit, no doubt talented, missed his audience with this one.

#NetGalley #ComeSeeTheFair #RandomHouseChildren's #KnopfBooksforYoungReaders
#Children'sFiction #Middle Grade #SciFi&Fantasy

A fun magical story for ya to adult. A girl is told to go to the fair, but things aren't what they seem. Our Mc teams up with a young friend to find the magic of the Chicago fair, but they can't seem to remember things. As time and facts become slippery, she must figure out who is at fault and how to stop them even if it means her losing what little she has left. A clean, easy read good for MA and up.