An odd book to be sure. Lurie is playing with ideas of truth both in statements and in people. SO the intent is clear. The line by line writing isn't especially engaging. THere's a lot of telling more than showing. A clever approach to magic but not enough to overcome the weaknesses.

I wanted to like this so much! It sounded weird and quirky and playful -- but the whole time I was reading, I was acutely conscious of how hard the author was trying to be weird and quirky and playful. It just never stopped feeling like something I was reading and like something I was immersed in instead.

Thank you NetGalley and Disney Book Group for this digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Description
Wanda hates her little brother, Zane. But don't judge her for it--Zane is an absolute terror, and her parents blame Wanda for his monstrous behavior. On her eleventh birthday, Wanda makes a wish: to find her true family, because she knows deep down that this one can't be hers. She gets a surprise visit from a talking bluebird named Voltaire who seems wise and confirms her suspicion that someone has been meddling with her life. He knows the secret . . . he just can't remember what it is right now. Together they venture into the Scary Wood, where they encounter many magical creatures as they search for the truth. Wanda must summon all her courage and intelligence to outwit giant hairy Groods who want to eat her, a swamp goblin who wants to make her fade away, a nixie who wants to turn her into a squid, dragons who may or may not be nice, and, perhaps worst of all, a frog who wants to kiss her. None of these adversaries prepares her for the biggest one: a witch named Raymunda, who has put her and her family under a spell. Will Wanda succeed in breaking it, or will she be stuck in the wrong life forever?

A perfect children's book with all the flair or real life and magic blended smoothly. A fun coming of age journey that leads Wanda on a path of self discovery. It's a must read for all ages!

This book starts out reading like realistic fiction. A young girl unhappy with her parents and brother so much that she is constantly wishing them away. When another birthday for her arrives and everyone is oblivious to its arrival, she is fed up. Slowly what could have been realistic fiction becomes magical when a talking bird arrives. As the story continues more and more magical elements are introduced. It reminded me of how Roald Dahl used to blend the two genres so seamlessly the fantasy elements felt real.
Wanda has many moments of self reflection throughout the story. Unfortunately, for her it always comes during a life or death moment. The adventure never stops and most hiccups happen one right after the other. I hope the sequel gives the reader more background on the other characters in Wanda's world. Children ages 8 - 12 will enjoy this story.