Thank you to NetGalley for granting this ARC, super cute and fast read. The illustrations were adorable and the story was cute.

A fun tale of magic and adventure with a relatable and real protagonist. I enjoyed this book so much, it's the perfect fun whimsical book for kids looking for magic in their life.

Twelve year old Dalya, child of a split family, visits her father's dilapidated family home in Istanbul. Despite promises of spending time together, Dalya's father spends much of his time working, leaving Dalya bored and irritated. Until, that is, she finds a magic ink bottle, and she discovers friendship, family and the meaning of "home".

I had originally downloaded this book for my kiddo during the 2020 lockdown, but due to global circumstances, we didn't manage to read it until now. Somewhat reminiscent of both Alice in Wonderland and the Wizard of Oz, Dalya and the Magic Ink Bottle is a modern fable about family and connection.

The settings of Istanbul were gorgeously written, and I often found myself pausing to look up various locations mentioned before continuing with the story. Some of the interactions did appear a little far-fetched, however as long as the reader remembers that this is a world of magic and myth, it's ok.

I found the characters to be well written (Boz was far and away one of my favourites!) and the whole storyline engaging, and I'm sorry I didn't read it sooner.

~Many thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~

I am sorry I was unable to review this title. It had nothing to do with the story or author. At the time in 2020 I took a break from NetGalley. I hope this doesn't keep you from allowing me to review titles in the future.
Thank you
Lana Cole

This was a really fun and cute middle grade. I feel like it has a good moral overall for children, teaching them to be grateful for what they have, appreciate the people you have and be careful what you wish for.

However, the writing style also had me feeling extremely upset for Dalya and how she felt her father felt about her. It broke my heart that a child can pick up on things and misinterpret them. Therefore, I would say there is some teachings for adults in this book too!

A lovely, original, and fantastic book. The fantasy elements of this book are sure to enchant young readers and transport them to a magical and lush world of historical Turkey.

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to review this book. I admit in my joy at joining NetGalley I may have been overzealous in my requesting numbers. As this book has already been published, I am choosing to work on the current upcoming publish date books in my que. As I complete those I will work on my backlogged request and will provide a review at that time. I again send my sincere thanks and apologies.

Borrowed Book By: After unfortunately misunderstanding you cannot request a print copy of a book listed on NetGalley (even if there is an 'other format' listed on the book's page) I started to request the books I erred on requesting in early 2020 per each release date to see if my library could purchase a copy for me to read in print. Thereby I have rectified this error and have read the print edition of this title and thereby am offering my honest review on its behalf. My library thankfully purchased this on my behalf per my request. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

From the crumbling estate house to the quirkiness of having a cat with a magical twitching tail - this world slowly entices you to explore it further and to seek out the ways in which Dalya's family secret has a far reaching effect on understanding how her family and the magic of this world are connected to each other. As similar to listening to The Marvelwood Magicians - this story is also Urban Fantasy as it is set within our own timeline of contemporary and modern life but with the added joy of having the magical just on the fringes of our awareness! I would also consider this to be a work of Magical Realism as well due to the inclusion of the Jinn.

The fact there are sentient animals in this story (ie. think #OctoberDaye!) and they each have their own personality and quirky lives to tuck you into the hidden realms of where animals live out their magically inclusive lives in plain sight of humans is wicked fun! I loved the inventiveness of Evenson, too, especially how the marketplace has several 'layers' to it and its not just for humans. There is also the fact the animals themselves play just as much of an important role in this story as Dalya and Mina. It has become one of the more fantastically adventurous stories I've read in recent years and I was delighted to be a part of this world; exploring it with Dalya and Mina.

Transfiguration isn't always explored in the Fantasy novels I've been reading these past few years and I am eagerly delighted to find that this particular story is exploring the subject! I won't spoilt the surprise for anyone who might want to read this lovely novel but ooh! You are in for a treat because Evenson found a way to keep the innocence intact and the mystery of the moment the transfiguration takes place! I especially love when this happens with a cross-species experience - where you start out as one species and become another? In other stories, I've read about shapeshifters - where you can be both man and bird (such as in my beloved #LelandDragons stories, ie. the Murkens) but to completely change your current state of being in exchange for another species is just as delightful. Evenson truly captured this moment and gave us a wicked lovely scene to disappear inside!

Not only had Dalya found a way to take an adventure she hadn't expected to take but she also had found a curious way to shift back in time! She was quite unsure how all of this transpired simply by adhering to a riddle on an ink bottle but the curious bit for me as a reader is how we get to see this family estate from its origins and how even in the veils of time, this estate holds more secrets than it reveals! As we go back in time, we find another Aunt at the head of the estate - though this one isn't as endearing as Aunt Zehra and is quite a cross woman. You wouldn't want to anger her as she doesn't seem to have a maternal bone in her body! You can infer this by how she treats the young girl (Mina) who lives there - where she takes out her ire on the girl and doesn't seem to feel charitable towards her either. This has a smashingly brilliant ending and to be frank, I was glad Evenson gave Mina's Aunt the 'just dues' she deserved in similar fashion as the ending to Ever After (film).

There was also a beautiful foreshadowing about Dalya's journey by her Aunt Zehra - about what 'home' means to different people and how the concept of 'home' is sometimes misconstrued. Working off that, Evenson presented us with such a classical story of adventuring after a wish and finding instead a few secrets about how best to live. She took us on this incredible journey through Dalya's adventure wherein we not only had the chance to see Istanbul but we were able to peer closer to what it means to be a part of a family. The connections family gives us to our past, to our ancestors and the roles in which we all play in the larger sense of our own living histories. There are some beautiful passages of thought about this in the story - Evenson, at the end in her author's note explains how this started as a bedtime story for her children and that makes sense to me because it is a story which renews any child's sense of self and their concept of what their family means to them.

She plays out the theme of discovering our place in both the world itself and in our families whilst dipping into a bit of folklore and connective cultural bonds Dalya and her grandmother share together. I loved the three generations of Dalya's family all co-merging into the background of the story - as Mina, her Aunt Zehra and her re-explore their histories and in a way, impart a path towards healing the deceptions which struck to pull the family apart all those years ago. Part of what gives this story so much joy to read is the conclusion. If only part of that ending could be true in our reality too. I definitely devoured this in one sitting and I can't wait to purchase my own copy for my personal library one day. It is one of my #unputdownable reads this #WyrdAndWonder!

This reminded me of stories I read when I was the main characters age. I love stories like this one even to this day.


I love the idea of having a jinn to grant wishes.

I ended up DNFing this book. I was very interested in the book and the idea itself, however the execution was less than expected. I think that there is a lot of potential in following books by this author. But this one was not for me.

I love the cover as well as the adventures contained within this book. I can't wait to purchase a copy for my daughter!

Dalya and the Magic Ink Bottle
By: J. M. Evenson

Capstone

Capstone Editions

Children's Fiction, Middle Grade

Publish Date: September 1. 2020

#Dalyaandthe MagicInkBottle

#NetGalley

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This was fun middle grade. I gave it 4 stars.

This book is about a 12 year old girl who learns about family and friends.

She isn't thrilled about spending her summer vacation in Turkey with her dad. Her parents are divorce and her dad is always working and hasn't spent much time with. He promises he will spend time with on this trip to reconnect with her but ends up breaking this promise on the first day.

She finds a bottle under some floorboards and discovers that it is magic and she wishes to go home. Does she go home no she ends up going back in time still in Turkey but now she is a cat. She wants to get back and has to figure out how to do so.

She finds some friends in a girl, a dog and a rat. Does she learn how to become a good friend? Does she learn about how important a family? More important does she get back home?

This was a lot of fun and adventure in here and I would recommend that you read it

This book is really fun! it's so nice in picking up a fun, cozy novel instead of books that have specific themes and stuff. I love the adventure this book brings with Dayla who discovers a strange cat at her auntr's and goes on an adventure.

It was so whimsical and magical that I was able to picture everything that happened in this book. It was so cool and would be epic if it was adapted on screen without how the imagery worked.

I wish there was more, because I just want more from this book in general. It was so good!

I would love to be able to give a review on this but it just wouldn’t download no matter what i tried to i could never get in to it.

From a cover aspect it looks beautiful and i am sure what is within the pages will be amazing

Very cute, loved it 💕

A bit of a shame that I couldn’t read the book in kindle, but had to resolve to my computer and an extra program to get to open the file for reading 📖

Read by netgalley

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Really loved this cover, very interesting book but i wasnt as interest as i thought it would be and i usually like magic middle grades more but not bad

<i>A huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review. </i>

"Such fun!"

This was my first comment when leaving this initial review/rating. A month later I still stand by it. It's a cozy read, a read that gives you all the warm and fuzzies after an adventure.

And what an adventure! Being sent into the past- as a cat! With a mystery to boot! In Istanbul! With talking animals! And evil squirrels! (I think they were squirrels; I sadly can't check) Honestly what more could you possibly need?

Dalya was such a realistic character, and I think a lot of kids reading this could see themselves in her. In her tenacity, in her insecurities, in her love for her friends, be they human or animal.

This world, this book, is just so magical and cozy and just askdhfkjdsg; I really enjoyed reading it and would most definitely recommend this lovely book to everyone!

Such a cute story filled with great adventures. I love that this book has important themes about friendship and never giving up on your dreams.

The characters are well-rounded and truly enjoyable. Loved the setting and the inclusion of Turkish/Islamic culture. Definitely a fun read for middle schoolers!

Dalya is a 12-year old girl. Her father takes her to Istanbul for Summer vacation to visit her great aunt. The Aunt’s House looks like a house from the horror movies, in ruin and almost falling apart. Dalya has her suspicions regarding the house but her father brushes them away.

While Dalya waits to spend her time with her busy father, she comes across a magical cat. Dalya’s Aunt herself is full of secrets and tells Dalya that she has to set things right. The cat leads Dalya to a magic ink bottle and Dalya makes a wish to go home, Cleveland.

Dalya transforms into a cat. As a cat, Dalya is on a quest to find the owner of the ink bottle so that he can change her back to human. Dalya makes new friends along the journey who help her with her mission.

I loved that the setting of the book was in Instanbul and Dalya’s family are Muslims. I also liked the various animal characters and animal hang-outs in the book. There is a ‘human’ Instabul and an ‘animal’ Istanbul. In a few places, the scenes seemed incredulous for me, but might be enjoyable for kids.

This book would be of interest to middle graders who like reading diverse literature filled with magic and animal characters.

As a 6th and 7th grade teacher, I love reading middle-grade books in hopes of a better understanding of what is out there for my students to read.

I received “Dalya and the Magic Ink Bottle” on Netgalley a few months ago, and since the school year is in near sights, I figured this would be a great book to read.

The story takes place in a creepy house in Istanbul, Turkey, Dalya’s father’s childhood home. Her father needs to help sell the home and decides to use it as a chance at reconnecting with Dalya. The descriptions in this story were wonderful. I think this would be a great book for younger children to read to improve their vocabulary.

The relationship between Dalya and her dad was well defined and really made you feel the separation Dalya felt from her father. The book overall was a cute, adventurous story that was a joy to read. I will definitely recommend it for my school's library!