There were some fun magical elements to the book - giant bounce houses, lemonade fountains, and pink hair, to name a few, but the book also had much darker themes. Although the dad's abusive tendencies weren't really spelled out, you picked up on more and more of them as the story went. Keeping that in mind I would recommend this more of an Upper MG read and would be aware that the story could be a trigger for some children.

As Rose turns 12 she is finally allowed to capture the magic that everyone believes she is destined for. But it doesn't go the way she expects and she wrestles with feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy. Throughout the story Rose must face the question, is she enough? I think this is a question a lot of kids can relate to, especially as they approach their teenage years and begin to function with more independence away from their parents. Kids will also be able to relate to the friendships in the story.

With thanks to NetGalley and Katherine Tegen Books for an early copy in return for an honest review.

The concept for this book was very intriguing and I enjoyed the story overall! It held my attention and I highly recommend for middle grade readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free e-arc to review.

I really enjoyed this book. Haydu did such a wonderful job of capturing all of the not-a-little-kid-anymore-but-still-not-really-grown-up-yet feelings of being 12 in Rose. My mama heart just wanted to pick her up and hold her. I feel so bad for her, and I'm so proud of how she grew through the book.

Rose's dad is absolutely awful. TW:<spoiler>while it's only alluded to, her dad is straight-up abusive. I caught myself being legitimately angry at him several times throughout the book. And I'm pretty sure that there is a veiled reference to him altering Rose's memory at one point regarding a broken wrist. Ugh.</spoiler> He gets what he wants, when he wants it, how he wants it, or he throws an epic, childish fit (at best). Rose several times implies that she and her brother are afraid of him (but only sometimes), and describes in detail how uncomfortable her mother is when he's near her. It's seriously heartbreaking.

Throughout the story, Rose is coming to terms with not quite being who she thought she was, and who she was expected to be. That's tough for anyone, let alone someone with a famous father and who has the expectations of the entire town resting on her. She is very introspective, and aware of how she feels - even if she's not sure exactly what it is she's feeling. Rose has to make a lot of really difficult decisions, and in my opinion, comes out on top. Terrific story. I will definitely be purchasing for my library when it's published.

This book was spectacular! In a town where capturing magic and using it in so many different ways is possible, and in a family where it is not just a possible thing, but it is the most important thing, at least to the father of the family, things aren’t always as perfect as they seem. If you were told your whole life that you were born for magical greatness, that would be a lot of measure up to. This book addresses so many meaningful concepts to ponder for a middle grade student. Does magic make everything better? Are we enough without it? Are we good enough just being us? A story filled with heart, hope and change. A story filled with intriguing characters. A story worth spending time with!

A charming, heartfelt middle grade that I can't wait to give to my young cousins. Haydu crafts and magical and empowering tale with deft and careful hands.

I struggled with this one and decided to DNF. The concept of magic in jars was interesting, plus the differences between the siblings and the type of magic that they could catch, but the writing style, POV and slowness of the story left me underwhelmed. I tried to struggle through, but without a plot appearing by 15%, I decided this was not the book for me.

Wow, this book was amazing. I really appreciate how the father was written. The reader can pick up on his very abusive tendencies without having to see it or be triggered by it. Very well done! I also love thinking about the metaphor of what the magic represents. I assume it represents money, but all the connections really have me thinking. This book will stick with me for sure!

I really enjoyed this book about pressure, magic, and being yourself. I thought it was a great read and I really enjoyed reading this book. It's a great read for kids ages 9-12.

Intense read. I love magical books and was sort of expecting this to be a fun magical read. By it's far darker with loads of family drama and abuse. 6th grade up, as it may traumatize some children. Certainly will be an eye opener for many. Still, it's a well told story and one I would recommend.

What a lovely book with a sort of dark twist to it. I wasn’t really expecting this at all in a children’s book and I think maybe mature 5th graders could handle this.

Rose is kind of famous because her dad is famous. Her father is the most magical person in town and everyone expects Rose to be just as magical if not more. When things don’t go as planned on New Years Day, Rose now has to figure out what she really wants and if she needs to fix anything about herself.

I loved the dedication as well.

Well I wasn't totally expecting this book to go that way. There is a bit of a twist and some dark material in this book. I thought it was going to be about a girl figuring out who she is supposed to be when her magic doesn't work out how it's supposed to. And it is that, but there is a lot more. The relationship with her father isn't a very good one and I felt for her throughout.
It's a lovely written book and I think middle grade readers will like it, I just think there might need to be a little more warning that there is some dark content within.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

Readers picking up a copy of One Jar of Magic could be excused for assuming, as I did, that it's a pleasant little magical story about a girl who discovers her true self instead of the self her parents expect her to be. What it is, however, is a heartbreaking (and yet somehow beautifully told) story about the generational verbal, emotional, and, eventually, physical domestic violence. Readers should be aware that this book may be triggering, particularly to those who have grown up in and lived in homes where abuse is present.

Rose Alice Anders is 12 and will be permitted, for the first time, to gather her own magic at the annual magic gathering ceremony. She is burdened with high expectations because her father, the town's most skillful magic gatherer, has been convinced since her birth that she will be as talented as he is. She is expected to continue his extraordinary and privileged legacy, one that she is so sure of she regularly makes herself obnoxious in the presence of her peers. But Rose's status as the golden child has prevented her from fully understanding the reality of her father's rages, her brother's complicated half-jealous relationship with her, her mother's desperate efforts to continually appease her husband, or the true nature of the town's esteem for her family. When Rose fails to live up to the expectations of her father and community, she begins to realize that what she has always thought about herself, magic, her father, and her community is not the fixed narrative her father has always insisted it is.

Haydu's story, while rooted in fantasy, is remarkable for its extraordinarily accurate depiction of a family, and to some extent an entire community, subject to one man's need to control everything and the violence he deploys to ensure said control. While readers are likely to arrive at the conclusion far earlier than Rose that her father is an abuser, Rose's own awakening is compelling. Her father's violent narcissism is palpable, as is the constantly uncertain terrain his family navigates as they try to keep him perpetually appeased. I read the book in a single sitting and by the later half I didn't need the narrator to note when Rose would experience a sudden chill as her father leapt, lightening fast, from happy to enraged -- I was experiencing the chill myself.

My only complaint is that there is insufficient information conveyed to the reader before reading the novel that this text may be triggering, which may result in unintended harm to readers. While there are resources for abuse victims included at the end, I can't help but wish this theme had been made a little clearer at the outset.