This was fun. Magic town. Ravens. Protagonist has an anxiety disorder which made it feel like I was reading a character in our world. Chaos ensues and the town must be saved. Young me would have absolutely loved it.
More 4.5, it picks up about a 1/4 of the way in and definitely had me hooked by the end.
Full review on YouTube

This is a fun and quirky middle grade novel that students will love and also learn some beautiful lessons.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

This book took some interesting turns. I didn't forsee some of the directions that it was going to take. It uses the plot elements well. That means that it's going to be difficult for some readers to follow but it's worth the effort.

This is supposed to be a fun book about kids and magic. It was actually kind of annoying. And not interesting. Finn is afraid of everything but then doesn't freak out when the slime thing comes out of the drain. She's also not afraid to break into someone's tea shop to steal tea. This book is contradictory and the story is pretty boring.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I have been raving about this book everywhere I can since I read it. It's one of my favorite reads of the year so far and I adore this cozy, magical adventure set in the Redwoods. I wish that Aldermere was a real town because I would very much like to visit! I highly recommend this story to anyone looking for a summer vacation book for their middle grade reader...or to an adult who misses having a summer vacation.

3.5 stars rounded up because I think more people should read it.

CW mostly offscreen (past) domestic abuse, onscreen anxiety disorder.

Unseen Magic is soft just like its protag, Fin. Fin has an anxiety disorder and the book plainly shows exactly how it affects every aspect of her life. It even tempts her to drink the magic tea, which seems great! Whisper a memory into the mortar, it disappears forever, and your tea will give you the desired effect. For Fin, this is always to become bolder and less afraid of everything. Uh oh. Turns out that forgetting memories with magic doesn't erase them from your personality after all. Oops!

This book does a great job of turning more and more sinister slowly. It sneaks up on you! I would definitely call this fantasy with a side of horror. I could understand how some readers would find this story too slow but if you're patient with it, it ends up being worth it.

Thank you to NetGalley for a preview copy of the ebook and eaudiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I loved all of the life lessons perfect for middle-grade readers (well, everyone) and the super fun world building. Aldermere is the kind of place a child would dream up and we all want to visit. I can’t wait to see what new tomfoolery Fin and the others get into in the next book!
4.5 stars rounds to 5 stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Greenwillow Books for the gifted book I read along with the library audio.

"The trick to all magic is: you can see if if you know where to look"

You cannot be all of yourself without all the memories and moments that have made you who you are. Giving away parts of your past to try and shape your future dulls the person you could be if you embraced all of yourself. These ideas are explored in this gem of a middle grade novel. The author weaves imagination and mystery in with this coming of age magical realism tale. Presenting a strong message is hard to do without having a heavy hand, but this book let's you discover the present inside layer by layer.

Content Warning: anxiety, domestic violence

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed the quirky residents of Aldermere and the story definitely had a few unexpected twists and turns. Also a goo message about all the parts of us, the good and the bad, make us who we are and separating those parts can have a different outcome than you hoped for. Might not recommend to young MG readers as there is some past trauma exposed in the book, but overall I liked the story.

This suspenseful book had me interested from start to finish. There is so much I enjoyed in this book, from the touches of magic to the vanishing tea shop. I enjoyed reading about Fin's adventures. The author was really good at writing vivid descriptions of scenes and making me feel like I was part of the book. This book made me feel like I was sharing in Fin's journey.

Fin and her mom have moved from one house to another until they settled in her mom's hometown of A. This quirky, magical town is the only place she's ever really felt at home, but she still gets overwhelmed by anxious thoughts and feelings. Luckily, the tea at the local, magical tea shop offers a temporary cure for her anxiety. When the tea shop is forced to close, Fin decides it's worth it to try to make the tea herself. Of course, nothing good comes from messing with magic when you don't know how it really works. Fin finds herself on a mission to fix her mistakes. With the help of her cousin and a new friend, she must face her own flaws and embrace her whole self to save the town she loves. Perfect for fans of A SNICKER OF MAGIC or other sweet, mysterious, and adventure-filled stories from the magical realism genre. There's a bit of creepiness in here but also a lot about loving yourself, overcoming anxiety, and the power of family and friends.

Excellent middle grades low fantasy with just the right amount of darkness… I love Fin, and uncovering what makes Fin herself as we also uncover Aldermere and its mysteries. Excellent world building for a stand alone novel with fantastic character development.

I received a copy of this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Emily Lloyd-Jones does it again! Unseen Magic is a brilliantly crafted novel about accepting yourself, friendship, and the anxiety surrounding them. If you could whisper memories away and become more outgoing, or more friendly, or more whatever it is that you wish you could be... would you do it? Magic always has a price. Fin knows this all too well as a frequent visitor of Talia's tea shop, but when Talia becomes unavailable to brew her some tea and make her brave, and with the science fair approaching, Fin takes matters into her own hands. It quickly goes awry, forcing Fin and her cousin Eddie to fix things before something bad really happens. Lloyd-Jones is a pro at weaving Magic into her tales, and making her audience dream of a more adventurous life of daring bravery and magical dreams. Highly recommend reading, along with Lloyd-Jones' other novels Bone Houses and the Hearts We Sold!

This is an adorable, monster-of-the-week middle grade novel. The characters all had unique voices, their own personalities and challenges. It feels like the start of a series, Fin's adventures in Aldermere. I hope the author adds to this universe.

I did wish there were more descriptions of the surroundings. Having spent a lot of time in northern California, and redwood forests, it was really easy for me to fill in the sights, sounds, and smells of the area. I think for kids and other readers not familiar with it will have a harder time immersing themselves in that environment. In particular how extraordinarilly quiet it can be.

I liked the personal and external issues Fin faced, and the promise of future resolution. Both are somewhat dark, but not treated with the kind of heaviness you'd see in a novel for older readers. I also liked how the conflict with wanting to respect your parents' words but also wanting privacy out was portrayed, very relatable. I think that's a pretty universal issue, and Fin is at an age where she can start to understand her mom's motivations.

Highly recommended for those who love fairy tales and magic, and quirky world building that you'll feel fully immersed in. A beautiful, lyrical, magical journey.

Eleven-year-old Fin, a resident of the rural, magical town of Aldermere, struggles with anxiety and fear. In an attempt to “be normal,” Fin frequently sneaks to the magical tea shop in town where she trades memories for tea that grants her bravery and soothes her anxiety. When the elderly shop owner falls and has to be hospitalized, Fin takes matters into her own hands to brew the tea herself. When things don’t go according to plan and a tea monster starts terrorizing the town, Fin has to try to figure out how to conquer both her anxiety and the monster she created. This is a lovely, whimsical story that deftly navigates trauma, anxiety, fear, and memory in ways that will be relatable and impactful for so many children.

I have some other works of ELJ and I knew I had to get my hands on her new middlegrade title. What an absolutely amazing magical little book!

I saw so much of myself in our heroine, Fin, a middle schooler whose life goes awry when she accidentally creates a tea monster out of the worst things she hates about herself. The anxiety she feels in everyday life read as me as a child, somethings I have worked through, somethings I still struggle with. While I don't like in a magical town nor drink tea that makes me fearless, I wish I had a book like this when I was younger. Fin's life is not sugercoated in this book, and I think the revelations about her life make it all the more impactful and long lasting.

Along with the colorful cast of characters, a wayward raven or two, and a disappearing tea shop, Unseen Magic is a story about bravery, self worth, and magic.

I am definitely not ready to say, "Goodbye," to Aldermere or any of the quirky residents/characters of Emily Lloyd-Jones' Unseen Magic, especially Fin, Eddie, and Cedar. Aldermere is at once beautiful and frightening, mysterious and family-oriented. Unseen Magic is rife with twists, mystery, and Magic--which not only serves as a subject, but also as a character. The fairy tale-istic setting is the perfect home for Fin as she works to to make Aldermere a home for her and her mom, and traverses the typical trials of growing, most especially accepting herself, all of herself. Lloyd masterfully weaves the self-acceptance angle in a way that is neither didactic or preachy. I cannot wait to get this in the hands of my students. Lovers of magic and fairy tales will be taken-in immediately by the atmosphere and relatable characters in the world of Unseen Magic.

And Ms. Lloyd, I saw what you did! You left it very open for more Aldermere books. I, for one, am excited about the possibilities in store!