My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Random House Children's | Knopf Books for Young Readers. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Audience: About 10-13
Representation: Multiple races, I think there was one adult who might be part of LGBTQ (but it was so fast, I didn't get a solid bead on who it was—that's my fault for reading too fast).

I adored the magic flowing like the tide in TIDEMAGIC: THE MANY FACES OF ISTA FLIT. Ista is working through her challenges and gains allies (and new friends) as she tries to solve her problem—her dad is missing.

But there is so much more going on! And she's caught in the middle.

Every moment of this story is grabby (meaning it grabs you and makes you want to keep reading). I think kids are going to eat up this adventure and want another book. This one ends in a great way but there are loose threads to resolve later.

I hope you pick up this book. I want to hear all about your thoughts.

So YES! I recommend this as one of my new favorite middle grade books.

Happy reading!

Great middle grade! Whimsical, magical, and found family vibes.

Isla Flit is going to find her father. He went to find them a home in a new town. Once settled, he would send for her. He disappeared before he had a chance.
Isla travels to the town of Shelwich to find him.
The towns magic is linked to the Tides. No one can be out after dark because that's when people disappear. With help from some new friends, she is determined to find out who or what is responsible.

This is a new favorite middle grade for me. I loved the magic and the town. The characters and residents are so heartwarming. Well, most of them. Such a fun read!

Ista is determined enough to find her father, brave enough to move to Shelwich alone, and resourceful enough to make allies along the way. These character traits make following her along through the story entertaining and engaging. This being the first book in a series, it does a wonderful job of setting up the rules for how this world works, which helps readers get a feel for what they can expect from future books. The characters are interesting and I hope to learn more about their past in future books. Between the characters and plot points, this book has the making for a very imaginative and captivating series. I look forward to see what happens next.

This is a story is very whimsically written and I think that this kind of writing can either really work for a child or can be really distracting. I think that the magic was interesting and the fact that our main character's magic allows her to look like other people when that is normally a trait of the "bad guy" was refreshing. I think that this book was a little to whimsical for my personal taste but I do think that there are going to be children who love this book.

I read this with my daughter and we loved the story of Ista Flit! The magic of this world was fun and different, and we absolutely enjoyed trying to figure out what was going on in Shelwich. The twists and turns we took weren't always predictable (even for mom!) but always made sense. This was a great read and we are looking forward to the next one!

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had everything that I was looking for from a magical children's novel. The overall feel worked well as a fantasy novel and enjoyed the overall feel of the world. The characters were everything that I hoped for and thought it worked with the mystery and monster element. I hope there is more in this world and can't wait for more.

In a world where magic ebbs and flows with the tides, Ista has the power to shift into the appearance of anyone she chooses. When she arrives in Shelwich determined to find her missing Pa, her gift attracts the attention of Alexo, who steals her clarinet and demands twenty "errands" from her in order to get it back. Meanwhile, people are disappearing after attacks by Grilks, the terrifying monsters plaguing the community. Although danger overshadows Ista, she also has the benefit of two elderly men who take her in with warmth and affection, as well as friendship with two kids who join her in her mission. I found that the action lagged at times because of the amount of detail, and while the plot twists and turns were fun they sometimes seemed inexplicable. Best to just roll with it and look forward to the next installment of the series. The cover and illustrations by Karl Mountford are terrific.

What a fantastic debut novel! I immediately fell in love with this world and the characters. I'm so excited to see where Ista, Nat, and Ruby go on their adventures. Instantly a fan favorite of mine.

My middle-grade daughter and I enjoyed this mystery within a fantasy. Ista lives in a magical land where everyone is born with a different magical "blessing." Her blessing is to be able to change her appearance into whoever she wishes, and she acquires that person's blessing once she assumes their identity.

When people start go to missing, including her own father and the family members of her friends, she and two of her friends go on a mission to find their loved ones and unravel the mystery of their disappearance. My daughter's criticism was that the beginning of the novel was a bit hard to get into, and I agree it that this is more of a slow burn mystery. However, she enjoyed it once the pace picked up. Without spoiling the conclusion, the end left an ambiguous element that opens the door to a future continuation of the story, which some readers may not appreciate.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Random House Children's/Knopf Books for Young Readers for an arc of this book!

Ista Flit has a blessing - a magical ability. Most people Ista knows have some kind of blessing, but Ista’s is special; it allows her to shape change into other people. Blessings have been getting stronger in recent years, but that hasn’t been enough to save the people of Shelwich from the grilks, horrible magical creatures that appear from nowhere, only to vanish with a person from the town - and the disappearances are increasing in frequency.

This is an enjoyable and fast-paced novel, with a few twists that make it more interesting. Ista, along with her new friends, Nat and Ruby, start seeking the most recent missing person, one the the co-owners of the restaurant where Ista works and lives. Ages are never given precisely, but Ista, Nat, and Ruby all seem to be tweens or young teens. This book is recommended for readers of all ages.

I was provided with an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a fun middle-grade fantasy. There is a diverse cast of characters, so there is a bit of something for every reader. The story is well written and descriptive, which will keep the readers engaged. The ending paves the way for a possible sequel. Harlow's book is creative and likely to appeal to readers of all ages.

In a town filled with magic rising and falling with the tides, a community is rattled when people begin to vanish, and many fear monsters are to blame. So, when Ista’s dad goes missing, she uses her rare, face-changing, magical abilities to transform her appearance to help her try to find her father and uncover clues as to who’s behind the disappearances. Author Clare Harlow’s TIDEMAGIC delivers an intriguing novel filled with magic, monsters, and suspense!

Thank you Netgalley & Knopf Books/Random House Children's for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

Ista Flit wants her father’s clarinet back, and she is determined to do whatever it takes to have it returned to her possession. While her Tide gift—the ability to wear others’ faces—is useful in this endeavor, she is not infallible. When a task Ista has agreed to complete goes disastrously wrong one evening, Ista finds herself inadvertently revealing her gift to a boy who is certain there is someone controlling the nefarious grilk creatures who are terrorizing the people in their town. And though Ista is used to working alone, she quickly becomes entangled in Nate’s project and begins seeing her world in an entirely new light.

This middle grade fantasy novel is compelling from the very beginning thanks to its use of rich language and descriptions and the depth of the storytelling itself. While the world building necessary for this story is vast, it is done in a way that immerses readers in Ista’s world while keeping the momentum of her tale moving forward. Additionally, readers are willing to suspend their disbelief with abandon because the characters themselves are highly relatable despite their exclusive existence in a fictional narrative. Thoughtful backstories and character development connect readers to the protagonists in this novel, and readers will be eager to discover what happens next.

Short chapters and occasional illustrations make this book appeal to middle grade readers, while the narrative speaks to older readers, as well. Choice vocabulary and high stakes encourage newer middle grade readers to stretch their abilities because they are being trusted to be able to do so. Readers who enjoy fantasy stories with strong characters, danger, and just the right amount of good versus evil will relish Ista’s adventure. Poised for a sequel, this book ends in a way that will have readers clambering for the next installment. At once a tale of friendship, bravery, and coming into one’s own, this fantasy adventure is an excellent addition to library collections for middle grade readers.

Fantasy and mystery all in one book…yes, please! I was very intrigued by the first few chapters and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. I would sometimes forget that this was a middle grade fantasy as I was reading it but I loved all the characters. I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series and anything else that Clare Harlow writes.

What worked:
It seems like characters who can change their physical appearances are usually bad guys but Ista breaks that mold. The Tide is the source of magic and all of the characters, except for Nat, have abilities. It’s expected in this society. Ista is at the mercy of a notorious thief, Alexo, so readers will root for her as she tries to reacquire her missing father’s last possession. Ista feels there must be a little bit of good inside of Alexo but readers may doubt that. Their relationship is not mutually beneficial as readers will sense Alexo can’t be trusted. The uncertainty of their relationship creates an interesting conflict to follow. However, Ista never suspects what Alexo is really up to.
An unexpected mystery is introduced when Ista crosses paths with Nat. Nat’s mother is a newspaper reporter and her magical talent is getting hunches that are never wrong. She suspects someone is controlling the grilks that are being blamed for disappearances across the city, possibly including Ista’s own father. The grilks are so feared that citizens are afraid to even say that word out loud. No one has ever escaped a grilk encounter before but Ista has now done it twice. Ista and her friends follow leads, investigate suspects, and are still stumped by confusing evidence. The victims of the grilk attacks must have something in common, but what? The author manages to conceal the truth for much of the story and even then, surprising twists and turns await.
The Tide sometimes feels like more than a natural occurrence depending on the setting. Its power comes and goes each day much like the tides found in large bodies of water. There are times during the story when Ista must feel for the magic or moments when the Tide is upset that she’s using it. The author artfully describes this relationship and the narrative as evidenced by this sentence later in the book. “The Tide was rising, its magic nosing at Ista like a puppy seeking attention…” Besides displaying the appearances of others, Ista can manifest their magical powers. The Tide doesn’t like her doing this and she can’t use the abilities for long.
What didn’t work as well:
There are many moving parts to the plot that some young readers might not appreciate. However, most readers will like the uncertainty and creative writing of the story.
The final verdict:
The author has crafted an imaginative, suspenseful adventure that will captivate young readers. Ista’s determination to locate her father and the other missing citizens makes her character admirable and appealing. I highly recommend you give this book a shot.

I enjoyed this dark magical story, but wished there was more to it. I think it's a great middle grades novel with the promise of a sequel (with a solid ending rather than a cliffhanger, which I love!). The characters are easy to root for, and the mystery is enjoyable too.

Thank you NetGalley for this fantastic middle grade read. Ista being a face changer is a unique skill and I quickly got lost in this creative world and story. This book has fun characters, an engaging magic system and solidly good pacing. Kids and adults will devour this book. Looking forward to more books by this author.

A well written middlegrade mystery and adventure with a great magic system related to the tides. I loved the plot twists and revelations at the end. It was energetic and well done. Usually the aftermath isn't exciting in books, but in this one it was and plunged us into more revelations, and the start of the next adventure. It took me a moment to get into the story and characters when I started reading, but around the middle I was very invested and understood well who was who and who was missing, then it was hard to stop turning the pages. The way the author writes it's like I can hear their voices speaking to me. Loved Ista, Ruby and Nat, they make a great team. I liked Alexo as well.
Although it looks like a series, this volume has a resolution and can be read as a standalone, but not all problems are fixed just yet.
Loved the artwork of the chapters a lot and the cover too.
Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this e-arc. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

Tidemagic: The Many Faces of Ista Flit is an incredible start to a new magical series. In a world of magic and monsters there's a young girl name Ista searching for her pa. She lives in a town called Shelwich where magical gifts are enhanced by the changing of the tide but those magical people are starting to go missing. Ista is determined to find her dad and she's learning to use her unique magical gift to help her. She has the ability to change her appearance to looks like anyone she's met. Isla gets help in her search from Nat and Ruby, whose loved ones also disappeared, and together they set off to investigate the missing people. This story is filled with magic, heart, and adventure. I can't wait to see where the rest of this series goes!

A dark and atmospheric, plot-based fantasy. Mysterious and magical. This book is filled with diverse characters, human machinations, and monsters. There is even a nod towards the corruption present in politics.