Belinda’s Book Nook Review: Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley

Title: Magonia
Author: Maria Dahvana Headley
Copyright: April 28, 2015
Genre: fantasy
Format:book  Pages: 320

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Aza Ray is drowning in thin air.

Since she was a baby, Aza has suffered from a mysterious lung disease that makes it ever harder for her to breathe, to speak—to live.

So when Aza catches a glimpse of a ship in the sky, her family chalks it up to a cruel side effect of her medication. But Aza doesn’t think this is a hallucination. She can hear someone on the ship calling her name.

Only her best friend, Jason, listens. Jason, who’s always been there. Jason, for whom she might have more-than-friendly feelings. But before Aza can consider that thrilling idea, something goes terribly wrong. Aza is lost to our world—and found, by another. Magonia.

My Thoughts:

I admit, I fell in love with the cover of this book before I even knew what it was about. Not only is the dust jacket beautiful but the hardcover is embossed with the feather and birds on a brilliant blue cover.  Just stunning. I always take the dust coat off when I read hardcover books and then replace when I am finished. I’m pretty sure this would be the reverse of purpose of dust jackets but that’s how I roll! So I have to say, I found myself looking at the cover while it was all over my house during my reading times.

This is my first bit of fantasy in a long while. Not including graphic novels. I fell into this story from the first page. It pulled me in to the mystery of what was wrong with this girl. I think the author did a great job of exploring the experience of a terminally ill person with little details.

I also enjoyed the development of the the two main characters, Aza and Jason. Their friendship was enviable. Of course they did through in a little bit of a love-triangle as most YA fiction seems to have but I didn’t mind it.

The world that Ms. Headley created in the sky was so amazing. I thought it was beautiful like the movie Avatar. Remember all the blue beings and the amazing jungle scenes. That is how pretty I believe Magonia to be.

I look forward to that follow-up book. This was a great summer read.  Light, engrossing, and fast.

I gave it 4 1/2 stars for all of the above reasons and just for the originality of this other world and beings.

Happy Reading!

Belinda