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The Marvellers
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Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Marvelous, unique story about belonging and friendship.
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What's the Story?
In THE MARVELLERS, Ella Durand is the first conjuror to attend the Arcanum Training Institute for Marvelous and Uncanny Endeavors. At the institute in the sky, aspiring marvellers from all over the world study and hone their skills with the hopes of being sorted into one of five paragons: touch, vision, spirit, sound, and taste. Unfortunately, Ella is met with her classmates' prejudice and their incorrect views of conjurors being bad and unnatural. Ella still manages to make friends with Brigit, who doesn't want to be at the Institute, and Jason, who can communicate with many of the Institute's magical creatures. Ella also finds an ally in her favorite teacher and mentor, Masterji Thakur. Ella's time at the institute is made worse when Gia Trivelino, Ace of Anarchy -- an infamous criminal -- escapes from prison, leading to speculation that he did so with a conjuror's help. This causes many to become even more suspicious of Ella and her fellow conjurors. Even worse, Ella's beloved mentor also mysteriously disappears. It'll be up to Ella and her friends to get to the bottom of things and show everyone that she belongs.
Is It Any Good?
This imaginative and unique read is perfect for fantasy lovers. Readers of The Marvellers will find themselves immersed in the novel's world and all of the locations in which the story takes place. Though the school sorting system has been done in various iterations, Clayton gives a unique spin to it, creating a system that's complex and refreshingly new. Marvellers from all over the world attend the Institute, and there are characters representing a multitude of ethnicities, cultures, and gender identities. These brief references are respectfully done with no stereotypical depictions.
The 400+ pages might seem intimidating to some readers, but it's a worthwhile read. As an added bonus, the novel features many popular YA and middle grade authors' names as cameos. Readers will be elated to have their favorite authors pop up as Institute professors or other characters.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about bullying in The Marvellers. Ella's classmates are prejudiced against her and other conjurors and say mean things about her. Ella responds by speaking up for herself and doesn't back down. That's one way to deal with bullying kids. What are some other ways to handle the situation? What would you do?
Marvellers are sorted into one of five paragons: taste, touch, vision, spirit, and sound. Some examples of abilities mentioned in the book are being able to speak to animals, see the future, and concoct potions. Which paragon would you like to have and why?
Ella is the first conjuror to attend the Institute, which puts her by herself in an unfamiliar place. Would you want to be the first to do something? What would that be? How would you make yourself comfortable in an unfamiliar setting?
Book Details
- Author: Dhonielle Clayton
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Friendship , Great Girl Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Henry Holt & Company, Inc.
- Publication date: May 3, 2022
- Number of pages: 416
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: September 2, 2023
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