Book to Share: The Enchanted Sonata, by Heather Dixon Wallwork (Guest post by Lucy Hough)

Hello, friends, and happy second week of Advent! Things have been pretty crazy around here (pretty much all the appliances in my house decided to break in the same week), so my teenage daughter Lucy came to the rescue with a guest post. I asked her to talk about her very favorite Christmas book, and one of her favorite books of all time: The Enchanted Sonata, by Heather Dixon Wallwork. Without further ado… Here's Lucy's review!

Hello, everyone! Have you ever had a hard time answering the question, "What's your favorite book?" Impossible, I know, right? But if I had to answer that question, The Enchanted Sonata, by Heather Dixon Wallwork, would probably be at the top of the list.

 What makes music... Magic? A musician magician has turned all the children in the far off land of Emperia into toys, using his music and a rosewood flute. His goal: the defeat of the young soon-to-be-Emperor, Prince Nikolai. The prince's only chance is to defeat the magician...while in the form of an unrecognisable, eight foot, walking, talking, nutcracker. His only hope: Miss Clara Stahlbaum, a young pianist from our world.

I love the world building, the food, and the characters (I may have a fictional crush on Nikolai). This is one of the few books that I can say is, for certain, in my top three favorite books. Filled with adventure, romance, and chocolate, The Enchanted Sonata is a book that will last in your soul like a song you can't get out of your head. 

I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys Artemis Fowl (for the cleverness) and Frank Cottrell Boyce books (for the humor), or just for anyone who likes a good Christmas-y story—especially anyone who likes music. It would be most appreciated by ages eleven and up (although I'm reading it aloud to my younger siblings, and my seven-year-old brother is loving it).

Thanks, Lucy! For more Marvelous Middle Grade Monday recommendations, visit Always in the Middle.