A Fistful of Sky (LaZelle #1)- Nina Kiriki Hoffman

In the LaZelle family, each of the members goes through a brutal "transition" and if they survive they awaken with powerful magic. The magic varies for everyone based somewhat on personality type and the rest on chance. However, it is also known that "late-bloomers" tend to end up with a  less desirable gift: the gift of curses. This wouldn't be an issue, but it is also true that if the magic goes unused for too long, it will inevitably consume the wielder. Gypsum LaZelle is nineteen years old and completely "magic-less" in contrast to her powerful siblings and therefore resigned to a mundane existence. Then, one day when her family is out of town she becomes gravely ill and wakes up with a new gift--one that will make her wish she had remained normal.

Overal Merit: I LOVED the concept of this book, so much so that when I found it on goodreads.com, I bought it for my e-reader so I could start immediately. I actually could not tear myself away from it and finished it in about three hours. Gypsum is a great character and her siblings are awesome. However, per usual, I had my gripes. What started out as a fantastic predicament took a turn for the weird. I have no issue with weird, in fact, I adore weird, but this was too weird. The ending also threw me and I wasn't satisfied when it came to a close. The end is bizarre, but that's ok. If you want a new take on magic, read it anyway. Score- 8.5

Characters: Gypsum was fascinating and probably the only heavy female character I've seen who wasn't languishing in self-pity about her weight. She was so real and human that for all her flaws she was still lovable. The supporting characters didn't disappoint either and I loved how it was near impossible to define the antagonist. Strong personalities all around for Gypsum's siblings and her "curse child", Altria. Some of the concepts Hoffman tackled within personalities were heavy usages of Jungian archetypes so if that doesn't sit well with you, you have been warned. Score-9

Blush Factor: This was disappointing as it promised to be present, but wasn't really there. Hoffman teased with a potential relationship, but it fizzled out into nothing of interest. This was probably the weakest point of the novel and Hoffman would have done well to exclude it completely. Score- 4

Structure: The structure was fairly linear and told from Gypsum's perspective. I followed it easily and had no complaints. Nothing innovative was done here. One major gripe I had was that Hoffman brushed on the subject of creatures from alternate worlds, but she never went into any detail, which left me somewhat confused. Also, she didn't define the limits on Gypsum's power, which also annoyed me because I wanted more definition as to what she actually could and could not do. The score would have been higher if Hoffman did a better job of covering her bases in terms of technicalities. Score- 5

Plot: I was completely enthralled by the plot until I got to the ending, which was a bit too forced and philosophical for my taste. I'll not say more than that because of spoilers. The concept was phenomenal and a refreshing addition to the world of magic-weilders. In spite of the flaws, I was able to suspend my disbelief more than usual because of the great cast of characters. Score-7

In summation: if you are looking for something with an excellent plot and great characters and are willing to turn a blind eye to some technical issues and a strange ending, then go for it.

Vervain says: "Gypsum is a crystalline stone that symbolizes stability in the midst of chaotic change as well as growth and improvement."