Bee (stitchsaddiction)

6mo

Created a review:

I'm so glad I got to read this wonderful middle-grade book; Leo and the Crazy Genre Hotel which is book two in Tsvi Jolles’s Leo’s Magical Journeys series. If you pick this up and haven’t read book one, Leo and the Magic Guitar of the Ozarks, the author gives you a glimpse into what you have missed but I would recommend it for any young reader who loves the idea of music and magic being all around you. Book two takes both Leo and the reader on a journey as he and his Mom begin a new life away from all they have both known. The Magnolia Hotel itself sounds like it’s stepped out of a movie and I for one would love a summer job there if it existed because all isn’t quite as it seems, the love of literature runs through its foundations and has done for nearly a century and the author breathes so much life into this wondrous hotel that the reader will easily see it in their mind’s eye. I couldn’t help but envision places from Wes Anderson movies - because it sounds both ornate and run down but still beautiful if you know what I mean. I loved once again the relationship between Leo and his Mom, although we see a lot less of her this time because there are a lot of new faces that come Leo’s way. Once again I liked how Leo’s Mom tended to slip into her native Spanish when she spoke, often mixing it up with English as she went and it had a realism to it that I think adds so much not just to the character but to their relationship as a whole. There’s also the former teacher from book one who has continued his romance with Leo’s Mom and it was lovely to see her blossom etc and yet be so aware of her son’s needs - again these little nuances give so much to the book. This is a story of magic, and the magic of the written word and I loved how some fictitious faces many readers both young and old will know, come to life for those who know. It seems as natural as anything for them to be a part of The Magnolia. Jolles writes them with the respect they deserve and takes little from the character we know from their original text. I loved this book, and read it over several hours because I just wanted to see where the story would take Leo and myself - I certainly didn’t expect some of the adventures he found himself on. I hope he gets to go on more, and perhaps we will see his best friend in them because I missed the camaraderie of the first one between Leo and Shane - he may be growing up but it seemed strange that we didn’t even get texts or calls from his friend since childhood.

multilayered

original

clever plotting

satisfying conclusion

setting fits the story

easy to read