Karen S. (BoysMom) - My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a difference perspective can make - the rest of the amazing story of sisters Ana and Margo!
Magic Lessons for Margo by author Maria Elena Sandovici is the amazing change-of-perspective tale of the family drama begun in The Adventures of Miss Vulpe. This time, readers hear older sister Margo's story: her interpretation of her and her sister's shared past and reunion as young adults.
Margo was fourteen years old when her mother and stepfather committed suicide, and she went to live with her father. By that time, she had already been affected by her mother's neglect, inconsistent behavior, and her maternal grandmother's harsh attitudes toward child-rearing. Now a pre-med student at UCLA, Margo has been reunited with her younger sister, Ana, with whom she's always had an adversarial relationship, competing for their mother's attention and love.While Ana coped with the trauma of their childhood by acting out, Margo was the "good" daughter, compliant and a high achiever but riddled by anxiety that years of therapy have yet to resolve completely. Laser-focused on school, with math and science as her favorite subjects, Margo has lived a solitary existence, which she continued at UCLA until she met Pryia, her new lab partner this semester. With Ana alternately encouraging her to befriend Pryia and then ghosting her, Margo struggles with her new feelings and navigating the waters of developing her first real friendship. When Ana showed up on campus, having run away from their father and home in Madrid, I was already emotionally invested in these girls' lives. I couldn't imagine what more could be divined from dissecting the love triangle of their mother, father, and father's best friend, Richard. I was completely surprised by what was still left to uncover.
The sisters' trip to New Orleans, Galveston, and Houston, escorted by the faithfully competent and steady private investigator, Mr. Lyle, is filled with vivid images and irresistible meals and experiences. The story unwraps various relationships, and the girls discover more than just their parents' pasts, coming to terms with themselves and each other.While this is the second book in the series, I believe it can easily be read out of order and still enjoyed, though the family drama will certainly unfold in a much different fashion. Perception is everything.
I recommend MAGIC LESSIONS FOR MARGO to fiction readers who enjoy young adult and family dramas and coming-of-age stories.