Review: A Brush With Magic by Flora Ahn

A Brush with Magic
written by Flora Ahn
narrated by Jennifer Sun Bell

My Rating: 4 stars

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Age Category: Middle Grade

Blurb:
A heartfelt, magical middle grade adventure—inspired by Korean folklore and set in modern-day Seoul—about sisterhood and belonging, perfect for fans of Kelly Yang and Janae Marks.

What if an ancient ink brush, oceans away in Korea, could unlock long-buried family secrets?

It’s finally summer break, and twelve-year-old Yumi is headed to Korea with her older sister, Minji, for the very first time. She can’t wait to explore the city of Seoul together—but Minji has other plans. The moment they land, Minji ditches Yumi to hang out with their cousins, who are more fashionable, better at soccer, and all-around cooler than Yumi. Lost and alone, Yumi is stuck at home painting with her grandfather.

Everything changes when she finds an intriguing ink brush in a neighborhood art shop—and accidentally summons a creature straight out of her grandfather’s retellings of Korean fairy tales. With a new friend by her side and an ink brush that has the power to bring anything she paints to life, Yumi feels unstoppable. From bustling street markets and ancient palaces to riding the subway, Yumi and her friend explore everything Seoul has to offer.

But when the magic takes a dark turn, Yumi must dig deep to hear her own voice and protect the family she loves—even if they don’t always understand each other.

My Review

I was in the mood for a fun Middle Grade book when I bought this one and started listening to it. A Brush With Magic was exactly that. Yumi goes to spend her summer with her family in Korea, but her sister Minji is not spending as much time with her and she’s feeling lonely. One day she finds a magical brush that summons a mythological Korean creature who transforms into human form and together they go on adventure in Seoul. Yumi calls her Dodo.

I had a great time listening to this book, I especially liked reading about Seoul and seeing Yumi explore Seoul with both her new friend and her grandfather. I liked looking up some of the places they visited to see what they look like. I especially liked reading about Cheonggyecheon stream. I liked reading about Yumi and Dodo’s adventures, but also got a bit worried when things turn a bit more dangerous and chaotic. I wasn’t sure how it al would play out. I also liked seeing Yumi spend time with her grandfather and listening to his stories, painting together and going to visit one of the palaces together

I found Yumi a relatable main character, she likes having plans and making sure what to expect. She also struggles with making decisions. Her new friend Dodo is more impulsive and pulls her along to do what she thinks Yumi wants. I didn’t always like this dynamic as it reminds me of my own past, but I have to admit the way it played out in the end was super satisfying. I liked how all the characters had depth and their motivations came to light toward the end. And I liked seeing Yumi find her own voice and what she want. I was a bit afraid what would happen to Dodo who is a powerful Korean mythological creature and her magic is dangerous, but I liked how this got resolved.

The narrator was a new to me one. I liked her style for this book and the different voices. I also thought she pronounced the Korean words well as far as I could tell, I don’t actually know the language. The only niggle I had was that sometimes the pause between dialogue and the text like she said behind it was a bit too long, making the flow feel a bit off.

To summarize: This was such a fun read. I liked spending time in Seoul with Yumi and Dodo as well as seeing Yumi spend time painting with her grandfather and visiting some places with him. I thought Yumi was a relatable main character with how she likes making plans and knowing what to expect and has trouble making decisions. It could feel a bit uncomfortable how Dodo would pull her along and made decisions for her and I was a bit worried how things would play out when they cause trouble with the magic. I liked the ending and how things got resolved and seeing Yumi find her voice and step up for what she wants. All in all I had a great time reading this one, it was a fun read and I liked learning a bit about Seoul.

Links:
– Goodreads
– Bookbub
– Amazon
– B&N
– Kobo

You can also read my review on Goodreads and Bookbub.