Book Review: Paint by Magic

Paint by Magic

Kathryn Reiss

 Paint by Magic is a time traveling tale of a family and a dead artist. Connor is an eleven year old boy whose family never sees each other. Both his parents are constantly working, his sister is off talking to friends and doing her after school activities, while Connor does his own activities, and it taken care of by babysitter, Ashleigh.
One day, Connor finds his mom at home and sitting in a trance like state. She was just sitting there, posing. When she snaps back to life, she offers Connor homemade snacks? Connor’s mom doesn’t cook. What’s with this? When Connor goes up into his room, all his electronics are missing. The computer was gone, the TV was gone, even his stereo system has disappeared! All the TVs in the house were gone!

When he goes to tell his mother about this problem—she’s in the kitchen, cooking again. She explains that she had took out the television sets herself, because the family needs time to get away from such an addiction. Connor’s mom never acted like this before, what’s wrong with her? Connor and his family, including Ashleigh, are surprised by his mother’s actions, and why does she keep going into a trance? Connor finds this mysterious art book that has paintings with women that look exactly like his mother. But the painter died before his mom was even born. What’s this connection? Connor is taken back in time to find the answer, finding himself in the 1920s and with a mysterious painter. Can he find out why and what’s been happening? Before something dangerous happens?

Paint by Magic is an interesting book, with descriptive details that lets you know exactly how this family lives and why it’s so strange for their mother to act in such a way. The story catches your attention from the beginning and keeps you reading.