Michelle Harrison's story has all the elements of traditional fairytales, used in imaginative and unexpected ways. Three ordinary sisters plan to go to a fair on a nearby island, only to discover that they are cursed and can't leave the island on which they live. How they set about their attempt to break the curse is scary and exciting and will grab the imaginations of young readers and their families.

Nicky Diss is an excellent narrator, giving individual character to each of the sisters and pacing the action to perfection.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and to Simon and Schuster for a review copy.

A magical read that will get kids hooked on reading!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

A pinch of magic is a very sweet story about three sisters. The Widdershin sisters, Fliss, Betty and Charlie, are the last in a line of women in their family who are cursed to never leave their island or else they'd die. But then the girls inherit family heirlooms including a travelling bag, set of dolls and a mirror. So then sister Betty decides to find a way to break the curse so she can leave the island.

The sisters were wnderful characters, all interating beautifully together -- they felt like real sisters. Their grandmother, Granny Widdershin, was also wonderful as you can tell she'd done anything for her granddaughters.

The worldbuilding was interesting -- the islands were very atmospheric and felt gothic at some point.

This is definitely a story i recommend, and one i'll be rereading !

This was quite a sweet middle grade fantasy, with a big focus on family and magic, and it was quite enjoyable, perhaps a little quaint for my tastes but I think this is a story that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

Sadly this was Archived before I had chance to read it and I don't know if you can save an audiobook like you can an ebook to keep it until after the archive date so I've given it a standard rating for now and will buy the book and read it and change my rating in the future.

I am obsessed with this book!
This is such a magical book that I absolutely fell in love with. It is one of those books that you will keep thinking of in real life, every now and then. Sometimes you almost believe that it was a real life experience filled with magic, adventure and great characters.

The sisters in this book have such an amazing bond and you instantly fall in love for the characters and want to protect them at all costs. The world that they are in is painted in such a mystical and beautiful way, that you wish you could explore with them too.

I would highly recommend this book to people of all ages, but I can see this being such a magical eye opener to children and wish I could've been blown away with this story as a child too!

Awesome ! Wonderfully written & the narrator is amazing!! The relationship between the sisters is wonderfully portrayed and cannot wait to read about their next adventures. Although I wish the netgalley shelf hadn't been such a pain in the ass.

What a fantastic adventure with the Whiddershin sisters. This was full of magic & excitement. I loved following along and finding out their family history and the relationship between the sisters was lovely. Great read

I might not be as brave as Betty, as caring as Fliss or as hungry as Charlie, but I would do anything to go on an adventure with the Widdershins Sisters. United by blood, loyalty and absolute trust, these sisters embark on a journey to remove a curse that has been upon her family for generations, mainly because one of them has been kidnapped and if the curse isn't broken, they will all die. Unfortunately, they are only equipped with three magical objects and have no destination in mind.
Harrison blends magic and adventure with a fluidity that makes this an engrossing journey. I thoroughly enjoyed the narration, the mini adventures that were a part of the bigger picture, and the Widdershins girls (including Granny), who are inspiring, loving and incredibly amazing.

Suddenly, a world of magic unveils in front of sisters Betty, Charlie and Fliss, taking the reader through a series of mysterious secrets hidden in their family, including an ancient curse. It makes the young reader dream and wonder if there might be a world of magic nearby too. This audio book is certainly to activate the imagination of children and keep them engaged. It is well read by Nicky Diss with age appropriate intonations and expressions, making the story engaging and lively. I highly recommend it!

Fliss, Betty and Charlie Widdershins are three sisters, living with their Granny, who she never lets go far from her sight. One day, Betty and Charlie decide to visit the local fair but this will mean leaving the town of Crowstone - suddenly Granny appears to stop their escapade, and thus begins the real adventure...

The curse on Widdershins girls tieing them to the town is upon them, and together they set out to break it.

Great characters, magical twists, and a wonderful story. Nicky Diss is the perfect narrator for this story - she gives the right mixture of adrenaline and excitement to the narrative at the appropriate pace, and will keep all young listeners gripped throughout.

My 10 year old and her friends would love this.

The instant I started listening to this story I was reminded of how special and magical children’s literature is, how the imagination is let loose, rules are broken and adventure really begins. The three widdershin sisters live with their Grandmother at Poachers Pocket. Their mother has died and their father is in jail. One foggy night Betty’s search for adventure is thwarted by her Grandmother who reveals that the three sisters are cursed and can never leave. Each sister has inherited a magical object and using these objects they embark on an adventure to break the curse. Having a story read at night is a highlight for every child and this audiobook is the perfect bedtime story. Nicky Diss is an excellent narrator, clear and articulate, drawing out the magic, building up the tension and capturing the voices of the characters. The story is full of magical names for places, characters, plants and I loved hearing these spoken out loud. This book is wonderful, it is storytelling at its best, utterly original. It is for all the family to love and share sitting around the fire, curled up in bed. With thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Audio U.K. for a copy of this audiobook.

A Pinch Of Magic

Story: 5 stars
Audio narration: 5 stars

<I>Adventure is for the audacious.</I>

I was lucky enough to be approved for an audiobook ARC of this magnificent children’s story. With strong elements of magic, love for one’s family, and witty writing, <I>A Pinch of Magic</I> is a vivid and enchanting story that I couldn’t stop listening to.

Meet our protagonists, Fliss, Betty, and Charlie. They’re the Widdershins sisters, and aged 16, 13 and 6, find out that they’re cursed — no Widdershins girl can ever leave Crowstone, the island they live on. If they do, they will die within 24 hours.

Horrified at the prospect of never being able to leave the island, Betty instigates her sisters into action, and they set about investigating the curse. How did the curse come about? Why are they cursed? And most importantly, how do they break it?

This of course leads them on an adventure, which contributes towards their self discovery (primarily for Betty, since Charlie is really too young), and enables them to come to terms with things that have hurt them in the past, such as their mum’s death and their dad’s subsequent imprisonment for being a smuggler. The story is narrated from Betty’s point of view, and we get to see how she learns that people are not wholly good or wholly bad; they’re a mix of both. She also learns that just because she doesn’t get along with someone, doesn’t necessarily mean they’re evil.

I’ve often found that books meant for younger audiences tend to be deeper in meaning and more poignant than the average YA or NA novel, and <I>A Pinch of Magic</I> stands testament to this. Under all that action and plot and mystery, we have genuine and lovable characters whose personalities undergo growth. Betrayal, guilt, making amends, sisterly love — what more could you ask for?

They’re joined in their adventures by Colton, a boy they cross paths with it, and watching Betty’s emotions for him grow from one of utter suspicion and anger, to actual trust and friendship, warmed my heart.

The best features of this story, for me:

— Our pretty awesome main characters, who are resourceful and smart and get things done
— The witty and engaging writing style employed by Michelle Harrison
— The world building: the story is sort of set in our world, but also not.
— The adventure the characters undergo is precisely what I would define as an adventure
— Strong inter-personal interactions between the characters
— Characters of colour, such as Colton

The only downside for me was that Novikov’s Self-Consistency Principle wasn’t followed — as an amateur quantum physicist, this is something that is important to me. But it’s a personal thing — to anyone who isn’t interested in quantum physics (which is 95% of the world), this shouldn’t be an issue. I’ve made my peace with the fact that it’s not fair to expect everyone to apply this principle to their plots, so I will not talk about this further here.

I think my most favourite part about this book is that the resolution to the problem our MCs faced was put forth by Charlie — who said six year olds cannot be trusted to come up with smart solutions? :D I honestly loved all the interactions between the Widdershins sisters and the dynamics between them — I genuinely hope that if I’d had sisters, this is the type of love we’d have for each other.

Michelle Harrison has done a wicked job, forging characters that I now love and care for. I can’t wait to get to the sequel.

This audiobook was narrated by Nicky Diss, and I’d give 5 stars for the narration. Audiobooks are my preferred form of reading, and the Diss does a fantastic job. Her narration is perfect. It was an enjoyable experience for me!

I’d like to thank Simon & Schuster Audio UK for giving me a chance to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book; thank you!

Thank to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Audio UK for a free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Michelle Harrison's "A Pinch of Magic" sure is a whirlwind of a book.

This middle-grade adventure has everything; strong heroines, magical objects, a generational curse, the deep bond of sisterly love, and a pinch of magic.

Harrison does a wonderful job of building up the enchanting world of Crowstone, that it felt like a real place in our world.

Nicky Diss is a brilliant narrator and really helped me envision the adventure of the Widershins Sisters.

Another lovely Netgalley audiobook, and another narration by Nicky Diss who is fast becoming one of my favourite audiobook narrators. I think she adds a touch of magic to the books she read.
Now for A Pinch of Magic itself. At this point I am unsure of how the sisters story continues as this story had a set ending (I did briefly look up the next book and it looks like it’s a new adventure entirely). I actually liked this because some trilogies leave such open endings that you feel cheated. A Pinch of Magic is a complete tale.
The history of the curse and the way this is narrated within the book are some of my favourite pats of the book. Overall, the story ebbed back and forth a bit. The beginning and the revelation of the curse were enticing but I’m not a big fan of using the solution that was found at the end of the book. I don’t want any spoilers but it’s a ‘once you open that door…’ it’s a complicated and can get messy. Michelle Harrison did resolve this escalating but I’m not sure if it’ll be revisited in the next book.
A Pinch of Magic has more than a pinch of it within its pages. The premise is good and there are some real highlights, both for unravelling the mystery and adventures.

My thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio U.K. for a review copy via NetGalley of the audiobook edition of ‘A Pinch of Magic’ by Michelle Harrison. It was published in March 2019. I already own its Kindle edition and did a dual read/listen for an immersive reading experience.

The audiobook is unabridged, with a run time of 8 hours, 44 minutes at 1x. It is narrated by Nicky Diss.

‘A Pinch of Magic’ is the kind of children’s fiction suitable for ages 9-99. It focuses upon the three Widdershins sisters, Betty, Fliss, and Charlie. They live with their grandmother, Bunny, in their family’s pub, The Poacher’s Pocket, on the isle of Crowstone. When they discover that the women of their family are cursed, they seek a way to break it and end up having adventures.

While this novel works fine as a stand-alone, it is the first in the Widdershins Sisters trilogy. The second ‘A Sprinkle of Sorcery’ was published in February and the final book due in early 2021.

I have read a couple of Michelle Harrison‘s previous novels and found them both delightful. ‘A Pinch of Magic’ confirmed my admiration for her work. It was wonderful, full of magic and adventures and infused with gentle humour.

The audiobook’s narrator, Nicky Diss, has narrated a number of Michelle Harrison’s titles for Simon & Schuster Audio. Her voice is rich and warm, with a wide range that created a sense of the individual characters. I felt that she did an excellent job of bringing the novel vividly to life.

Highly recommended.

<b>Verdict:</b> An original witchy tale.

Betty Widdershins and her two sisters are cursed never to leave the gloomy island that has always been their home. For an adventurous girl like Betty, that will never do! When each sister receives a magical heirloom, they set out to break the curse, starting with the possibly haunted Crowstone prison.

The book cover might look gorgeous, but the author does a fantastic job of building up a gloomy marshland as the backdrop of this spooky witch tale. It's very atmospheric.

The three ruff and tumble sisters make quite the team as they try to break the Widdershins curse. Each sister has a different personality: Betty the adventurous, Fliss the caring, and Charlie the cheeky. The sisters have a lovely bond which makes this book feel that little bit more special.

It's a fun, magical story that's easy to breeze through, and unlike any story I've read before. It ends in a satisfying manner making it viable as a standalone story, which is my new favourite thing.

The tale might get dark at times with revenge and murder, but it's ultimately a feel good adventure that's fun for all the family. As middle grade goes, this is one of my favourites.

Source: With thanks to the publisher via Netgalley. Audiobook version.

Actual rating 4.5/5 stars. This is the first instalment in the A Pinch of Magic trilogy.

The three Widdershins sisters are unlike in looks and personality. The eldest, Fliss, is famed island-wide for her beauty and her flirting, middle child Betty is the straight-taking one whose eyes are always resting on the horizon, and youngest Charlie is a bundle of energetic trouble, who can usually be found with a four-legged rescue hiding somewhere inside her overalls. All three reside with their granny on dreary Crowstone and all three are longing for adventure. This last fact is where lies their problem.

On Betty's thirteenth Birthday Granny reveals the Widdershins are plagued by an ancient curse that has them trapped on the island's confines with death their only escape. Their only good fortune comes in the shape of three mismatched items, handed down to them from generations of their ancestors - a carpet bag, a mermaid looking glass, and a set of dolls - and all these items come complete with a little pinch of magic.

This was such an intricate and well-crafted middle-grade story, that appealed to this adult reader just as much as the younger age range it was aimed towards. I found the three sisters hilarious and lovable and adored getting into mischief alongside them. The story-line was well-paced and brilliantly-plotted with an unknowable trajectory that kept each new escapade and spot of trouble feeling fresh and exciting. I can't wait to see what the Widdershins get up to next, in A Sprinkle of Sorcery

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children's UK for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Pinch of Magic was a lot of fun to read, I thought the characters of the three sisters were really well developed and had their own individual identities and worked well together as a team as well as individuals as they all brought their own special element to the trio. I really did enjoy this book, it had everything that a middle grade needs and I'll definitely be picking up the sequel to this book when I get the chance, although I have no idea where the sequel will go as this book tied up most of the questions asked at the beginning of the book. I think this book would've been a really good standalone, but I'm sure I'll see after reading the next in the series.

I decided the rate this book a 3 star instead of 4 purely based on the ending. I felt like the ending was too 'easy' and just left these characters in limbo.

A wonderful magical adventure. An enchanting story with strong lead characters, this will make a great series.