A beautifully told, dual-language young adult book on the importance and power of music, magic, family, and friendships, told with exquisite imagery.

I want to thank Tsvi Jolles, Brave Fawn Books and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Leo and the Magic Guitar of the Ozarks is the first book in a middle-grade series. I feel like it was notorious the amount of research that has went into the book and made the story more grounded. Loved the mix between the English and the Español.

Although it was not "the reason why" , the cover was so freaking B.E.A.U.T.I.L. 😍. and it kind of influenced me to apply for this book (I'll be honest)

I really enjoyed following Leo’s journey—a mix of music, magic, and self-discovery that felt both heartfelt and original. The idea of a magical guitar connecting him to legendary musicians was super creative, and I loved how it helped him deal with grief, bullying, and growing up.

That said, some parts of the story felt a bit rushed, especially toward the end—I would’ve liked a bit more depth in Leo’s final performance and how things wrapped up.

Still, it's a lovely book with a great message for younger readers (and even adults!). If you’re into music, coming-of-age stories, or magical realism, this one’s worth checking out.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s such a good coming-of-age storyline. It’s a great fantasy book while still being relatable as it wasn’t too fantastic.
I loved the use of different musicians throughout, and from different genres too. I’m interested in the rest of the series!

Did not finish: 43%

This started out great, but the characters are really mary-sue/matthew-stew. Everyone is good at everything and learns faster than normal humans. Everyone is amazing all the time except for the bully, but I feel like that may improve too and then he will also be good at things too, I feel. I really loved the characters they just needed more faults and failures, more errors made to succeed, not to just succeed everytime. This has potential but really needs a rewrite and edit.

Leo and the Magic Guitar of the Ozarks by Tsvi Jolles

5/5 stars 🌟 (This review is coming tomorrow 07/01/25)

Thank you NetGalley and Brave Fawn Books for providing this eARC!

This book was absolutely FANTÁSTICO! The amount of passion and research that has went into the book was amazing, I felt like I got a full history lesson and music lesson in one.

The use of singers was an incredible idea, the show of how bullying can affect our passions, how rumours hurt us but can also lead to something beautiful.

Leo and Shane’s friendship! Tammy felt a-bit fillerish but I appreciated her nonetheless. The use of different languages in this book was great and was amazing to see blended and explained for those who don’t speak it.

It’s amazing to see a book that shows magic within 💛

Overall this book was amazing and I highly recommend it to everyone!