LitPick Review
After spending a summer in California, Lizzie is excited to get back to her life back home. She misses her room, her friends, and most importantly the magical house next door! Lizzie lives next to the Portal House, a magical house that has portals allowing people to travel all over the world. No one else in Lizzie's town except Lizzie and her friend Johnny know about the magic the house holds, but the past year an evil warlock named Oliver tried to steal the House's power. When Lizzie first gets back, she is excited. She uses the house's magic portal to visit her friends Ines and Armand in France. But when Lizzie travels back to The House, she realizes something is wrong. The House seems tired and tells her that someone is trying to block its magic with a curse. Lizzie isn't sure what is going on. Could Oliver be back again? Whatever it is, Lizzie is determined to protect the house with the help of her friends!
Opinion:
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book! I think that the author did a good job introducing the characters and The House at the start of the book. I felt I was able to understand everything that had previously happened without having read the first book in the series. One of my favorite parts of this book was that due to the house's magic portals, the book took place in multiple locations from Lizzie's home in Oregon all the way to France and Greece! Additionally, I liked how throughout the story, Lizzie showed traits of being brave and willing to do whatever is needed to protect those she loves. I also enjoyed the magical elements in this story, from the magical House to the fact that Lizzie's friend Ines was a good witch who practices magic! This book was fast-paced and full of suspense, and I would recommend it to readers who like magic and adventure.