heartwarming quick read ( )

I think this is technically YA, but it was so fluffy and light and silly that I imagine it appealing more to Disney Channel fans of the 8-10 year old range. Plus, it fits the Disney mold. Dead mom? check. Clueless dad? Check. Pseudo-rebellious-sort-of-angry-punk-chick (a la Wizard's Alex)? Check. Cute boy? Check. Fairy Godmothers? check. yikes.
The characters had zero depth. Delaney, the main character, grieves for her dead mother hardly at all, yet we're supposed to believe that they were incredibly close, like sisters, nearly. I was not impressed. This book needed a good editor--and someone to say, "Hey. This girls' mom just died. Shouldn't she have to deal with that?" ( )

Don't Expect Magic certainly lives up to its title. It was an entertaining novel, but it wasn't thrilling or even that magical. Like the stereotypical teenage girl, the main character was self-absorbed, whiny, and manipulative. Even though she was dealing with grief, I couldn't really sympathize with her very much. ( )

I liked the main character of this book, as well as the idea of it. Overall, the story was good/interesting/enjoyable.

I felt like there were some parts of the plot that were skipped/skimmed over, and would have liked to have had more in the middle to show Delaney's descovering-her-fairy-godmother-magic process.

Readalikes: Oh.My.Gods. ( )

Delaney's stuck in California, living with a dad that barely knowsm after the death of her mom. Delaney' even left most of her possessions back East, hoping to move in with her best friend Posh once her dad realizes what a mistake this is. This turned out to be a charming story, about families, secrets, and acceptance. ( )