Phil and Fee are as close as two sisters can get. They’ve grown up on stage performing feats of magic with their parents, but the bombing of London by Germany put an end to any further performances.

Read the rest of my review at: http://shouldireaditornot.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/delusion-laura-l-sullivan/ ( )

VOYA Rating: 4Q 3P
Highly Recommended

This book was a very unique blend of historical fiction and true magic. Phil and Fee Albion, were set to debut their magic show until it was cancelled because of the London Blitz. They were immediately sent to a remote English village in order to stay safe from the Nazis. Phil still wanted to contribute to the war effort, but it was more difficult being removed from London. Phil and Fee happened to stumble into a magically cloaked village that was not interested in having anything to do with the war. Their job was to protect the natural world and not meddle in man-made problems. There was no possible way the girls could have stumbled into the magical village without having magic flowing in their own blood. The English magicians are forced to intervene when they discover the Germans are using magic in the war effort.

There are some references to the Holocaust and the London Blitz, which will encourage readers to think about whether or not war is ever justified. This would be a good fit for students interested in World War II history. It does also show how women were able to be a part of the war effort on the home front. Many families were separated during to war and this shows a personal insight to how that could have felt. There is also the romance aspect that keeps the story moving forward and the mystery of how Phil and Fee came to have magic in their blood. It’s an interesting twist to think about using magic to fight the Nazis.

I really enjoyed it. I was skeptical at first as to how a writer was going to combine magic and historical fiction, but I was very impressed with the result. The cover art will attract readers that might not normally be into historical fiction. The strong female characters will appeal to girls. I think the dialogue fits the tone of the story. It would be a good book club book in terms of having a lot of topics to discuss. However, there is a cliffhanger at the end that a sequel is inevitable. Overall, this book is a good choice for a school library. ( )

So, I thought this book sounded pretty awesome, with it's pretty cover and cool synopsis. Unfortunately, I ended up not enjoying the book. The dull characters and slow pace made Delusion a disappointment.

Part of the reason I did not like the book is that most of the time the writing was in 3rd person, but could switch to first. And since I have an uncorrected ARC, when the view points switched, thewordsshoweduplikethiswhichisreallyannoying. No spaces. I got kinda annoyed at that, which is no fault of the actual story but still made Delusion harder to read.

Okay, the characters. They were either dull, or mean. I did not find it in me to root for any of them, especially Fee. And when you don't care what happens to the characters, there is normally not a point to the book unless there is a specific moral. Also, the pacing was terrible, and I found my self only scanning some pages. Plus, some forced dialogue ruined any realistic characters Sullivan could have created.

I just felt really disconnected to the story. That is not a good feeling.

Overall, I am sorry for the short review, but I could not find many redeeming qualities and I don't want to bash the book. I am sure other people could enjoy this book, but I was definitely not one of them. Thank you ARCycling for giving me the chance to read Delusion.

1.8/5 bookcases ( )