Young Adult novels are so much better now than I remember them being when I was an actual young adult. I recall reading some S.E. Hinton, but not much else.

The "Magic or Madness" series by Justine Larbalestier is one of the best fantasy trilogies I've read; YA or not. All of the books are well-paced, exciting, and feature well-drawn, believable characters.

The story focuses on 15-year-old Reason Cansino who discovers very suddenly that magic is real. More than that, she is a magic user. In the word of the books, however, magic is a double-edged sword. Use it and it will shorten your life; but if you don't use it, you'll quickly go mad. For the most part, we watch as reason figures out how to use her magic, and how she avoids other magic users who would steal her magic so they could lengthen their own lives.

Besides Reason, there's a whole host of supporting characters, some who wield magic, some who don't, but all who lend their support in making this an exciting story.

I would pay heed to the Young Adult label and would share this with kids who are at least in their teens, as there are some plot elements that might raise uncomfortable questions from a younger reader. But once your kids (or you) have finished the Harry Potter series, this is a great series to pick up next. ( )

Review for the trilogy.

I enjoyed the trilogy. It is indeed about magic, but in common with many YA novels, it's as much or more about the issues that youth face: Adults letting them down, the kids exploring sexuality and romantic feelings, and making important decisions about who they are going to be as adults.

Here, the protagonist ("Reason") is confronted with the understanding that her mother, who has slipped into madness, has been lying to her, and that her madness is related to her rejection of their family's magic. But the magic comes at a cost, too -- most obviously, its use drains its users life away, little by little. But also at a cost to the user's humanity and ethics, which becomes more apparent over the course of the trilogy.

The pacing of this trilogy was interesting: Classically the first novel in a trilogy sets up the conflict, the middle sustains it, and the last resolves it; the middle sometimes seems boring. Larbalestier managed something a little different: The first novel built the conflict, and was a novel of discovery; the second novel led to the high conflict; and the third novel resolved the conflicts.

The fundamental story is engaging and well thought out; the characters are likeable. I enjoyed the family drama, which was real, without being too movie-of-the-week. The prose throughout the entire trilogy was probably the weakest point for me: It was competent but never delightful, and felt labored, massaged. As if it was rough, then edited so thoroughly that it felt almost committee-like. I think Larbalestier is maybe still finding her own voice.

Nevertheless, I'd be happy to recommend this trilogy to young folks. ( )

This is exactly what I needed at the time. I liked it a lot. Among the fantasies that I've really liked there's nothing here that I can say stands out and I won't say it's a favorite but I enjoyed it a lot. ( )

Yuck! I'm not even gonna put an excuse for a review here. The first two were ok but now there just was a run-around-and-throw-words-on-the-page-just-to-finish-the-novel/series thing going on here. Pathetic. ( )

Part 3 of the Magic or Madness trilogy. This final volume wraps up some plot points and resolves the action without stifling the reader's speculation about what will happen next. Reason has some important realizations about magic and all of the characters face difficult decisions. A major antagonist is vanquished disappointingly easily; in a reverse deus ex machina, he seems to just pick up his things and go home. Other than that, a satisfying conclusion. ( )