Misfit's Magic: The Last Halloween

Set in the imaginary town of Spraksville, Misfit's Magic: The Last Halloween by Fred Gracely follows Goff, a young misfit who wants nothing but to be far away from his town. Before being transferred to Spraksville, he has been to many foster homes, had difficulty making friends, and been bullied far too much for his age. His dream has been to get a scholarship to Amworth Academy where he hopes to find a home. But when gargoyles start talking to him in a town that has a history of magic, his life is upturned in ways he never imagined. Thirteen generations ago, Spraksville was threatened by a powerful dark wizard intent on performing an ancient ritual that would render him invincible but he was stopped by Goff's ancestor. Now, Harkland Mathers XIII is determined to perform the same ritual and it falls to Goff to stop him. With unlikely allies and friends, they must race against time to stop a wicked wizard from becoming unbeatable.

The stunning thing about this novel is the fact that misfits — both human and magical — and kids who do not normally get together, are bonded in the fight against a powerful wizard. This fun read reserves unexpected surprises for readers and the plot is chockful of interesting elements. The characters are quirky and they possess traits that will startle readers sometimes. For instance, a skeleton from the science class comes to life, and a stuffed cat resurrected at night becomes Goff's best friend. The characters are magical yet relatable; they are genuinely flawed and instantly arrest the attention of readers. It will be interesting to watch as Majesty struggles to give Goff magical abilities. In this quirky, spellbinding fantasy, unusual and seemingly ordinary characters must rise up against a powerful evil. If they fail, their town is doomed. The beauty of Fred Gracely's prose combines with the intriguing characters to offer a gorgeous treat to fans of urban fantasy. Misfit's Magic: The Last Halloween is a pure delight.