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Book Reviews of So You Want to Be a Wizard (Young Wizards, Bk 1)

So You Want to Be a Wizard (Young Wizards, Bk 1)
So You Want to Be a Wizard - Young Wizards, Bk 1
Author: Diane Duane
ISBN-13: 9780152012397
ISBN-10: 0152012397
Publication Date: 5/1996
Pages: 369
Reading Level: Young Adult
Rating:
  • Currently 3.9/5 Stars.
 50

3.9 stars, based on 50 ratings
Publisher: Magic Carpet Books
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

20 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

NonExistence avatar reviewed So You Want to Be a Wizard (Young Wizards, Bk 1) on + 239 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
This maybe a YA Book but I love it.
This is what you wanted to try for/wish for/be as a kid when growing.
With it came all the trials of being a kid. The adventure,
risk, fun, and all the knowledge combined.
Yes, if you like HP [Harry Potter] you will enjoy this series.
Read it to your kids or read it YOURSELF.
reviewed So You Want to Be a Wizard (Young Wizards, Bk 1) on + 20 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
More for young readers (age 12-15)..my kids, who devoured Harry Potter ad nauseum likek this
reviewed So You Want to Be a Wizard (Young Wizards, Bk 1) on + 155 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
a young adult book appealing to adults too. Gets scary!
reviewed So You Want to Be a Wizard (Young Wizards, Bk 1) on + 287 more book reviews
This was a fun book and a very quick read. I enjoyed the way the characters were presented and magic was presented. And I really loved Fred! I'd like to read the rest of the books in this series.
WhiskeyBat avatar reviewed So You Want to Be a Wizard (Young Wizards, Bk 1) on + 28 more book reviews
Love Love LOVE this series. Read the first four probably sometime in jr hi, but have re-read several times since and they never get old.
reviewed So You Want to Be a Wizard (Young Wizards, Bk 1) on + 22 more book reviews
My daughter really enjoyed this book.
auntmaymay1221 avatar reviewed So You Want to Be a Wizard (Young Wizards, Bk 1) on + 9 more book reviews
At age 59, these books hooked me and I had to read them all...well written and fleshed out.
artgirltoo avatar reviewed So You Want to Be a Wizard (Young Wizards, Bk 1) on + 26 more book reviews
This a wonderful book for any age. The first in a series of great books.
reviewed So You Want to Be a Wizard (Young Wizards, Bk 1) on + 4 more book reviews
Good book. As the girl reads the book, it comes to life and takes 2 children into a different world.
reviewed So You Want to Be a Wizard (Young Wizards, Bk 1) on + 3 more book reviews
If you like the Harry Potter Series, this is along the same line.
reviewed So You Want to Be a Wizard (Young Wizards, Bk 1) on + 48 more book reviews
This is the first book in the series. Its about a wizardry (as you might have guessed). It is a MUST read for everyone. I thought this, and the whole series was awesome. I also have 2 and 3 if you have already read this one and are looking for the rest.
reviewed So You Want to Be a Wizard (Young Wizards, Bk 1) on + 1775 more book reviews
I read only the prologue on the bus but found it very well written. I am going to put it on the 'free' book truck at the branch library with several other books and am sure it will soon find a reader. The protagonist is skinny kid with a not especially happy life who likes to read. While sheltering in the branch library from a group of bad kids who feel she needs a beating, she runs across a book on careers, i.e. How To Be A Wizard....
reviewed So You Want to Be a Wizard (Young Wizards, Bk 1) on + 282 more book reviews
Love this series! Not just for young readers.
reviewed So You Want to Be a Wizard (Young Wizards, Bk 1) on + 35 more book reviews
Fans of L'Engle will like this book. Magic meets science, and the Nerds save the world from utter destruction.
reviewed So You Want to Be a Wizard (Young Wizards, Bk 1) on + 167 more book reviews
A good young adult series about a girl who enters the world of wizardry.
reviewed So You Want to Be a Wizard (Young Wizards, Bk 1) on + 19 more book reviews
One of my daughters books. She is only 7 so it was a bit difficult for her to understand it all but she did enjoy it. Highly reccomend for pre-teen ages.
cyndij avatar reviewed So You Want to Be a Wizard (Young Wizards, Bk 1) on + 1032 more book reviews
Nice YA book with likable kids, maybe a bit too good to be believable - but then, maybe they have to be in order to be wizards. Good world-building and interesting magical rules, also liked the philosophy.
ophelia99 avatar reviewed So You Want to Be a Wizard (Young Wizards, Bk 1) on + 2527 more book reviews
This was a decent middle grade read that's a unique blend of science fiction and fantasy. I had some trouble engaging with the characters and story, but the world is a unique one and the idea of how magic works was interesting.

I enjoyed the idea of modern day wizards that strive to protect the world and humanity from evil. It was interesting that a lot of this "protection" revolved around conservation of energy for the planet. The journey Kit and Nita take to a parallel world was eerie and creepy and very imaginative; this was probably the best part of the story for me.

I did have some trouble engaging with Kit and Nita; they were both just so...well...stereotypical middle grade adventure characters. Additionally some of the elements of the story about how magic works could have been explained a bit better and was kind of confusing.

Overall this was an okay read. I enjoyed the blend of sci-fi and fantasy and some of the parallel worlds. There are some neat ideas in here. In the end though I had trouble engaging with the characters, found parts of the story confusing, and thought some of it was just plain boring. I don't plan on continuing this series.
reviewed So You Want to Be a Wizard (Young Wizards, Bk 1) on + 26 more book reviews
this the best book in the series, i would highly reccomend it as a standalone book. please not that the series wears itself out after the fourth or fifth book.
reviewed So You Want to Be a Wizard (Young Wizards, Bk 1) on + 145 more book reviews
Something stopped Nita's hand as it ran along the bookshelf. She looked and found that one of the books had a loose thread at the top of its spine. It was one of those "So you want to be a.." books, a series on careers. "So you want to be a Pilot.., and a Scientist...a Writer. " But this one said, "So You Want to be a Wizard." I don't believe this, thought Nita. She shut the book and stood there, holding it in her hand, confused, amazed, suspicious and delighted. If it was a joke, it was a great one, if it wasn't......
The book is funny and slightly scary.