Review Detail

What I liked:
Amari is dealing with the fallout of her magical ability being discovered. As she and her friends try to keep the magicians and the rest of the world from actual war, she is forced to participate in a crazy game designed to see who will lead the magicians and who will be the enemy. The buzz says it is a mashup of Harry Potter and Men in Black, which makes for a very edge-of-your-seat read.
Final Verdict:
I struggled with the badge part of the story, where Amari is forced to wear a badge and be shunned by everyone except those that the higher say are ok.
I find the elevators having personalities makes for a comical read. Will I get to where I am going? Amari being a magician and participating in the great game makes for a unique storyline as we also are dealing with the time freeze from the first book. I love the world that Alston has created and the lessons he weaves through the lives of his characters. It is full of magic, adventures, mystery, and choosing to do the right thing. While designed for middle schoolers, reading this book as an adult was a delight.