Review Detail

Star Friends: Energy Thief picks up immediately after the events of Charm Breaker in this 14th installment of the series. Technically, you could probably read it as a standalone because the background is explained, but it is more enjoyable if you read the last book, since this is a continuation of that plot to find who performed dark magic on the town before someone gets hurt.
The girls work together to solve the mystery and, along the way, learn how to make friends after starting at different middle schools. There is a bit of discrepancy between the implied age of the characters being middle school age, so 11-12 years old, and how young the plot feels, which seems better suited for 5–8-year-olds.
Overall, the series' premise remains enticing to early chapter book readers who enjoy magic, magical animals, second chances, and cozy friendship themes. The word choice and structure of the text are appropriate, with a few illustrations throughout to break up the text, and the plot is easy to follow, perfect for young chapter book readers.