Cathy Fitzgerald (text) & Chloe Dominique (Illustrator), Pinch Perkins and the Midsummer Curse, HarperCollins Publishers, June 2024, 384 pp., RRP $17.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780008603373
Pinch Perkins is a very curious twelve-year-old who lives on Tricky Dragon Lane, deep in the heart of London’s magical quarter. Her mother has fallen into a deep sleep – an unnatural sleep – and Pinch suspects that someone is misusing magic. Pinch believes her mother is cursed and she is determined to find out who is responsible for her condition and why.
Pinch Perkins is a witch, living with her family and witchkind hidden in a world within the Humdrum (human) world. She is looking for clues and interviewing locals, desperate to discover why her mum has become a ‘sleeper.’ And, then there is Henry, her neighbour but also her rival and nemesis. He advises that she leave the detective work to the adults, but this only serves to make Pinch even more resolute. Henry has always been afforded the freedom to venture out onto the streets of London amongst the Humdrums, where she is not. Henry is a constant source of aggravation to Pinch.
However, in time, Henry becomes an integral part of her investigation. He assists Pinch to step beyond the safety of the witch haven, further than she has ever been, and soon they have put their differences aside, and embarked on a magical quest to uncover the truth and find a cure to the sleeping curse.
Amazed by the Humdrum world and the magical world that exists in unison, Pinch and Henry are also both a little overwhelmed. They know that danger lurks nearby with spiteful fairies, clever magicians, and unfamiliar and powerful magic. It is their good fortune, however, to be assisted in their plight by well intentioned people and creatures, along the way.
Will these two twelve-year-olds find the answer that they seek to lift the sleeping curse and save Pinch’s mother and the other ‘sleepers’ before it is too late? Will they be able to solve the mystery of the evil magic? Will they find the culprit or culprits?
An exciting and thrilling magical adventure of two very different 12-year-olds (Pinch and Henry) united in a common cause to lift the sleeping curse from Pinch’s mother and others. The seamless transition between the human world and the parallel magical dimension are blended effortlessly as our heroes move between the two realms.
There is some detective work for the reader as well. Be sure to read carefully, identify vital clues, and piece them together, just as Pinch does in her attempt to find, catch and deal with the culprits, thus lifting the sleeping curse from her mum, and returning her soul to her body. Be assured! It will come as quite a surprise when the mystery is finally solved.
Pinch Perkins and the Midsummer Curse is a magical quest. It is also an action-packed and suspenseful read enhanced by the feisty, determined, and energetic Pinch Perkins. Additional support characters are imaginative, adding their own style of magic to this creative story – the first in the series.
Recommended for ages 8+
Reviewed by Julie Deane
