Even and Odd are sisters who live in the mundane world and can do magic, but only on every other day of the week, taking turns. Even would love to be able to do magic every day, especially since her sister, Odd, has zero interest in using her abilities on her own magic days. When the portal to the magical world unexpectedly fails while their mother is away on a business trip, and Even is stuck in the form of a skunk, Even and Odd, and their new unicorn friend, Jeremy, will need to find a way to get back home, and perhaps figure out why the portal failed.

This book gave me lots of Wizard of Oz feels - two sisters stuck in a magical land, trying to find their way home. There's even a yellow brick road they walk down on their way to find a witch who can hopefully help them, and instead of lions, tigers, and bears, we have dragons and hydras, and other mythical monsters. There's even a wicked witch, but stopping her will be a lot more complicated than melting her in a puddle of water or accidentally dropping a house on her head.

The story is narrated from Even's perspective. She's young, optimistic, cheerful, and loves everything to do with magic. Although Odd isn't the narrator, she accompanies Even throughout the story, and I actually think her character matured more at the end. Odd finds her magic annoying and disruptive to her life. Being stuck in the magical world is awful for someone like Odd, who craves normalcy. I liked both girls equally. They're great supportive sisters, despite their differences. The sisters' new unicorn friend, Jeremy, comes along for the journey as well, and has his own character arc.

This book was full of fun colorful magic, lots of optimism, adventure, and some difficult decisions. Most important of all was the book's ultimate message: skunks are the best and cutest heroes.

DNF - I was looking forward to this but I just couldn't get into it. I'm not sure why.
Maybe I'll try again another time.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Two sisters, Even and Odd, can only use their magic every other day. One sister loves using magic, and the other could care less, but when something drains their magic, the girls find themselves teaming up with a unicorn to save the magical world of Firoth.

This was a charming children’s fantasy. The characters were full of personality and worked together to solve the problem. The theme is that everyone has the power to make a difference no matter how young and powerless you may feel. It is perfect for young readers that enjoy fantasy!
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Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

For some reason, when I requested this, I totally missed that it was a portal fantasy, but actually I'm glad I went into this without any idea, because it meant the worldbuilding really took me by surprise. This is a fabulously fun story with a surprising amount of emotional depth. I really enjoyed Even and Odd's sister dynamic, and the way their magic worked really felt like an integral part of their relationship. The world is quirky and there's plenty of humour, but also some very touching moments - this is one I'd definitely recommend!

My Review: I was immediately drawn to this book, not only was it written by one of my favorite fantasy authors but it has a unicorn on the cover. To be honest, I did struggle quite a bit to get into this book, and it was on me, I think Middle Grade Fantasy just isn't for me at this point in my reading life. It was a unique set up with a magical world side by side with the read world and sisters who have to share their magic. It was rather silly with a lot of funny quirks that will have young readers laughing. Durst definitely hit her target audience for this one just right with a lot of characters starting to come into their own personalities, strengths and weaknesses; and learning to work with what they have and maybe not envying other for what they have. I like the way the characters had to work together to problem solve. This was quite the adventure and I do hope there might be more books after this one as I can see it being a world that would be fun for young readers to explore.

My Rating: I really floundered with getting into this one, it took several attempts to get beyond the first couple of chapters (sadly, this has become a struggle with me and middle grade fantasy, time to admit defeat and take a break) but it was more me than the book. I think the target audience will really love the adventures of Even and Odd. I give it a rating of Three Paws.

This is a wonderful and adventurous middle-grade read.
It has unicorns (unicorns are so hot right now) and magic and an evil wizard.
I highly enjoyed it and I think most young peoples (and adults alike) will love it too!
Much love to NetGalley & Clarion Books for my DRC.

Sarah Beth Durst wrote a wonderfully done children's novel, the characters were great and the story was really interesting and investing.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Even and Odd is a great , magical and fun adventure book about sisters Emma and Olivia who's nicknames are Even and Odd. Even wants to one day join the academy of magic Heros and travel and her sister Odd wants to work with animals. Both girls share magic and take it on turns to share it - Even on even days and Odd on Odd days.
One day Emma is unable to switch back as the magic has gone wrong but what can she do to resolve this!
I loved the magical and mythical creatures in this book and the unicorn was hilarious!

Our Bookish Society Kids tell me to give this book five stars! And I agree! It's so great- every single aspect is great for kids ages 11 and under.

Even and Odd by Sarah Beth Durst is such an amazing book! I think I enjoyed reading this book just as much, if not more, than my child! Lol! Highly recommend this book to all children and thier parents!

While having to share your magic with your sister on alternating days is hardly likely to promote sisterly affection, Durst's book is full of just enough that siblings will recognise to help a little. Even and Odd are quite adorably named for the alternating days in which they get to use the magic that they share. Only they don't quite love it as equally. Odd is a reluctant magician, while Even is a little bit resentful of having to give days up.

Durst's history of both Adult ( The Queens of Renthia) and children's fantasy (the very excellent Spark) have given her an ease with fantasy tropes, and a good sense of the kind of humour that goes over well with most 8-10 year olds.

While it lacks the depth of character or intricate storytelling that would push it over into the almost-but-not-quite-ready-for-YA crowd, there are some genuine laughs and sweetness just made for snuggling up for a bedtime story. I mean, shape-shifting into a skunk, anyone?

I chose to read this book because of the cover and that it has magic in it. I especially like the names of the sisters in the story. I felt their names Even and Odd were an important part of the plaot, too. Add in a wizard and I thought this was a great book and would definitely recommend.

This is a fun middle grades fantasy about two magical sisters who are each only able to use their magic every other day. The concept of shared magic is unique and interesting and I enjoyed the idea of tying up magic use and sibling rivalry. One sister is very into magic and the other not so much, but of course they will need to work together to help save themselves and their world as they know it. The supporting cast of characters and creatures really adds to the story. I think this is perfect for fans of fast paced and humorous fantasy.

A middle grade fantasy where our world is connected to a magical realm. Sisters Even and Odd investigate why magical beings can’t go home. Kill the Farm Boy for tweens.

This is a really fun story to read with interesting characters (like unicorns and elves and wicked witches!). There's a great mystery to be unraveled and wonderful dialogue. You're going to like this one a lot!

Even and Odd are sisters who share magic on alternating days. On her even days twelve-year-old Emma "Even" Berry tries to pack in as much magic use as she can while she prepares for her next exam from the Academy of Magic. With her level five exam looming, Even needs all the practice time she can get to make sure she stays on schedule with her plans to become a hero. As a hero Even will be able to accept quests and travel throughout the neighboring magical kingdom of Firoth helping people.

Eleven-year-old Olivia "Odd" Berry would be just as happy skipping her magic days altogether. Except for turning her sister into a skunk when she's annoying, Odd rarely has control of her magic. Odd's magic might improve with practice, but she'd much rather focus on spending time volunteering at the animal shelter in their sleepy town in Connecticut where the Berrys run a border shop helping visitors from Firoth navigate the mundane world.

When the hidden portal behind Fratelli’s Express Bagels suddenly closes, no one can access their magic. Worse, a lot of magical Firoth residents are stranded far from home and cut off from their families. Even is eagerto help investigate as hero practice and Odd is excited to get to know the unicorn Jeremy who also offers assistance if it means getting home before his parents ground him.

When they find themselves trapped on the wrong side of the border, both sisters will have to rely on all of their skills--magical and otherwise--to figure out who is stealing the border magic and how to fix it in Even and Odd (2021) by Sarah Beth Durst.

Even and Odd is a magical adventure filled with humor and timely commentary on the harms of closed borders. Narrated in close third person following Even, the story explores magic from both sides as Even embraces all things magical and Odd is readier to find magic in the mundane world (like new kittens!).

With help from Jeremy, a unicorn with a surprising fondness for soda, Even and Odd explore their birthland Firoth for the first time while trying to fix the border. The magic system here is logical and has several parallels to climate change as magical energy is treated as a limited resource--a fact that leads to dangerous consequences for the border and all of Firoth.

Whimsical magical elements and humor help temper these weightier topics as the sisters realize that sometimes being a hero has a lot less to do with proper training and a lot more to do with offering to help. Even and Odd is a fast-paced, magical adventure perfect for readers who like their fantasy with a bit of humor and a lot of sisterhood.

Possible Pairings: The Dragon With a Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burgis, The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer, Shadow Weaver by MarcyKate Connelly, Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger, The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart

Even and Odd by Sarah Beth Durst is a middle grade fantasy novel. Even and Odd are sisters who share magic. Lately, though, it seems like that’s the only thing they have in common. Odd doesn’t like magic, and Even practices it every chance she gets, dreaming of the day she’ll be ready to be a hero. When the hidden border between the mundane world the sisters live in and the magical land they were born in shuts abruptly, the girls are trapped, unable to return home. With the help of a unicorn named Jeremy, they discover a wizard is diverting magic from the border to bolster her own power. Families are cut off from each other on both sides of the border, and an ecological disaster is brewing. But the wizard cares nothing for the calamitous effects her appropriation of magic is having. Someone has to do something to stop her, and Even realizes she can no longer wait until she’s ready: she needs to be a hero now.

Even and Odd is a fun read with a nice blend of action, magic, and character growth. Even and Odd are sisters that are close in age, making them good friends but also tired of being compared to each other. I liked the way their relationship is described, as it felt like a very real dynamic and one I have often seen in life. I thought the set up for the magic and mundane world was well done, and the build up of concerns and crisis made the big confrontations feel that much more pivotal. The world building is smooth and interesting, making me want to read more about some of the characters living there. I do have to admit that I saw one of the twists coming, but it was well played and hit at a moment to make the most of the suspense and emotional decisions that had to be made. I really enjoyed reading along as Even came into her own and would not be opposed to following this family in a series.

Even and Odd is a charming coming of age story about siblings, magic, and finding yourself.

Thankyou to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me a copy of this book. it was honestly such a fun read and im so glad i picked it up. It was a magical adventure with great world building and character development. The plot twists i did see coming but this might not be a problem for younger readers,

What a fun book! As a child this is exactly the sort of book I would have devoured!

Even and Odd are sisters, on even days of the year, Even has magic abilities; on odd, its Odd's turn. Shortly after their mother travels to the magic world for business, strange things begin happening in the border lands between the human and magical worlds. Even, Odd, and their new friend Jeremy, a timid unicorn, discover themselves in a predicament. It takes friendship, the involvement of other magical beings to get to the bottom of what is happening to Magic. A sweet, fun read with strong family and friendship bonds, with a lot of magical beings scattered about, this is a fun book for upper elementary readers.