This book was a lot of fun to read! It's a middle grade book but definitely doesn't feel like it. The writing is smart, the characters and environment are smart. The magical world and its lore is built up very well. The story follows Vin, who's always been kind of the outcast kid, the "different" one, the "troublemaker." She's been to many different magical schools and her magic has caused her to get kicked out. Now she's at the end of the line, going to a school for delinquents. Because of this constant struggle to stay in a school and learn her own magic, she hasn't had friends or a place to call home. When she arrives at Last Hope, a small group of students take her into their little friend group. She still doesn't feel like she belongs, she's never been told she belongs anywhere. But once the headmistress begins to help her with learning her magic (a very special kind that can be easily misunderstood hence the struggles), she slowly accepts their friendship. Of course there is a big event, and of course she again struggles with feeling like she belongs, but who can't relate to that?

The first half of the book builds the world and the characters. There are quite a few students described and it's a little hard to keep track of them. The magical system is different, not like most where everyone is just grouped into a "you're a magician" kinda thing. How they all use their different magics is fun and so interesting. The second half is all about saving the school and each other, forcing Vin to depend on herself, her magic, and her new friends.

It's not exactly a quick read, which is nice. It moves along at a good pace. Middle school me would have loved to read this book, and 40-something me is very much looking forward to the next in the series.

What worked:
Vin doesn’t want to cause trouble but her emotions build up until she loses control of her magic. The rules at Last Hope School are very different from what she’s used to as Vin’s first observations find students wielding their magic in mischievous ways. The headmistress isn’t terribly upset by the behavior so Vin doesn’t know how she’ll ever learn to control her magic in this environment. Vin holds back when practicing her magic because she always fears it will explode and destroy everything or hurt someone. And then expelled. As with many middle-grade novels, Vin possesses a rare form of magic that can make her a formidable sorcerer.
Three other students immediately become Vin’s friends although she’s never had close relationships before. Even her parents have no interest in her. The students are very patient and understanding as Vin struggles to adapt to the new school. They all appreciate that there’s something unusual about Vin’s powers and there’s no explanation as to how she has a fire sprite hidden in her closet. Readers will wonder if the sprite will have a bigger role in the story besides grumbling and becoming more agitated about its captivity. The school has a self-centered bully (his power is based on charisma) who has targeted Vin for teasing. It’s amusing to read about Vin finally getting even with him and possibly giving him an attitude adjustment.
The narrative presents different aptitudes and attitudes toward magic and these different sides create an underlying conflict. The biggest disparity is between magic and non-magic folks but their differences are mostly addressed by a treaty. The magical school board supports strong rules and guidelines for sorcerers with uncontrollable students kicked out and discarded. The headmistress at Last Hope won’t give up on any child which is why she’s reluctant to allow any school board members inside the school’s walls. The Free Mages are made up of rogue sorcerers who don’t want any restraints or limitations on their magic. Many of them are angry outcasts and one of them is a former student at Last Hope with a grudge to settle.
What didn’t work as well:
The plot follows Vin’s struggles to discover her abilities and to feel accepted but it takes over half the book for the larger conflict to come to the forefront. Also, the mysterious former student is easily identified even though Vin has no suspicions until the plot nears its climax. However, the author saves room for a few surprises including one that will affect the book’s sequel.
The final verdict:
While the school seems similar to other middle-grade books, Last Hope has a very different feel to it. Every student is unique and school activities are unpredictable due to their unpredictable abilities. Vin’s pursuit to master her magic leads to an exciting adventure within the school. Overall, I highly recommend you give this book a shot!

First off, thank you to NetGalley and Nicki Pau Preto for the ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

I wish I had a book like this when I was younger. It was so whimsical and enjoyable, but also featured complex topics and issues for the characters to tackle. The concept, a last-ditch effort school for magical delinquents is just wonderful, such a great idea. And the school really comes to life within the pages. The magic system was well thought out, and the characters especially added to my enjoyment of the book.

Vin, the main character, is easy to empathize with. She's been kicked out of every magical school she's ever attended, and Last Hope is her last chance to wrangle her magic. It was wonderful to see Vin grow throughout the pages, discovering and becoming more comfortable with her magic. With the help of her friends, Theo, Araminta, and Gilly who all featured complex personalities of their own. The dynamics between the characters made the book all the more heartwarming. Overall, this was an incredibly enjoyable read, and I look forward to the sequel!

This one started strong for me, but soon just felt like a poor man's Harry Potter. The villain was too predictable, and the book just felt repetitive--I think it could have been pruned quite a bit. This one definitely has kid appeal, though, and I'm mentally filing it away to hand to all those voracious readers who just can't get enough of Keeper of the Lost Cities and Hogwarts. 3.5 stars.

The Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents is an outstanding middle grade debut! Nicki Pau Preto is fantastic at building complex worlds that make you long to be a part of them and I think that Last Hope may be the book of hers that I'd choose to fall into. The magic system is well thought out and made so much sense to me (I'd love to take a quiz that would determine what kind of magic I would have)! I enjoyed how characters with the same type of magic didn't use it the same way and how realistically they would go about using it in their life. I particularly adored how life at Last Hope was portrayed as whimsy, but also chaotic. This is the first book that I think truly shows how terrifying it must be to be a kid with magic.
That's what the Main Character, Vin Lucas is going through: that fear of unknowable power. I think there's a lot of kids who are going to read Vin's story and see themselves and their own anxiety portrayed, perhaps for the first time. And while the kids reading the book aren't going to have magical explosions I think that Last Hope may bring hope to a lot of people who feel like outsiders.
Vin isn't the only character that felt like they could come off the page, though! All the characters from the Headmistress Ava Hope to a small fire sprite all have complex personalities, which is impressive for a book of this size. I loved reading Vin's experience getting to know the larger than life Magical Delinquents and sincerely wish to see more of each character in future books!
The Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents is one of those stories that prove that Middle Grade books are the best books on the market today for any age. Books can be fun and serious by being filled with laughter and lessons simultaneously! I recommend this book to anyone who has ever felt lost or alone in this unmagical world. I think it will have you believing that maybe we haven't seen the last of hope.