From School Library Journal Grade 6 Up–A contemporary mystery that misses its mark. Erin becomes smitten with Matt when she first meets him at the castle, the popular teenage hangout, but the feeling is not mutual. She decides she will impress him and hopefully win his affection by teaching him the secrets to some of her magic tricks. Matt, who has an unusual talent of his own, is astonished with Erin's skill and comes to enjoy her friendship. When family and emotional problems convince him that he is better off on his own, he flees to London, where he turns to performing the tricks he knows to survive on the streets. At the same time, the girl on whom he has a crush turns up dead and he is a suspect. It is at this time that Erin finally learns that Matt's feelings toward her were of friendship, not of love. Her perspective and self-centered motives to grab Matt's affection eventually lead to feelings of betrayal and she turns against him. The story, written from the alternating perspectives of Erin and Matt, uses different text fonts throughout to differentiate between the two speakers. Due to this format, dialogue is repeated, which readers may find a bit tedious. Weak characterizations and inconsistent writing further complicate the story. Teens are likely to be confused by the unexplained voices inside Matt's head and his bizarre talent. This forgettable story is lacking in the magical qualities found in a well-written book.
