The Magicians By Lev Grossman

While thinking of suggestions for our next Book Club book, I took a look through the members’ “to read” lists on Goodreads. Nearly all of us had The Magicians on our lists, so it was an obvious choice for our next pick.

At the beginning of the novel, high school senior Quentin Coldwater is on his way to an interview with a Princeton alum. He’s bored with his life in Brooklyn, NY and wishes that the magical world of Fillory, which was in a series of books he read as a child, was real. After a series of unusual events, he finds himself newly admitted to a magical college, Brakebills, where he spends four years mastering the art of magic.

But this story is far from Harry Potter – things are darker, Brakebills is more foreboding, and the magic is more difficult. Quentin finds the magic he always hoped for, but it doesn’t bring the happiness he thought it would. This is a terrific read with interesting characters, imaginative storylines, and magical moments.