Wicked Marigold by Caroline Carlson

What worked:

Readers should feel empathy for Marigold since she grows up living in the shadow of her older sister. All she hears is how wonderful Rosalind was before being kidnapped. Marigold is a normal, curious, adventurous young girl but she can’t stand being ignored once her sister returns. She makes one too many mistakes, runs away, and starts calling herself wicked. The blob mentioned in the synopsis refers to Wizard Torvell after Marigold’s first attempt to cast a spell goes haywire. She really wants to help the wizard but is clearly in over her head. Torvell’s brother and sister, the Miseries, are constant annoyances and threats and Marigold is forced to find ways to appease them. How is Marigold supposed to support Torvell’s evil ways when her goodness keeps getting in the way?

The most amusing part of the book involves Marigold’s efforts to prove she’s wicked. She’s given seven days to convince an evil sorcerer’s imp Pettifog of her wickedness and that’s when the antics begin. Turning Torvell into a blob is funny by itself but trying to interact with him offers more humorous situations. Then, Marigold tries to reverse the spell but her efforts don’t turn out as expected. Pettifog constantly complains about her non-wickedness and laments her lame efforts to perform magic. The story shares numerous, funny mental images as Marigold stumbles along trying to be evil. Pettifog loves to knit tea napkins but he fears being returned to the world of demons. The contrast between being a demon and his love for Rosalind adds additional levity to his character.

The backbone of the plot pits good versus evil as the wizards and sorcerers fear peace will break out among the kingdoms. This news will be terrible for them since there will no longer be a demand for their wicked spells. Rosalind is the epitome of kindness with everyone loving and admiring her and she’s at the center of peace efforts that will unite the different kingdoms. On the other hand, Marigold is more inquisitive and a risk-taker so her behavior is not as well-received. She assumes that since she’s not as perfectly nice as her sister she must be wicked. She struggles with this internal conflict throughout the entire story.

What didn’t work as well:

Some readers may not appreciate the zaniness as the humor borders on slapstick. The wizards’ spells to maintain chaos are wacky and Torvell’s behavior as a blob is very strange. However, the resulting story is comical and entertaining for those readers with tolerant funny bones.

The final verdict:

The reverse expectations of Marigold trying to be wicked create a hilarious, enjoyable story. Her kind heart will endear her to young readers even as she half-heartedly tries to be evil. I recommend you give this book a shot.