From Frights to Flaws by Sunayna Prasad is the opening book in the Alyssa McCarthy’s Magical Missions series, featuring magic, adventure, and exciting worlds with dangerous creatures. Meet twelve-year-old Alyssa, bored and disenchanted and living in her uncle’s house. But then she learns about a wizard hunting her down. He will create a storm and wait until there is no one to protect Alyssa, and then kidnap her and bring her to the Fiji Islands. She will have to figure out why a sinister wizard is after her and determine how to escape from him. But with sorcerers poised against her and a shield keeping her away from the outside world, can she make it?

The excellent writing style allows nature to reflect the mood and state of mind of the characters, and adds to the beauty of the narrative. At the beginning of the story, readers encounter the young protagonist in a sad mood, with the sound of rain on the window. This literary device comes across beautifully as the protagonist reflects on the long gone days of family fun and sweets. But she knows that life can’t be better; it’s as dull as the raindrops on the windowsill. This melancholy that invades the soul of the young girl already tells the reader that she is no ordinary child. She is born of magic and she will awaken to her real magical nature. Then her life will become exciting.

This is a delightful story and I enjoyed the fact that the protagonist discovers her powers progressively. At the beginning of the story, she is naïve, detesting her uncle and feeling bored. But then the challenges that come along with the kidnapping make her grow faster and learn to look after herself. The reader begins to root for her, wanting her to come out of the journey maturer, wiser, and more powerful. The setting is great and relationships are well established. Sunayna Prasad’s novel features excellent writing, filled with great dialogues, strong plot lines and a skillfully handled conflict. The world building is awesome, and handled through writing that is atmospheric and at times evocative. This is a tale of courage and adventure, packed with lessons on personal development for young readers.