THE DELUSIONIST

Amateur magician Quinn Purcell has a hard time separating reality from wishful thinking.

Actually, overthinking is 16-year-old Quinn’s biggest problem. He needs to wow the judges at the auditions for the Masters of Magic Fantasy Camp—and his main competition is his smart, driven, talented, and fantastically attractive new classmate, Dani Darling. Is Dani really drawn to him, cleverly messing with his head to get a leg up in the audition, or is she unsure herself what her motives are? Can the grizzled grifter he meets (supposedly) by chance in a cafe really teach him the Monkey’s Paw trick, or is he just being suckered? On top of that, his frontman and best friend, Perry Larsson, has suddenly become the world’s most perfect human being—brilliant, handsome, beloved by peers and grown-ups alike; heroically saving a toddler’s life here, lucky in love there, and still loyal to a fault. Along with this blend of teen angst and crude bathroom humor, Calame convincingly conjures the combination of patter, misdirection, relentless practice, and elaborate preparation that makes the magic happen (and not just on stage) as he sends his puzzled prestidigitator reeling through confusing and humiliating experiences. Happily, Quinn recognizes just in time the value and pleasure of doing something he loves. Alert readers will see through his ironic tone to the talented, fundamentally decent kid beneath. Main characters read as White by default.

A flashy bit of razzle-dazzle, with plenty of yuks and nary a yawn.