Magic or Madness (2005) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit

Write a ridiculously simplified synopsis.

Characters/People edit see section history

show spoilers

• Reason Cansino: The main character who hates Esmerelda until she walks through her back door and is forced to believe that magic is real, and it is in her blood!
• Esmerelda Cansino: Sarafina's mom, and Reasons Grandma. She is a dangerous and evil woman who believes in Magic~
• Sarafina Cansino: Reason Casino's Mom, she goes crazy and is admitted into the hospital.
• Julieta (Jay-Tee): Reason's first friend in New York.
• Tom: Reasons first friend ever.
• Jason Blade: Reasons foolish grandpa
• Danny: Add a description of this character.
• Jason Blake
• Esmeralda: Reason's grandmother the wicked witch
• Cath
• Jessica
• Dillon: Tom's sisters boyfriend in New York

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Sydney
• New York City
• East Village
• Australia
• Kalder Park
• Newtown
• Filomena

First Sentence edit see section history

Glossary edit see section history

• a bit thing: particular. If someone is a bit thing about how they dress it means they are particular about their attire.
• amari: grandfather. A word used by Aboriginal people in the Roper area of the Northern Territory.
• ambo: a paramedic (from ambulance)
• bickie: short for biscuit, the Australian word for cookie
• bitumen: can mean either a paved (sealed) road or the black substance (usually asphalt) used to pave (seal) the road.
• blue heeler: an Australian cattle dog
• boong: racist term for an Australian Aboriginal person
• bottlebrush: a tree or shrub with spikes of brightly coloured flowers
• bugger: damn. The thing you say when you stub your toe and don’t want to be too rude.
• bunyip: creature of Aboriginal legend, haunts swamps and billabongs (waterholes that only exist during the rainy season)
• dag: a dag is someone lacking in social graces, someone who is eccentric and doesn’t fit in. The closest U.S. approximation is nerd, but a dag doesn’t necessarily know a thing about computers or mathematics or science.
• dob in or dob on: to tell on. For example: “I’ll dob you in if you eat all those cakes.”
• dog’s breakfast: a mess, a disaster. To make a dog’s breakfast out of something is to really mess it up.
• drongo: someone who’s not very bright
• Emoh Ruo: Our Home spelled backward, a common Australian name for your house.
• esky: cooler, the thing you keep things cold in if you’re going on a picnic.
• flat out like a lizard drinking: busy, in a hurry.
• get on: be friendly with. For example, “Those two don’t get on” means that they aren’t friends.
• grouse: Excellent, wonderful, although it can also be a verb meaning to complain, as in, “I wish you’d stop grousing about everything.”
• jack of: to be jack of something means that you’re sick of it.
• ‘ken hell: an expression of annoyance.
• li-lo: a blowup rubber mattress.
• lolly: candy. The plural is lollies. Although “losing your lolly” means losing your temper.
• munanga: white person. A word used by Aboriginal people in the Roper area of the Northern Territory.
• porkies: lies

Series & Lists edit see section history

Followed by Magic Lessons.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Justine Larbalestier (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Awards edit see section history

• Andre Norton Award (2006: Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy, #1)
• Aurealis Award (Finalist, 2005: Best Young Adult Novel)

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Teens › Science Fiction & Fantasy › Fantasy
• Books › Teens › Science Fiction & Fantasy › Science Fiction
• Books › Teens › Social Issues