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This was a syrupy sweet book with a rather heavy-handed message, but I still enjoyed it. The sweetness was a nice change from some of the recent books I’ve read, and the message of accepting diversity and getting to know people for who they really are was a good one even if I would have preferred much more subtlety. And it made me laugh quite a lot.

The story is told from the third-person POV of Linus Baker, a caseworker for DICOMY (Department in Charge of Magical Youth). He visits orphanages for magical children and evaluates whether the children are well-treated and makes a determination as to whether the orphanage should be allowed to continue as it is. Linus cares about the children, but he is very rule-driven and goes through life doing what he’s told. His thorough case reports bring him to the attention of Extremely Upper Management, who send him on a four-week mission to evaluate a special, top-secret orphanage with six unique children. This assignment expands his horizons�

It wasn’t a compulsive read, but I enjoyed it when I picked it up. The story was simple, but I never felt bored and I really liked all the characters. I was afraid Linus would get on my nerves when he was initially introduced because he seemed so clueless and spineless, but it wasn’t long before I saw he wasn’t as clueless or as spineless as he appeared. I think what I liked most about the book was the humor. I especially enjoyed the sassy, sarcastic dialogue. Some things are a little silly, but I didn’t think it crossed the line into being too silly to take seriously.

I think this would be a good choice for somebody who’s looking for a lighter read, both in terms of it having a lighter and more cheerful tone and also in terms of it being a simple story that doesn’t require any brain power to follow. On the other hand, I’m not sure if I would have enjoyed this as much if I hadn’t been in the mood for something light myself.