Sarah Beth Durst

Even and Odd

ISBN: 9780358350385

Even and Odd

a middle grade novel
by Sarah Beth Durst
available now from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt / Clarion Books

A half-magic girl learns about heroism and taking action when she and her sister confront a wizard who endangers others for her own gain.

Even and Odd are sisters who share magic. Lately, though, it seems like that's the only thing they have in common. Odd doesn't like magic, and Even practices it every chance she gets, dreaming of the day she'll be ready to be a hero.

When the hidden border between the mundane world the sisters live in and the magical land they were born in shuts abruptly, the girls are trapped, unable to return home. With the help of a unicorn named Jeremy, they discover a wizard is diverting magic from the border to bolster her own power. Families are cut off from each other on both sides of the border, and an ecological disaster is brewing. But the wizard cares nothing for the calamitous effects her appropriation of magic is having. Someone has to do something to stop her, and Even realizes she can no longer wait until she's ready: she needs to be a hero now.

Read the first chapter

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A Mighty Girl 2021 Book of the Year

"Humor abounds... Whimsical fun." -- Kirkus

"Juxtaposing the sisters' real world with a whimsical one populated by unicorns, dragons, mermaids, and more, Durst inserts a subtle message about the separation of families through closed borders." -- Publishers Weekly

"A cozy mystery for unicorn and magic lovers. Firoth and its denizens will delight fantasy fans, and the light suspense peppered with humor is sure to keep young readers engrossed until the happy ending." -- School Library Journal

"This is such a wonderfully fun, warm and gentle fantasy adventure, starring two fantastic sisters forced to share their magic (on alternating days!), one annoying and lovable unicorn who poops cupcakes (you will NEVER look at them the same way again!), and the most hilarious animal transformation I've ever read." -- Stephanie Burgis, author of The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart

Read additional reviews.

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Download hi-res cover art by Brandon Dorman.

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Also available as an audiobook:

Even and Odd

Even and Odd
Audio Edition

from HMH Young Readers Audio
written by Sarah Beth Durst
narrated by Carly Robins
available as an Audible edition or Audio CD

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