A review by bookishmillennial
Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston

adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No
disclaimer if you’ve read other reviews by me and are noticing a pattern: You’re correct that I don’t really give starred reviews, I feel like a peasant and don’t like leaving them and most often, I will only leave them if I vehemently despised a book. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. Everyone’s reading experiences are subjective, so I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not, regardless if I add stars or not. Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial or tiktok: @bookishmillennial

premise:
  • middle grade fictional fantasy, adventure, coming-of-age
  • first-person POV of main character
  • Amari, who has just been expelled from her school for pushing a popular kid, receives an invitation for tryouts to join the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs
  • Amari and her mom have been grieving her older brother Quinton, who went missing six months ago, which they think has to do with his top secret job!
  • Amari finds out that her brother worked for the Bureau and decides to attend the tryouts to figure out what happened to him
  • Amari's mom thinks she is going to a special leadership summer camp, which she thought Quinton went to too! 
  • She forms a friendship with her roommate (also a weredragon) Elsie, and Dylan, the younger brother of Maria (Quinton's partner who disappeared with him)
  • She learns about the Night Brothers, the most dangerous magicians in the world! 
  • cw: racism, classism, kidnapping, grief, bullying, violence 

thoughts:
Spy Kids/the series that shall not be named/kid-version of Men-In-Black/Percy Jackson YET STANDS STRONG ALL ON ITS OWN AND IS SO UNIQUE TOO! OH MY GOSH I HAD AN ABSOLUTE BLAST READING THIS AND MY INNER CHILD WAS SCREAMING, CRYING, THROWING UP! I'M NOT YELLING, I'M JUST SO PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS BOOK! This is probably the best middle grade fantasy I've read in a long time. 

Amari is such a great main character -- she is curious, takes initiative, stands strong in her morals/values, and deeply cares about her loved ones. It's evident in every choice she makes, and it's so lovely and admirable! She is also funny, and has such great banter with her friends at these tryouts.

The world-building was so easy to follow, yet unique and an exciting new world to discover. I loved the crystal ball scene where the kids find out which kinds of powers they hold, and how this translates into which future position at the Bureau they may pursue. The tryouts/trials themselves are SO MUCH FUN! Oh my gosh. It felt like #4 in the series that shall not be named and the Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas. It was just.... an absolute blast. It was thrilling, mysterious, and action-packed!

Amari's belief that her brother is still alive is something she is desperately clinging on to, and I don't blame her. I love that when she is enduring low moments, she reminds herself of her "why." Why is she trying out for the Bureau? Why is she here? Why is she putting herself through this? For her brother Quinton, and for her family! She is such a strong-willed, adaptable young woman, and I adore her!

I also loved the side characters -- Elsie is hilarious, creates the coolest magical inventions, and is a loyal ally from the get go. Dylan & Lara are such interesting parallels to the bullies that Amari encountered at her last school. The teachers/trainers and magical staff (Director Van Helsing, Magnus, Fiona) of the Bureau provided a protective, stern, but mysterious adult presence in the book, and I especially appreciated how Fiona challenged Amari to be her best self. She rooted for her and believed her from the beginning, which I don't know if Amari has had up until now.

I appreciated that the commentary on racism and classism was present at both of Amari's academic settings, in the non-magical world, and at this supernatural academy. It was present both in the color of her skin, along with the different kinds of magical beings. The way that the magical society treated magicians was so on-the-nose, yet the adults lacked any self-awareness! The way they perpetuated this fear-mongering rhetoric of magicians sounded like a self-fulfilling prophecy to me. Treat magicians like dirt and as if they are already villains, and then some of them become villains? WHAT. A. SHOCKER. LOLOLOL. Goodness gracious, I loved the way B.B. Alston wrote this though. Fantastic. Spectacular. Incredible. *chef's kiss*
 
I immediately checked out the next book and I can't wait to read it. I fully believe this series will get optioned and adapted on-screen, become the next generation's biggest fandom, there will be fanfic written, and people will cosplay as these characters at Comic Con. I think this is going to be a *classic* series. I'm inlove and I will scream it from the rooftops until I manifest this into existence! 

quotations that stood out to me:
"I know it's unfair, but the truth is that when you're a poor Black girl from the 'Wood, certain people are already gonna have it in their minds what type of person you are. You can't give them a reason to think they're right."

People tend to fear what they don't understand. And fear can far too easily become hatred.

You're not going to change the world unless you hang with people who want to change the world too.

People assume stuff about you based on things you can't change about yourself.

You are a magician, a criminal, and should you fail to prove you belong here, the chief will have no choice but to implement my suggestion to take your memories and send you home to be monitored.

"Keep that wildfire burnin' inside ye, lass. And let all of their doubts become kerosene."

"Courage," says Agent Fiona. "And that's what separates the wannabes from the agents in the end. Quinton didn't nominate ye 'cause he needed a rescuer, he nominated ye because he believed ye can thrive here. Only you've gotta believe it before anybody else will."

It’s like their parents are buying them a spot in the Bureau. But that’s how it’s always been.

There are three reasons I never get tired of our library. First, it’s just so cool-looking. Everything is made up of books—the floors, the ceilings, even the pillars between the bookcases. You can type in your book title at the computer catalog and get directions like Three paces to the left and look down or Pillar closest to fern, climb up halfway. The second reason is that there’s just so many interesting things to read about, even aside from what I need to learn to become a Junior Agent. The third reason is Mrs. Belle, the librarian. She has this knack for knowing what you’d like to read.

“Just because we’re afraid, doesn’t give us the right to attack... Where I’m from that happens a lot: you get labeled as bad or scary just by how you look or what neighborhood you’re in.”

“I don’t know that anything makes me different from those other magicians. Honestly, there’s a lot to being a magician that I still don’t get. But what I have learned is that it’s my choice what kind of magician I’m going to be. I’m trying to learn from my mistakes and not be like those bad magicians you guys know about. I guess I’m just asking for a chance to prove myself.”

I felt totally justified. But that’s not how I feel anymore.
“We can change people’s minds about magicians without hurting anyone. I’ve seen it happen. We just have to give them a chance to see who we really are.”

I’m the girl who tries. The girl who fights. The girl who believes. My eyes open with a burning realization. I’m unstoppable.

I don’t like doing things on my own. It’s scary and I never know if it’ll work out. “That’s part of growing up, Amari”

“Through sheer willpower and self-belief, you summoned up all your magic and demanded it take action. And, my dear girl, it heeded your call.”

And since I kinda-sorta saved the supernatural world from a second war with the Night Brothers, revealed Dylan as the Bureau’s traitor, and retrieved the Black Book and the Black Key, the Supernatural World Congress and the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs granted me a Congressional Request as a reward.
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