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Magisterium

by Jeff Hirsch (Goodreads Author)

3.22 of 5 stars 3.22 · rating details · 464 ratings · 158 reviews

On one side of the Rift is a technological paradise without famine or want. On the other side is a mystery.

Sixteen-year-old Glenn Morgan has lived next to the Rift her entire life and has no idea of what might be on the other side of it. Glenn's only friend, Kevin, insists the fence holds back a world of monsters and witchcraft, but magic isn't for Glenn. She has enough pr...more

Hardcover, 310 pages

Published October 1st 2012 by Scholastic Press

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Nov 26, 2012 Bernardo rated it 2 of 5 stars

Disclosure Time: I got this pretty, pretty book on a goodreads giveaway. Now excuse us as me and everybody involved in my getting this book are going on an extended vacation trip to Ibiza...

I wanted to love this book, I really did. I wanted to love it because the cover is beautiful (and something like Percy Jackson on shrooms) and I wanted to love it because I got it for free together with a cute letter from the people at Scholastic - and yes, yes, I'm aware they do this to everybody but it make...more

13 likes · like · see review

Jun 23, 2012 Phoebe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: loved-it, intergalactic-academy-reviews, science-fantasy, science-fiction

Full review at The Intergalactic Academy.

Just last year, both Sean and I might have been heard to muse that the magic of Japanese YA–particularly anime and manga series–was conspicuously absent from the American young adult literary environment. After reading Garth Nix’s A Confusion of Princes, which was very close in spirit to several space-bound shojo series, I began to suspect we were wrong on that count. Jeff Hirsch’s Magisterium, out in October, proves me wrong again.

What we have here isn’t...more Full review at The Intergalactic Academy.

Just last year, both Sean and I might have been heard to muse that the magic of Japanese YA–particularly anime and manga series–was conspicuously absent from the American young adult literary environment. After reading Garth Nix’s A Confusion of Princes, which was very close in spirit to several space-bound shojo series, I began to suspect we were wrong on that count. Jeff Hirsch’s Magisterium, out in October, proves me wrong again.

What we have here isn’t quite like the girly anime evoked by Nix, nor like anything else I’ve seen in modern YA. Instead, the closest analog would have to be the work of Hayao Miyazaki. I was particularly reminded of Spirited Away. In both works, we have strong female protagonists who lose their parents and enter magical worlds–worlds where nature obeys new laws, worlds inhabited by terrifying manipulators (or consumers) of matter, worlds haunted by ghosts, worlds where people are transformed into animals and then back again. These universes are dreamlike and vaguely disturbing, but nevertheless compelling. I suspect I’ll carry the world of Magisterium with me for a long, long while.

The plot scaffolding is one you may have seen before. There are lost princesses and magical artifacts. A girl loses her parents and must cross the border into another universe to save them. But the details of the world make this still a very rich experience. Sixteen-year-old Glenn Morgan’s father is obsessed with building technological wonders in his workshop. He hopes to save Glenn’s mother, who disappeared beyond the Rift, an invisible border created by the fallout of a long-past war, ten years before our story begins. Meanwhile, Glenn dreams of outer space. She wants to join a spacefleet and take off for an interstellar colony. Despite the techy details, Glenn’s home world feels very well-grounded. The people in it are recognizable, real, and well-rendered.

And none are so well-rendered as Glenn herself, or her love interest, childhood friend Kevin Kapoor. Glenn has been shaped by the loss of her mother. She’s angry, loyal, and determined to a fault. Her growing affection for Kevin, who wears a green mohawk and comes up with bad band names for fun, unsettles her slightly. What does it mean to begin to fall for someone you’ve known your whole life, and what are you risking by following your heart? In a genre full of instalove and unrealistically adult teenage boys, Kevin–and his complex relationship with Glenn–are certainly refreshing. They get on each other’s nerves and have trouble communicating, but their relationship is so heartfelt that the ultimate resolution feels wonderfully earned. (view spoiler). But these actions never feel obligatory or contrived. I believed them whole-heartedly.

Hirsch uses the chemistry and tension between these characters to effectively and seamlessly teach us about the world at the novel’s beginning (having two characters fight about the universe’s nature is so much more effective than a stock infodump). Later, they accompany one another through the Rift and into the magical world of the Magisterium. (view spoiler). They become enmeshed in the politics of the world past the Rift, and it’s here that the story lightly stumbled for me. The characters drift from character encounter to character encounter much like avatars in top-down JRPGs. Each encounter is scary and fascinating–one with a cabin-dwelling woman named Opal Whitley (named, perhaps, for Opal Whiteley?) stands out as particularly strange–but I lost sense of the driving plot.

But all recovers by the novel’s end, as secret identities and powers are revealed and wild magic does its work. I eventually realized that it’s the romance that really drives the plot here and not the more fairy tale elements like the magical bracelet. But when a romance is written so competantly and well–when the characters involved are both strong, vivid, real, and when they inhabit a world so starkly fascinating–then I’m far from one to complain. Magisterium may not be a perfect work, but, like the work of Miyazaki, it’s the kind that you just can’t help but crow about.(less)

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Jul 17, 2012 Ravenous Biblioworm rated it 2 of 5 stars

Rating: 2/5

I really do hope I’m not back in a slump again (of finding many books “not for me”). There are days I tell myself, maybe I shouldn’t expect so much, but then realize what’s wrong with that? What’s wrong with wanting something good? Nothing. Magisterium had a really promising premise. Very. I mean I haven’t read a book about dual realities in a long time and the only one that sticks out to me is the Piers Anthony one, Apprentice Adept series, which I vaguely remember. The book had that...more

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Mar 16, 2013 Amaryliss White rated it 3 of 5 stars

I honestly can't see why this book has such a low rating. It is not the best, nor is it the worst.

The setting is an enticing one, which I found lightly explored — disappointing. What was explained, though, was well done and even made sense (unlike many other books I've read).

The book is a serious page-turner, but like most of the other readers, I was strangely disconnected from the story. Nothing much seems to happen and yet too much seems to happen at the same time. Result: I skimmed through...more

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Nov 25, 2012 E. rated it 1 of 5 stars

My main problem with Jeff Hirsch's Magisterium was that it felt like the author was "writing down" to the reader. A key distinction between good and bad YA, I believe, is determined by whether the author is telling an intelligent, character-driven story that appeals to young readers, or telling a dumbed-down, action-driven story that's written for young readers. This falls into the second category. It feels like the author doesn't believe young adults are as smart or interesting as adults.

The p...more My main problem with Jeff Hirsch's Magisterium was that it felt like the author was "writing down" to the reader. A key distinction between good and bad YA, I believe, is determined by whether the author is telling an intelligent, character-driven story that appeals to young readers, or telling a dumbed-down, action-driven story that's written for young readers. This falls into the second category. It feels like the author doesn't believe young adults are as smart or interesting as adults.

The protagonist, a teenage girl named Glenn, isn't all that bright. She spends the first third of the book ignoring obvious clues as to the realities of this fantastic world, continuing to tell herself "magic can't exist" even though it's right in front of her. Her ignorance is too blatant and unjustified to work as irony. And this is a recurring problem in the narrative: the protagonist figures things out well after the reader does, leaving the reader waiting in annoyance.

To its credit, the book has some interesting settings and ideas: dual worlds, one set in fantasy, one in high-technology; subtle shifts in reality between these worlds; strange creatures, including a giant, talking cat; and a magical power ("Affinity") that overwhelms the bearer's sensibilities.

But the book is a series of predictable cliches, and all the lessons the protagonist learns are expected and/or redundant. The final act is a never-ending action sequence in which the protagonist is stabbed, burned, dropped so hard she breaks ribs, and yet she bounces up for the next sequence. Ouch! Shouldn't she be sent to a hospital?

I could go on, but I'll end the review by saying that my biggest problem with the book was that the characters weren't that dynamic or intriguing. The talking cat, Aamon, was the most layered and likable character, but his role was minor. Two of the most important characters, the boy love interest and Glenn's mother, spend most of the book under magical spells that essentially negate any character development they might undergo.

And Glenn, as a protagonist, is sort of boring--a non-believer who only believes in fantastic things when she's been exposed to them over and over and over, and the reader pounds her head against the nightstand.(less)

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Oct 06, 2012 Sanette rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-reads, dystopian, supernatural-abilities, strong-females

"Nothing is separate, everything is one thing"

Glenn Morgan is a girl who believes in the probable, the rational, the technology that she can see and understand. She lives in a world full of the best technology and the most advanced medical and educational system around. But her world is divided by a great Rift created a 100 years before she was born. On the other side of the Rift is a barren waste land... or so she's been taught. But when her father, a brilliant inventor, creates a device that...more "Nothing is separate, everything is one thing"

Glenn Morgan is a girl who believes in the probable, the rational, the technology that she can see and understand. She lives in a world full of the best technology and the most advanced medical and educational system around. But her world is divided by a great Rift created a 100 years before she was born. On the other side of the Rift is a barren waste land... or so she's been taught. But when her father, a brilliant inventor, creates a device that allows people of her land, Colloquium, to travel to the other side, her government will stop at nothing sending her and her best friend Kevin beyond to Rift to escape their governments army hell bent on killing them and retrieving the device. But what they find on the other side is very different from what they have always been taught to believe, a reality that does not fit with Glenn's structured technological thought process, everything Glenn has believed about her self and her world is put into question.

I was blown away by Magiterium. It was a short read and I loved that there were not these long drawn out unnecessary scenes. Hirsch quickly and effectively built the world that Glenn lived in and it was such a vivid world I could see everything Glenn could. Glen's home is full of Technology, science, a clear way of thinking that leaves very little room for the imagination, but thats just the way Glenn likes it, or at least she thinks. But once she crosses over into what is known as the Magisterium she find Magic and religion, something she cannot reconcile with her perfectly logical life. As she puts it, "We know what Gods are, we just don't have any use for them." I thought this statement perfectly sums up the difference between the two worlds that Hirsch created. One of myth and legend and the other of science and logic. When Glenn is thrusted into this world she never believed existed she finds herself surround by people who pray to a whole host of different Gods, who put their life in the hands of faith and it's not something she can easily wrap her head around.

But Kevin, her best friend, who has always been a dreamer compared to her, easily falls into place with the people of Magisterium, and while Glenn is still questioning their ability to put everything to faith, Kevin is immersing himself in their beliefs and his change frightens Glenn, as it would any logical person who is watching their friend transform before their eyes based on a belief they just learned about. I felt Hirsch did an incredible job of showing the extremes in both. I believe you can have faith, but to put your entire life into it is an extreme and one that does not always produce the best in a person. But on the flip side, to rely so heavily on logic and science alone and to not be able to even contemplate the possibility of something else is also an extreme and that is the world Hirsch has created, two extreme's divided by a Rift.

I love books that make me think about the universe and this book is definitely in that category. While there is a host of supernatural elements in this book, the underlying message is a powerful one and something I think each reader needs to come to on their own. The book is action packed, and Glenn is a headstrong dependable character that while she has a hard time adjusting her beliefs she is good at heart and in the end always makes the just decision. Kevin is a dreamer and while during part of the book he kind of got on my nerves, he was the perfect match for Glenn and really contributed to her evolution as a character. But my favorite character other than Glenn was Amnon, he was fascinating and I wish there was more about him and where he came from.

The ending was absolutely perfect and it just affirmed my belief in what Hirsch was trying to say with this story, and while there does not seem to be any news about a second book, the ending definitely left enough questions that I am eagerly awaiting the possibility that there will be one. This was such a fantastic, thought provoking adventure that I recommend it to absolutely everyone!. (less)

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Feb 03, 2013 Rose rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-or-galley, netgalley, young-adult, dystopia, fantasy

Initial reaction: My second read from Jeff Hirsch in "Magisterium" definitely lacked a bit of finesse and progression. I had a hard time caring about the characters and the plot often had rough transitions that made it a more difficult read than it had to be. It's a shame because there were many good ideas here, just not executed anywhere near what they could've been. It was a significant disappointment for me.

Full review:

"Magisterium" had the potential to be an awesome book, but for the most pa...more Initial reaction: My second read from Jeff Hirsch in "Magisterium" definitely lacked a bit of finesse and progression. I had a hard time caring about the characters and the plot often had rough transitions that made it a more difficult read than it had to be. It's a shame because there were many good ideas here, just not executed anywhere near what they could've been. It was a significant disappointment for me.

Full review:

"Magisterium" had the potential to be an awesome book, but for the most part, I don't think Jeff Hirsch improved upon many basic narrative problems that plagued his first novel "The Eleventh Plague" (no pun intended). This book had an apt and fitting premise to its aim, but still suffered from a noticeable lack of character intimacy, stakes, worldbuilding, and overall plot pacing. I was surprised by how lifeless this work was in spurts. It disappointed me in so many ways, and I consider myself a fan of dystopian type fantastical works. This work lends more toward the fantasy, though it begins with a dystopian leaning.

For the life of me, despite being able to follow Glenn through much of this novel in her experiences, I couldn't stand her character for her insufferable, irresponsible decisions, and these are despite her respective age and experiences. Nor could I identify with much of the cast here. We meet Glenn as she's wanting to graduate early from school, fends off some advances with her best friend Kevin, is growing distant from her scientist father, and wrestles with memories/disdain of her lost mother. Things take an immense change when her father makes a connection with an important bracelet and hints that it may be a link to Glenn's mother and that the entire realm Glenn knows is a lie. So what does Glenn do?

She turns her father to the oppressive authorities. Because apparently she thinks he's crazy and doesn't realize she could sabotage all that he's worked for, and just doesn't trust in what he's doing. For no reason. And then she has the gall to be surprised when the authorities turn against her and Kevin as well, though Kevin's father works for this authority.

I kinda knew by that point the book and I weren't going to get along because while there were quite a few conflicts in this book, there was very little to no sense or reasonation with some significant events. The violence in this is a bit over the top and fails to bear any kind of weight to it, which bothered me. The characters are fairly non-dimensional and the plot suffers from jagged presentation. I wish I could say that it improved over the course of the story. There were moments I thought it would, and even the ending of the novel has a bit of coming together that really set itself apart from the times this book dragged its feet, particularly when Glenn steps up to the plate to use her newfound power to fight against those who wish to harm her and those she cares about. But in the end, it wasn't enough to redeem it for me. It felt like an action movie with very little heart and with a cast that made it hard to care in certain segments of the plot.

Great ideas, but very poor execution. I'm still hoping that Hirsch's next work brings more to the table, because he has an interesting style narrative when it works.

Overall score: 1.5/5

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Scholastic.(less)

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Dec 21, 2012 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Originally reviewed on A Reader of Fictions.

Magisterium was one strange book. Seriously, this is probably the second oddest book I've read so far this year, second only to Dust Girl. Though Magisterium definitely does have dystopian elements to its setting, it's really not about that. Instead, this is a novel for fantasy fans all the way. Occasionally, there are even moments where it felt like a fairy tale. Be prepared for all sorts of craziness when you set out on this journey

When the novel ope...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Kara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: animals, arc, dystopian, fantasy, for-review, magic, net-galley, young-adult

If you look up at the top, you will see that I really couldn't decide what genre to put this book in. Of course it's young adult. But as for the rest...well, there are some dystopian elements, especially in the beginning, but most of all, I think this is a fantasy. It's not quite high fantasy, but it has some elements of that, too. There's lots of walking/traveling from place to place. Different villages, a magic system, a mythical antagonist, and some bizarre creatures. There's even an old woma...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Elisa Johnston rated it 2 of 5 stars

At a Glance:

The cover of this book is spectacular; it is actually my most favorite book cover to date. But, depressingly, the pages in-between the beautiful cover are just boring. Empty. Magisterium seemed full of promise, built on great ideas, but it was seriously lacking in, well, something.

Action:

There was a decent amount of action in this book. You know, lots of running and fighting and people getting saved and people getting killed. I wouldn’t describe it as really violent, though.

Romance...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Libby rated it 5 of 5 stars

So much modern fantasy is derivative that I hesitate to read a new one sometimes. Fortunately for me, Jeff Hirsch's new work is a very nice new twist on the magic vs science trope. I got a big kick out of the way he would delude me into thinking I knew what was coming next and then reveal something quirky and---not quite---what I expected.

This is written in a smooth, almost spare prose style that reads easily and quickly. I zipped through it in a long afternoon. But don't let that deter you, the...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Jill rated it 2 of 5 stars

Note: There are no spoilers except a few in the Discussion section, which you should skip if you want to avoid them.

Glennora (“Glenn”) Morgan is 16, and lives alone with her brilliant, eccentric scientist father near the border (or “Rift”) between their world, known as The Colloquium, and the post-nuclear-devastated wilderness beyond it. Glenn’s mother left her and her father, suddenly and with no explanation, ten years earlier, on Glenn’s sixth birthday. Her father spends all his time tinkering...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, fantasy, sci-fi, ya, not-graphic

Glenn's life has always been defined, at least in part, by the Rift. Her family lives on the border of, what she's always been told, is a vast wasteland that was left when technology took off--trans-light travel, cold fusion, and bioengineering, for instance--but part of the land was destroyed in the process and has been off limits ever since. The Rift swallowed her mom years ago, a disappearance that has left her dad distant and obsessed with his scientific work.

But then her dad says his Projec...more Glenn's life has always been defined, at least in part, by the Rift. Her family lives on the border of, what she's always been told, is a vast wasteland that was left when technology took off--trans-light travel, cold fusion, and bioengineering, for instance--but part of the land was destroyed in the process and has been off limits ever since. The Rift swallowed her mom years ago, a disappearance that has left her dad distant and obsessed with his scientific work.

But then her dad says his Project is complete and starts spouting all the crazy conspiracy theories about the other side of the Rift. Then the government destroys her dad's lab and she's on the run with a friend. They stumble across the border to get away and Glenn realizes a number of things: her cat is transformed into a huge, intelligent, upright warrior-beast; technology doesn't work across the border, but magic exists there; her dad wasn't crazy, that the bracelet he created insulates her from the magic and allows her to work technology. suddenly, her eyes are opened to an entirely different reality than she ever thought existed.

For over a hundred years, the Magisterium and Colloquium have stayed separate and at peace. The reason that's been possible is that each side knows that any army that tried to cross over to the other's territory would be helpless. Your weapons don't work here. Our Affinity doesn't work there. But this bracelet changes that. If Sturges possessed the technology that's inside of it he could fill the sky with drones and take the Magisterium for himself. And if Garen Tom had it, or the Magistra? Then your home would be invaded by legions far stranger and more deadly than me.

All Glenn wants to do is return home and go back to the life she's always known, but the powerful and elite from both sides of the border are after her bracelet and won't let her rest. And, perhaps, if her dad was right, somewhere in the Magisterium her mom still lives and the bracelet will be the key to bringing her home.

I enjoyed the ideas in this book and sometimes found the action compelling, but I didn't feel like I ever really engaged with the characters in a way that would have made it emotional and meaningful.(less)

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Dec 23, 2012 Phoebe rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure-ya, not-finished, sci-fi

Glenn lives in a post-apocalyptic world where the Rift divides safe and unsafe; Glenn's side is high-tech, comfortable, controlled by science; the other side is a wasteland. Glenn loves the safety of her society, but is dismayed by her father's descent into ill health as his attempts to get The Project finished become an obsession. Her mother vanished ten years earlier. But Glenn's good intentions to get her father some help result in chaos, and Glenn and her friend Kevin are unexpectedly rescue...more

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Nov 04, 2012 June rated it 3 of 5 stars

As soon as I saw the cover of this book, I was fascinated. Who is that? And the title, Magisterium, it intrigued me as well. What does that mean? So, I looked it up. Imagine my surprise when I learned the definition: In the Catholic church, it's the teaching authority of the church.

Huh?!?

How the heck is that supposed to play out in the story? I couldn't begin to imagine, but I was even more curious and interested to find out. Is this a story in which religion is a big focus? Check out the descr...more

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Oct 23, 2012 My Sister's Bookshelf rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

For my full review - and others like it! - please check out our blog, My Sister's Bookshelf!

How Excited Was I To Read Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch? Very! Because the name and description reminded me of The Golden Compass, which I love.

Book Rating: 5. I’m halfway on this one. It’s well-written and some things I loved (more on that later) but it didn’t grab me, y’know?

Book Review: Let me start out by saying I really enjoyed some of the concepts explored by Hirsch through the Rift. A world governed b...more

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Oct 14, 2012 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: animals, bullies, community, death, families, dystopian, gifted, friendship, monsters, ncbla2013, travel

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 08, 2012 Annette rated it 3 of 5 stars

Magisterium has a great fantasy plot, but the pacing and details spoiled it a bit.

Glenn’s father is somewhat of a mad scientist. Especially since her mother disappeared ten years ago. They live in the Colloquium, the area of “earth” that wasn’t devastated by the massive explosion in 2023. Since then there is the area beyond the border that is a wasteland. There are, of course stories about mutants living across the border, but no one is allowed to go there.

Glenn’s father finally comes up with an...more Magisterium has a great fantasy plot, but the pacing and details spoiled it a bit.

Glenn’s father is somewhat of a mad scientist. Especially since her mother disappeared ten years ago. They live in the Colloquium, the area of “earth” that wasn’t devastated by the massive explosion in 2023. Since then there is the area beyond the border that is a wasteland. There are, of course stories about mutants living across the border, but no one is allowed to go there.

Glenn’s father finally comes up with an invention. It’s a metal bracelet that he wants Glenn to put on, so that she can cross the border and find her mother and bring her back. Her father finally tells her that’s what happened to her mother. She went into the desolation, and it’s a place that changes you. So her mom doesn’t know what she was, or that she even wants to come back. The bracelet will allow Glenn to enter that area and still stay the way she is here in the Colloquium.

Kevin, Glenn's friend, ends up with her in what they soon discover is called the Magisterium. He's also the romantic interest, and this was one of my favorite aspects. I really liked Kevin and I liked the banter between Kevin and Glenn.

While Magisterium has an interesting and somewhat unique premise, I got lost in the details. There were lots of characters in the Magisterium and I sometimes got them confused. The final showdown just went on way too long -- part of this may be because there was a lot of just telling instead of showing. My heart really never pounded when our main characters were in mortal peril. There is some really strange wording and descriptions. Some sentences I had to read again and still didn't understand. I can't give you a quote because this is an ARC.

I'll once again readily admit that fantasy isn't my favorite genre, although lately I've found myself really enjoying some of these novels. So, Magisterium had some fantastical characters that I didn't really enjoy or understand completely. Some of these characters were a bit too convenient, which is one of the problems I have with fantasy. If your main character is in trouble, just invent some strange creature with a strange power that can help her out. I did like the cat, though...and I'm not going to say anything else about that.

I was a bit disappointed in Magisterium, after really enjoying the beginning and the set up of the world and situation, I just got bogged down in too much fantasy and a drawn out ending.

Die hard fantasy lovers may feel quite differently than I do, and I won't hesitate to recommend Magisterium to those teens that I know like this type of story. I think this one is appropriate for younger teens, so I'll probably put a copy in the middle school library too.(less)

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Aug 25, 2012 M.E. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-and-reviewed

Magisterium is a mystery novel involving two separate divisions of the planet; the Rift or Magisterium and the Colloquium. The Magisterium is a place of magic, while the Colloquium is a modernized world of science; both worlds are unable to interact with one another. The main character of the story is Glenn Morgan and she lives in the Colloquium with her father, who is a scientist slash inventor. Her mother has disappeared, or as Glenn sees it, has abandoned them for some mysterious reason unkno...more Magisterium is a mystery novel involving two separate divisions of the planet; the Rift or Magisterium and the Colloquium. The Magisterium is a place of magic, while the Colloquium is a modernized world of science; both worlds are unable to interact with one another. The main character of the story is Glenn Morgan and she lives in the Colloquium with her father, who is a scientist slash inventor. Her mother has disappeared, or as Glenn sees it, has abandoned them for some mysterious reason unknown to her. Wishing to escape the life she has, Glenn dreams of traveling light years away to planet 813. This dream is interrupted when her father shares with her his latest invention; a bracelet with a large red jewel in the middle of a gray band. A bracelet, he describes, that will allow them to enter the Rift and to rescue her mother! Glenn doesn’t believe there is any life in the Rift – everything she’s been taught has been that the Rift is a wasteland, however, when she shares the information about her father’s invention to Dr. Kapoor, her psychiatrist, she finds herself thrust into this whole new magical world. To escape Sturges and the military forces of the Colloquium, Glenn runs into the Magisterium with her friend, Kevin Kapoor. The bracelet is the only thing keeping her from totally emerging into this new place, and Glenn soon finds there are mysteries on this side of the border that involve her. To discover the answers to those mysteries Glenn is forced to face her past, to accept her present, and to possible change her future.

My synopsis of Magisterium doesn’t really capture the whole book, or even the whole story. There’s just SO much going on, layers of story, that I just can’t fit all of it into a one summarized paragraph. Part of the reason, there are two completely different realities involved within the book. And within each reality – be it the Colloquium or the Magisterium – there is a story being told. Eventually both of these stories collide into one fantastic mystical adventure.

I liked this book. The story was fun, but it wasn’t simple. The characters captured my interest and I was drawn into their lives and the mystery surrounding the Morgan family. As I read, I figured out most of the mystery surrounding Glenn, however, this didn’t deter me from continuing to read the book. The reason? Simply put, the story was appealing enough and I was fascinated in the characters and the troubles they found themselves in.

It took me less than two weeks to finish the book; the reading went smoothly, and the font of the book was easy on the eye. This is probably because the book is geared towards the younger audience and their reading ability, which brings me to those who I would recommend Magisterium to. On the proof received, it states the recommended age is 12 and up; for grades 7 and up. I concur with their suggestion and believe those twelve and older will be drawn into the story. It’s an interesting enough story for even for the adult reader like me! Plus, the friend who gave me the book also read it and enjoyed the story within, so yes, this book can be read by the adult reader. If interested in fantasy, then this book will definitely be one you’d want to read.(less)

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Aug 09, 2012 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-michelle

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: A world filled with wonder, built with layers upon layers of detail, that includes well-written characters.

Opening Sentence: Glenn followed the hum of machinery out to the edge of the forest.

The Review:

First of all, Jeff Hirsch’s Magisterium has a wonderful book cover. For those of you who have not seen the advanced reading copy (ARC), the cover’s background is in foil. It is luminescent, complementing the dark focus of the cover – a girl wh...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Melliott rated it 2 of 5 stars

I almost never give a negative review--I figure, if it's good, praise it; if it's bad, ignore it. But this book was neither and both. It suffered from so many problems that its rather interesting ideas just couldn't save it, in my opinion.

First of all, there was no appreciable world-building. In a book that is a combination of post-apocalyptic and fantasy, you really need that solid grounding of knowledge about:
1. What happened
2. What has resulted
3. Who are the major players
But we go into this s...more I almost never give a negative review--I figure, if it's good, praise it; if it's bad, ignore it. But this book was neither and both. It suffered from so many problems that its rather interesting ideas just couldn't save it, in my opinion.

First of all, there was no appreciable world-building. In a book that is a combination of post-apocalyptic and fantasy, you really need that solid grounding of knowledge about:
1. What happened
2. What has resulted
3. Who are the major players
But we go into this story virtually blind, and then the author suddenly introduces characters to whom he gives major importance but with whom we are totally unfamiliar up to that point, and it just doesn't work, especially because he doesn't set these characters inside any defined context. Mr. Sturges represents Authority, but...what is that, exactly? Way too vague. And the Magisterium--we find out a few details about what it used to be, but there's no understanding of the roles various people play or played. Finally, there's no real explanation for what caused the Rift between the two sides of the border/worlds.

Second, the heroine and her love interest were both such contradictory messes (and not in an organic way) that you don't know what to think of them. Glenn, the heroine, does, says, and thinks some things in the course of the story that are so contradictory you just don't know whether to love her or utterly despise her, while Kevin starts out as a weird wimpy nerd, stays that way for more than half the book, then suddenly morphs in Glenn's eyes into the surprisingly masculine love of her life? It's just not believable.

Third, there is neither consistent science nor consistent fantasy. The author pretty much makes it up as he goes along, leaving the reader feeling cheated of understanding, unwilling to buy in.

Since this is not yet published, one could hope for some tweaks, but I'm afraid more than just tweaks are needed. It's too bad, because the writer has an engaging style, and I liked his ideas.(less)

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Jun 27, 2012 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars

High 3 to low 4.

I really enjoyed this book and stayed up late to finish it. It was adventurous and didn't move too slow. And I love the cover.

Here are my problems, comments and questions:
What happens when in 4 years, people on the expedition to planet 813 find 2 people living there (her mom and dad)!?

Also, why when she can open a portal to another planet, didn't just manipulate the air and grab the bracelet. Like she opens a portal, sticks her arm through to wherever the bracelet is and grab it...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Jennifer Rayment rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mini Book Review: A truly unique and unusual story that is perfect for the reluctant reader. This was an extremely fast paced story with plenty of twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I won't lie I was a little confused at times about what the heck was going on but than again I was reading it while taking care of the kids while hubby was away - mind wasn't completely there. The cover is fabulous and I had to pick it up after promising no more books while at BEA. Glenn is an intriguing and...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Ramie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: librarycopy, ya

I wish I could give this more than two stars... It just got on my nerves and bored me. The main character is forgettable and unlikeable. It felt like every third word was her name (that could be because I was listening to an audio version. Seriously though Glenn went to her room to whine about how her dad won't let her do what she wants. Glenn doesn't understand why her daddy was sooo mean. She'd show him, Glenn would! And that Kevin guy likes Glenn but Glenn hates him, but Glenn doesn't really...more

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Mar 17, 2013 JLuis Licea rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 2 1/2 stars!

So, I was challenged to read this book in 4 hours. And I tried. I finished reading it in 4 hours and 7 minutes. (Yes, I put a timer on myself and read. I had fun!)
Which is why my next comment can apply: this book is a very fast, light, and raw read.

Let's get to it.

We are introduced to this girl named Glenn (Glennora) who lives with her dad. Her dad is working on a Project. Very, very soon we find out what that project is.
I was into the story at the beginning because it was about Glen...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, dystopia

Recommended Age:
14+

Overall Rating: (I wavered between 3.5 and 4 stars on this one, but decided to err on the side of higher.)

Overall Review:
Magisterium was not quite like any book I've read before. Part futuristic dystopia, part dreamlike fantasy, this story weaves together a number of disparate elements into one intriguing whole. Reading Magisterium felt a little bit like being in an odd dream, where I could never quite predict what might happen next and curious things were waiting around ever...more

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Oct 01, 2012 TheBookSmugglers rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 7-rated-book

Originally reviewed on The Book Smugglers

Glenn Morgan is a brilliant young woman, who desires nothing more than graduating early, and getting a ticket on a deep space exploration mission to a habitable planet far, far away. Ever since her mother chose to skip out on her daughter and husband, Glenn's life has been a long, painful nightmare. Her father, once a brilliant, celebrated inventor has become a shade of his former self, obsessed with an all-consuming "project" that seems more the product...more Originally reviewed on The Book Smugglers

Glenn Morgan is a brilliant young woman, who desires nothing more than graduating early, and getting a ticket on a deep space exploration mission to a habitable planet far, far away. Ever since her mother chose to skip out on her daughter and husband, Glenn's life has been a long, painful nightmare. Her father, once a brilliant, celebrated inventor has become a shade of his former self, obsessed with an all-consuming "project" that seems more the product of a delusional mind than fruitful scientific endeavor. The only things that keep Glenn sane are her academic ambitions and the not-always-welcome distraction of her best friend, Kevin Kapoor. Despite her father's obsessions, everything in Glenn's life seems to be according to plan - it's only a matter of time before she gets to strike out in the great beyond and leave her world behind.

When Glenn's father's Project turns out to be successful, however, Glenn's life is turned upside down - her father is imprisoned by the Authority, and Glenn and Kevin find themselves on the run. With an invention that could change everything, Glenn and Kevin cross the border separating their world, the Colloquium, from the terrifying wastes beyond. Together, Glenn and Kevin find that everything they know about their world is a carefully constructed lie, and that the Colloquium is just one paradigm in a universe with many different rules and possibilities.

Magisterium, the sophomore effort from Jeff Hirsch, takes a familiar baseline premise (parentless brilliant girl who has a secret destiny and who can change everything, set in a dystopian world) and embellishes it with some solid originality, making for an engaging, memorable read. This is a very different novel than The Eleventh Plague, as it certainly is more imaginative in scope, traversing two different worlds that abide by different universal laws. I love books that straddle and blur the lines between science and magic, and Magisterium does this with distinct aplomb (calling to mind Incarceron and Sapphique by Catherine Fisher). I especially loved the juxtaposition of the Colloquium and its adherence to order and technology, alongside the world of the Magisterium, full of human-like warrior creatures and natural magic. Of course, this rift between (manmade) Technology and (natural) Magic is a familiar tension, especially throughout YA SF/dystopias, Hirsch's worlds are more...subtle. Less overt in their critiques and there isn't the same absolute demonization of science that seems so prevalent in the works of this particular YA canon - and I greatly appreciate that. I *especially* love how Hirsch shows that both sides of this particular dichotomy have their own strengths and weaknesses, their own tyrants and heroes. Brilliant.

From a character perspective, the counterpoints of Glenn and Kevin are similarly brilliant and I loved both of these young, impassioned protagonists. Glenn clings to her desire for reason and order, while Kevin embraces the different other-ness of the world beyond the Colloquium. Most of all, I love the relationship between these two characters, and watching it slowly evolve the longer they are on their quest. For so long, Glen strives to push everyone away - especially Kevin - and she struggles to make sense of her own tangled emotions. I love that Kevin pushes back, too, and he's not just some complacent, love-struck boy without any deeper characterization (he has a fantastic arc, and I found myself loving Kevin wholeheartedly). My favorite character, however, is the feline Aamon - but I don't want to say TOO much about him, because when you discover who he is and why he befriends Glenn and Kevin, it's a hell of a twist.

The only actual stumbling points for this book - at least for me - concerned the plot itself. From a storytelling perspective, I love the path that Magisterium takes, but the pacing is uneven, especially in the middle portion of the text. There are many wondrous sights and creatures in the Magistra's realm, from beautiful jagged-toothed swan princesses and magic-weaving old ladies, but the introduction to these different friends and foes felt stilted and confusing, and aren't actually necessary to the storyline or plot progression overall. Too, I wanted more meat and gristle when it came to the story behind the Rift that caused the divide between the two worlds, more concrete details in lieu of descriptive flair. That said, the flair is kind of fantastic, and I love the distinct flavor of Hirsch's worlds - so I can't complain too much.

For all the familiarity of the tropes in this book - and yes, they are bountiful as well as familiar - I very much loved Jeff Hirsch's touches of originality and skillful imagination. Solidly recommended (and I cannot wait for Hirsch's next book).(less)

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Apr 07, 2013 William.g rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this novel. As this being the author's second novel, I felt he did a wonderful job. Though, it wasn't as good as his first novel, I must admit.
If there is one thing I love in any novel is that it can have a whole world. Whether it be a technological world, or a totally magical world (Lord of the Rings), as long as it's massive size is written on the pages of one person. Mr. Hirsch satisified me with both a utopian world and a world like Middle-Earth. It felt unique and the stor...more

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Jan 12, 2013 Ms. Library rated it 2 of 5 stars

2 stars.
The cover for this and the idea are amazing. I saw this cover and was immediately fascinated, and then I herd the synopsis. Glenn lives in a technological paradise with her father. They are both struggling to get over Glenn leaving them, and Glenn's father is obsessed with a special project. Glenn's best friend, Kevin, is convinced that something lies beyond the Rift beyond an apocalyptic wasteland. He thinks that there are monsters and something more beyond. After everything changes, G...more

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Nov 06, 2012 Reading and Rising With the Sun rated it 4 of 5 stars

So I was in the mood for a gripping fantasy novel and decided to give Magisterium a try, and I am so glad I did. Magisterium is about Glenn, a teenage girl who is pretty much a technological genius, just like her father. She is a firm believer in science, and at first just can't believe in magic, as it goes against everything in her life.

Glenn's mom disappeared when she was just six years old, and her father works relentlessly in his workshop day after day to find a way to get her back. Glenn d...more So I was in the mood for a gripping fantasy novel and decided to give Magisterium a try, and I am so glad I did. Magisterium is about Glenn, a teenage girl who is pretty much a technological genius, just like her father. She is a firm believer in science, and at first just can't believe in magic, as it goes against everything in her life.

Glenn's mom disappeared when she was just six years old, and her father works relentlessly in his workshop day after day to find a way to get her back. Glenn doesn't know this, and is shocked and in a sort of panicked frenzy when she finds out what her father creates. Imagine her surprise when her fathers invention leads her smack dab in the middle of a world filled with magic - a place she hadn't believed could exist.

I really enjoyed seeing Glenn change throughout the story, as I really think she improved and grew as a character. At first she thought only of herself and the rules of her society, following technology blindly and letting it run her life. By the end of the story she had become a strong main character who opened her heart to others and began thinking about people around her.

We also got the pleasure of meeting Glenn's best friend Kevin. I felt like tensions were high between these two for most of the story, what with Glenn kind of ignoring him and pushing him aside and all. I liked the brief and scarce, but sweet, tender moments that the two of them shared together, and I wish there could have been more of them.

I also really liked the world of Magisterium. It was easy to tell that the author had taken his time to create a world full of magic that wasn't all fairy tales but full of perils and dangers also. The setting of the world strongly reminded my of the Iron Fey books, and I think anyone who enjoyed that series would enjoy this also.

Magisterium was an enjoyable read for me. It was nice to get sucked into a world full of magic for a few hours. The ending was left pretty open, and I'm not sure if there will be a sequel yet, but if there is I look forward to escaping into this world again.
(less)

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About Jeff Hirsch

Here are some things about me.

I live in an extremely Brazilian section of an extremely Greek neighborhood—Astoria, Queens, which is just to the right of Manhattan. (That's as you face Manhattan. If you were, say, lying on your back in the middle of Central Park with your head in a northerly position, we would be to your left) I live there with my wife who has a blog and our two cats who do not. O...more

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Quotes from Magisterium

“She slipped Glenn into her bed and then her face hung over Glenn's for one quiet moment, like a moon.
"Meera doe branagh, Glennora Morgan."
The strange words drifted down from her mother's lips, whispered as light as falling snow.
"What does it mean, Mommy?"
Fingertips grazed Glenn's cheek. "It means I love you. It means I'll always love you." She kissed Glenn softly on the forehead, then backed away. "No matter what."
She stepped into the bright hallway and closed the door.
When Glenn woke the next morning, her mother was gone” — 1 person liked it

“Shadows of what you'll become. Silhouettes.” — 1 person liked it

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