How to Heal a Gryphon

by Meg Cannistra

“A funny, fantastical mystery. . . Perfect for fans of Rick Riordan.” —Laura Ruby, Two-Time National Book Award Finalist and author of the YORK Trilogy

“I could live with these characters and in this world for a good long while. Bring on the sequel!" —New York Times bestselling author Julie Murphy

To save her family, she’ll have to make a dangerous bargain and tip the scales of balance.

With her thirteenth birthday just around the corner, Giada Bellantuono has to make a big decision: Will she join the family business and become a healer or follow her dreams? But even though she knows her calling is to heal vulnerable animals, using her powers to treat magical creatures is decidedly not allowed.

When a group of witches kidnaps her beloved older brother, Rocco, and her parents are away, Giada is the only person left who can rescue him. Swept into the magical underground city of Malafi, Giada will need the help of her new companions to save her brother—or risk losing him forever.

• ISBN10: 1335426876
• ISBN13: 9781335426871
• Publish Date: 10 November 2022 (first published 4 October 2022)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 25 February 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Inkyard Press
• Edition: Original
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 304
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

How to Heal a Gryphon is a fun and well written fantasy for middle grade readers by Meg Cannistra. Released 4th Oct 2022 by Harper Collins on their Inkyard Press imprint, it's 304 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is such an engaging story with a wonderful young protagonist who wants to be a magical veterinarian instead of the healer her entire family expects her to be. She's intelligent, physically strong, kind, and she has a very good work ethic. She's also feeling hemmed in and battered down by everyone's expectations for her; not least of which concern her choice of training - she's from a long line of healers.

I liked the straightforward storytelling. Young Giada is torn between doing what's expected of her and following her dreams and she doesn't have long to make a decision. I also liked that she's not a willowy thin supergirl who breezes through challenges. She's chubby, and some of her classmates bully her about it. The author doesn't harp on it a great deal, but it appealed to me a lot that she didn't make Giada fat just to "fix" her later in the book.

The settings are interesting and unusual - the names and places have a distinct Italian vibe and the setting is both fantasy inspired with small modern details such as Giada talking about "doing research online".

The book is rated as NA/YA, but strikes me as more suited to middle grade readers (ca. 8-12 year olds).

Four stars. This would be a great choice for public or school library acquisition, gift giving, and home use.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes