The Mesmerist by Ronald L. Smith book review

What a great middle grade book! The author has more recently written a Black Panther graphic novel so you might not even realize you already have his work in your library. The Mesmerist is set in Victorian England. It contains secret societies, faerie magic, a sinister evil creature and the power of family and friendships. Jessamine and her mother run a business for themselves communicating with the dead. It is mostly a ruse, until Jessamine discovers that she really does have some supernatural powers. She unknowingly writes out “ashes, ashes, we all fall down” and her mother freaks out. Most readers will be familiar with this song and will find that it appears throughout the book.

Jessamine soon finds that her power is getting stronger and she has to decide with path her future will take. Jessamine’s mother takes her to a family friend named Balthazar, where Jessamine will stay. As the adventure unfolds, readers will get to know a faerie, werewolf, Mephisto and an angel. This complex story is told in such a way that middle grade readers will be introduced and understand this tale of good and evil. The Victorian London underground will come to life through detailed descriptions and dialogue that is not too over the top for younger readers. The story is engaging and suspenseful. The cover art is attractive and will want to make you read the book right away. There are a few grisly scenes about the plague, but consistent with the time period and a some supernatural deaths. It is appropriate for a school library.

I really loved this book. There were some familiar characters like Balthazar, Mephisto and Malachai that I knew right away as an experienced reader and science fiction fan, but it may be the first introduction for younger readers. The author explored the theme of good and evil in such a way that it will not be overwhelming for the intended audience. I was impressed and how good of a job he did. I should have seen a couple of things coming, but I didn’t! It made the story that much better. There must have been a lot of research that when into this story. Get this book for your school library and push it. Your readers will thank you. Oh, and the vocabulary - when a 4th grader busts out the word “malevolent” you’ll know it is from this book.