Don't Expect Magic is a fun, light read that will appeal to older tweens or young teens who are perhaps too old for a traditional fairy tale, but still haven't given up hope for magical intervention in matters of the heart. The opening chapters don't necessarily reflect this--Delaney's mother has died suddenly, and she begins the story as a hostile, combat-boot-wearing rebel--but the fairy tale storyline kicks in soon after. She enters her new school resentful and uninterested in all of the kids that she finds to be "flat" and tedious. Her role as an f.g. (fairy godmother) requires her to be in tune with peoples' wishes, which leads Delaney to the revelation that even a small amount of awareness of and interest in others goes a long way toward finding common ground and making friends (and the same could be said in regard to her relationship with her father). Delaney encourages one female character to be her true self without suspecting that for the character in question it means expressing interest in a same-sex friend. All told, Don't Expect Magic, is a wholesome read with the emphasis on recognizing feelings and enjoying getting to know and appreciate people beyond their exterior images.
