This book and I had a very interesting relationship. There was a point where I was really tempted to give up on it but I continued after reading so many positive reviews. I am glad I did, because MAGONIA is truly a unique novel and I love originality, particularly in YA. However, I remain conflicted about the book as a whole. 
 In the beginning, my experience with this one was very similar to THE STRANGE AND BEAUTIFUL SORROWS OF AVA LAVENDER, a book I had tried reading about six months prior to this one and failed. Like I mentioned above, I love original plot-lines but I guess even I kind of a draw a line where I expect a familiar reality-to a point. MAGONIA was just a bit too confusing for me, but this is a personal preference. 
 I wish I had the imagination to create the fantastical creatures and concepts Headley did. It is so complex I could easily see multiple books exploring the world of Magonia and sky ships, batsails, heartbirds and so much more. 
 I think I would have enjoyed this one more if the real aspects were kept out of it and it was strictly a fantasy, there was just too much to cover and I think more time should have been given to some elements, particularly the ending that felt wrapped up a bit messily. 
 Besides the main character of Aza, I felt like the other characters were not fully developed. This might have been due to my initial disconnect with the novel itself, but all the characters seemed more like game pieces to move about rather than characters that could interact with the world around them. 
 All things considered, I liked this one. It transports you to another world that does not seem too far away, although it is definitely different than anything you could ever imagine. Back to the real world now!