This was a fun little book.
I love how magic is implemented in Diana Wynne Jones' worlds. The characters were interesting, the plot was quite good and there were a lot of creative elements I liked (the book of matches, for example).
Gwendolen was a fantastic character and such an entertaining brat. Cat was so sweet and I was hoping he would finally see his own worth all the time. The relationship between these two siblings was very interesting to analyse. I also really liked Chrestomanci. The other characters weren't as fleshed out but they served the story and were interesting enough.
The only criticism I have is that some of the decisions made by the characters were a little dumb and seemed to be just for plot convenience.

That said, how could I give less than 4 stars to a book that has this quote?
"That's right, dear. We must all hunt for the pussy." She turned to the crowd with a witch's piercing scream. "Hunt for pussy, everyone!"

Don't tell me the author didn't know what she was doing. ( )

Fanciful tale of two orphans, the elder a witch, in a Victorianesque world of magic. It went quite well until Gwendolyn left then dragged until the final action. I'm not a fan of villain driven plots as this turned out to be. ( )

I really love this series so I'm rereading it for what's gotta be the 5th time at least. Changing this from 4 to 5 stars because I really do love it and Janet is one of my favorite characters in the series. ( )

Diana Wynne Jones is a children's fantasy writer who also uses elements of science fiction in her writing. I picked up Charmed Life at a book fair a few years ago. Due to lockdown the libraries are closed so I'm going through my hardcopy library and my kindle collection. The novel is the first in a series featuring a wizard-like character called Chrestomanci. A boy called Cat is attached to his sister, Gwendolen Chant, a bold witch. They've been left orphaned and Gwendolen is determined to be a powerful witch. https://readableword.wordpress.com/2021/08/22/charmed-life-by-diana-wynne-jones/ ( )

(component - see primary entry) ( )