Magic Hour, inspired in part by a news story Hannah read some years before writing the book, explores the intriguing phenomenon of feral children. It examines the complexities of a child raised outside of society, left to fend for herself, who is suddenly immersed in a world completely alien to her. Being a native of the Seattle area, Hannah is able to create vivid imagery of the vast expanses of forest in her Pacific Northwest setting that is so important to the novel. Rain Valley, the town in which the majority of the story takes place, is portrayed as a town unchanged for decades and literally standing on the precipice of a completely isolated, unknown world.

The romantic relationships in the novel are certainly no surprise, and it is clear from very early on how attachments between the primary characters will progress. There is no real surprise to this element of the story, which was quite disappointing, although I did find myself still rooting for the characters to find happiness in their romantic attachments. In truth, the outcome of the book is fairly easy to anticipate quite early on, but Hannah writes skillfully to make her readers eagerly anticipate these events even if they are expected. She crafts her characters carefully until they are people that you truly care about, and want to see positive endings for.

There are certainly a few points in the story that require a little acceptance on the part of the reader that perhaps liberties are being taken to progress the plot. The changes seen in Alice sometimes occur very quickly, or occasionally her behavior is somewhat illogical, but overall this does not detract from the novel too much. I found myself actually grateful for these elements at times, because I was so desperate to know what was going to happen to the protagonists that I just wanted the plot to move forward.

The relationship that develops between Julia and Alice was certainly the highlight of the book. It becomes clear very quickly that these two characters need each other, and that their relationship has the potential to save them both. Scenes of affection between them are beautifully and tenderly written. The penultimate scenes of the novel are emotionally charged and highly engaging for any reader. I was certainly tearful in a number of places.

The true value of Magic Hour is in its exploration of what it means to be human. People question whether Alice is really human when she appears out of the wilderness, and yet it is through her that others in the story find themselves and the connections they have been lacking for so long.

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