altheaann

The fifth in the Chrestomanci series sees Diana Wynne Jones in fine form.
It's light, but not too light, charming but not saccharin. It's witty, but also touches on serious topics.
I really despise reviewers who say every single even slightly fantasy-related book should be read by 'fans of Harry Potter,' but I have to say that this series really is one that Potter fans would probably like.

Although it's part of a series, it's also a stand-alone story. Fans will recognize some of the characters as they appear, but a reader isn't required to know their background & history.
As the title implies, this is a story about Conrad, a boy who wants to go to high school, but instead is convinced by an obviously cockamamie story cooked up by his uncle that in order to expiate his karmic sins, he must go into service at the Castle and magically assassinate an unknown person... Luckily (as it turns out) for him, he makes friends with another boy who's applying for the same job - but also has an agenda that involves more than learning the finer points of the serving arts.
As always, in these books, parallel worlds and plenty of magic come into play...