[1642] Sophia and the Color Weavers: Ch.1

Hi DR folks. I'm hoping you can tell me why my MG novel is not so great. The book itself is finished, but has been rejected by every agent I've queried without a single full manuscript request. It's upper middle grade, aimed at readers of approx 12+.

The genre is an MG portal fantasy. It follows a young girl who learns she can control color and is one of a select group of people called 'color weavers'. Color weavers are responsible for keeping all the world's colours just where they should be, thus keeping the world in balance. Sort of.

I've only included the opening chapter here (more available upon request), despite the manuscript being finished. Hopefully there is enough there to dissect. Any feedback on where I'm going wrong would be amazing. This is very much a passion project that has taken close to 4 years to finish. It's clear there is need for improvement but I'm struggling to see where the issues lie. Is it the characters, the prose, the story, or even a combination of everything?

Thank you in advance!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BzHDcrzD8BwTGfPt3paOIwOzp89ymzO_KtOJomNVM_Q/edit

Crit: [3300] Combinatorium