Author: Celia Rees
Series: Witch Child #1
Genres: YA, Historical, Witches
Publisher: Candlewick Pres
Release: 2002
Source: Audiobook
Pages: 240
// Goodreads // BookDepository // Amazon //
BLURB:
Enter the world of young Mary Newbury, a world where simply being different can cost a person her life. Hidden until now in the pages of her diary, Mary's startling story begins in 1659, the year her beloved grandmother is hanged in the public square as a witch. Mary narrowly escapes a similar fate, only to face intolerance and new danger among the Puritans in the New World. How long can she hide her true identity? Will she ever find a place where her healing powers will not be feared?
Just two weeks after publication, Celia Rees's WITCH CHILD spirited its way onto the Book Sense Children's Only 76 list as one of the Top 10 books that independent booksellers like to handsell. Within a month, this riveting book sold out its first two hardcover printings. Now, Candlewick Press is pleased to announce the publication of WITCH CHILD in paperback.
EXPECTATIONS: Yet another witchy book. I pretty much take anything with witches and this was not an exception.
THE WORLD: Old time of witch trials. This book is actually a historical fiction so it kinda gives you an idea that what happened was more or less true. We first meet our main character rather young but then she is forced to run to New World. I think everybody has heard of witch trials by now so it's pretty much same way in this book too. Expect that we do have magic or witches being real in here.
CHARACTERS: Mary is very young when her grandma is hanged as a witch. She is forced to run to the New World and there stay with one of the families. In general Mary is shy and keeps to herself. I guess being accused of witchcraft in these times makes you this way. Anyways, Mary is also a very friendly person. I personally rather liked her, she was keeping to herself but then she had this diary where she was writing everything down and that kinda gave an insight into what she really thought or even who she really was. The only negative thing about Mary for me was that she was a little bit ordinary aka hard to remember. There are other characters but as Mary is a very center of the book I feel like other character are not really worth discussing. They were more of props rather than individual characters.
ROMANCE: Not the center for ones and yes yes yes we need more books like that.
GOOD: Witches and witchcraft. I liked how this book showed the ridiculous side of people who pointed fingers at witches. Frankly, even if witches were real it would be so cool and not horrible how history says.
BAD: This story was not something that really stuck with me. Again, Mary was too forgettable.
OVERALL: It was in comparison to some of witch books I have read a really good one but on the other hand it was not so memorable. However, as it is a duology I will go on and finish this series.
What do you think about WITCH CHILD?
