Witch Child by Celia Rees

Series: Witch Child, Book One

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Format: Paperback

Published: Originally: 2000

This Edition: 6^th July 2009

Number of Pages: 256

Book: Bought

Genre: Historical, Magic, Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Fantasy, Children-YA Crossover

Recommended Age: 11+

Contains: Nothing Unsuitable

Shortlisted for the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize

Pages from a journal are loosely sewn into a quilt.  A quilt that lies undisturbed for more than three hundred years until it is carefully taken apart for cleaning and out of its folds falls a powerful and moving story.  The story of Mary – granddaughter of a witch.

A taunt, exciting novel, Witch Child holds the reader gripped throughout.

Review:

“I am Mary.  I am a witch.”

Witch Child tells the story of a girl named Mary, whose grandmother was hanged for being a witch.  She had to leave, before the townspeople turned on her as well.  And so she was taken away from the only home she’s know by a mysterious woman she’s never met, Mary is sent to America for her own safety.  But life aboard a ship of Puritans heading to the New World is just as dangerous as it was back home in England – maybe more so.  Can she keep her secret?  Or will she be discovered, and killed just as her grandmother was?

I was captivated, and literally devoured Witch Child.  It was an amazing, powerful story, and it was insanely addictive.

Told from Mary’s point of view, it’s written in the form of a diary that was found sewn into the seams of a quilt.  As I read, I felt like I had travelled back to the 1600s, and there were loads of little details that just made the history feel alive. 

Mary was a brilliant character, strong and brave.  I loved her spirit, and found myself feeling everything she felt.  Her voice was unique, and her emotions intense: she was an entirely believable character.

The supporting characters were brilliant as well, and all very real.  Jaybird, the Native American Indian boy; Martha, the Puritan who took Mary in; Reverend Johnson, the one who believes he’s a prophet of God, who I believe is really the evil one.  There were so many amazing characters, and they all went together to form a brilliant, realistic world.

The thing I liked most about this book was the history behind it.  The witch trials both fascinate and horrify me, ever since I learnt about them at the very beginning of high school.  It amazes me how narrow minded people can be, and how healers can be seen as “spawn of the Devil”.  Did you know that at least 250,000 women were killed, and in some villages were left with no women at all?  (I’d just like to point out that I didn’t actually get that from the book, it’s just a weird piece of information that I’ve remembered, for some reason or another.)  And the Native American Indian history and beliefs intrigued me too: how the settlers forced them out, their ideas on spirits, the way they live.  I wouldn’t have thought that the two would go together so well, but they did, and I loved the way they did.

The only downside: the concept of magic and witchcraft was left unclear.  Mary hinted at visions, controlling storms and voodoo-like dolls, but nothing was confirmed...  Unless that’s what Celia Rees meant for it to be like... to make you think, to wonder...

Overall, Witch Child was a brilliantly written story with authentic, unique characters and an amazing plot.  It was intense, addictive and ended with a horrible cliffhanger. Even though it’s written for 11+, I think everyone can enjoy the history in it!

Finally, a simple question:

Do you believe in magic?

Star Rating:
4 Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper

Sovay or Pirates! by Celia Rees

The Merrybegot by Julie Hearn (I Recommed This One: Another Witch-Trials Book)

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2011 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

British Book Challenge (Hosted by The Bookette)

A-Z Reading Challenge (Hosted by Book Junky)

Off The Shelf Challenge (Hosted by BA Reading Challenge)

Beastly by Alex Flinn

Publisher: Harper Collins

Format: eBook

Published: Paperback: 10^th May 2010

eBook: 6^th October 2009

Number of Pages: 336

Book: Bought

Genre: Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Fantasy, Romance, Magic, YA

Recommended Age: 12+

Contains: Mild Violence

No Sexual, Alcohol, Drug References, No Swearing (that I can remember)

A beast.  Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright, a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore.  I am a monster.

You think I'm talking fairy tales?  No way.  The place is New York City.  The time is now.  It's no deformity, no disease.  And I'll stay this way forever - ruined - unless I can break the spell.

Yes, the spelll, the one the witch in my English class cast on me.  Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night?  I'll tell you.  I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life.  And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly... beastly.

Review:

I’ve seen lots of split reviews over this one.  It seems to be like marmite; love it or hate it.  Me, well, I love marmite and I loved Beastly.  From the minute I picked it up, I found myself completely hooked, unable to put it down for even a second.  I just loved everything: the world, the curse, the transformation, the romance, but most of all, the message.  It was the main theme for the book, and it was brilliantly done.  And that message was: It doesn’t matter how beautiful you are on the outside, if you are ugly on the inside.

I was amazed at how close Beastly stuck to the actual story: it was so beautiful.  There were no songs or old hags, instead there was a ugly Goth-witch who turned beautiful; a father who hid his son away because he wasn’t ‘perfect’; a second druggie father who gave away his own daughter to keep himself out of jail.  This is what Beastly was made up of, and I loved it so much.  It was amazing, and I couldn’t get enough of the magic and romance.

Kyle Kingsbury was a rich, selfish jerk.  He didn’t care about anyone besides himself, and even enjoyed embarrassing others.  Basically, he deserved the curse.

Now, Adrian – the name Kyle took after the spell – was amazing: I loved him.  He was sweet, thoughtful, smart, caring, and more beautiful inside than he had ever been on the outside as Kyle.  I felt so sorry for him it hurt, and he most certainly didn’t deserve the curse placed on him.

Lindy was bookish, intelligent, strong and brave.  She had a lot to put up with in her life, and was very mature for her age.  What I loved about her was that she didn’t judge Adrian by his looks, instead focusing on what he was like as a person.  Also she had a ‘posh’ voice, because she read so much – they were her only way to escape her life – and sometimes it didn’t sound particularly ‘teenager’.  Then again, I was always accused of speaking too old fashioned... Lindy’s book habits remind me a lot of myself...

I liked the supporting characters, Will (Adrian’s blind tutor) and Magda (Adrian’s maid-slash-guardian).  Kendra – the witch – was meant to be the ‘baddie’, but I actually quite liked her.  In my opinion the fathers were the real villains, in fact I’d say they were perfectly... beastly.  All of them were well padded out and believable.

I loved to see it all from the Beast’s point of view: it was so interesting to see what was going through his head, and it was amazing to be able to witness his inner change from a front-stage seat.  I noticed that as the book went further along Adrian’s voice began to match Lindy, only it was so subtle it was untrue.  

The only downfall about this book was that the timing seemed a little off: it was meant to be set over two years, but it didn’t feel nearly long enough... then again, that could be because I sped through it and just didn’t want it to end.  I didn’t see the final twist coming, and I just adored it as it sent me completely off-balance.

I recommend this to everyone: go buy it now, it was so amazing!

Star Rating:
4½ Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Beauty and the Beast (Both the Movie and the Fairy-Tale)

Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakely-Cartwright

Beauty by Robin McKinley

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2011 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

Horror and Urban Fantasy Reading Challenge 2011 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

2011 E-Book Challenge (Hosted by The Ladybug Reads)