I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner Published by Aladdin on September 3, 2019
Pages: 272
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
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Sabrina the Teenage Witch meets Roller Girl in this hilarious, one-of-a-kind graphic novel about a half-witch who has just discovered the truth about herself, her family, and her town and is doing her best to survive middle school now that she knows everything!
Magic is harder than it looks.
Thirteen-year-old Moth Hush loves all things witchy. But she’s about to discover that witches aren’t just the stuff of movies, books, and spooky stories. When some eighth-grade bullies try to ruin her Halloween, something really strange happens. It turns out that Founder’s Bluff, Massachusetts, has a centuries-old history of witch drama. And, surprise: Moth’s family is at the center of it all! When Moth’s new powers show up, things get totally out-of-control. She meets a talking cat, falls into an enchanted diary, and unlocks a hidden witch world. Secrets surface from generations past as Moth unravels the complicated legacy at the heart of her town, her family, and herself.
In this spellbinding graphic novel debut, Emma Steinkellner spins a story packed with humor and heart about the weird and wonderful adventures of a witch-in-progress.
Hey, everyone! I’m SO excited to be on the blog tour for The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner (September 3, 2019 – Aladdin)! Without further adieu, here’s my review!
As a kids bookseller, I’m a HUGE proponent of graphic novels, and love explaining to parents all the benefits of letting their kids read them. Yet, personally, I actually haven’t read that many. I always shrugged it off and said they just “weren’t for me.” But then the email for The Okay Witch slid into my inbox and the description had me hooked! And boy, am I glad I gave this one a shot! It was absolutely incredible! I read it in one sitting, could barely put it down, and now desperately want the sequel!
Moth was adorable and super relatable. I loved going on this journey with her. Mr. Laszlo, the talking Jewish cat, was definitely one of my favorite characters. He was hilarious and snarky and I love him! Move over, Salem, you’ve been replaced – Mr. Laszlo knocked you out of the number one spot in my “Favorite Talking Cats” list, hehe :) I also adored Charlie. He had a great character arc! I didn’t trust him for awhile in the middle, but I like how his story ended. I can’t say much more about him without spoilers, though.
The town name “Founder’s Bluff” reminded me of Mystic Falls for some reason, so I got some Vampire Diaries vibes thanks to that. I had some Hocus Pocus vibes, mostly because witches, I think. I also had MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR Halloweentown vibes!! Moth reminded me so much of Marnie – the part human/part witch whose mother hid her magic from her, and who is now eager to learn about magic and her powers.
I LOVED LOVED LOVED the illustrations in this. Since it was an ARC, only the first few chapters were in color and then the rest of it was black and white, so it goes without saying that I’m super anxious to get my hands on a finished copy and re-read it in all it’s colorful glory.
Overall, I REALLY adored this book – if you couldn’t tell from my excited, ramble-filled review. I can officially see why people love graphic novels, and why they sometimes use graphic novels to break reading slumps. It was so nice finishing this in one sitting and enjoying it as much as I did. That hasn’t happened in a LONG time. I also feel more confident about recommending graphic novels at work, now that I’ve read one! And I definitely plan on reading more in the future!
I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves graphic novels, witches, and awesome coming-of-age novels/movies.etc. Sabrina fans will definitely enjoy this, as well!