A Reluctant Witch's Guide to Magic

by Shivaun Plozza (Author)

A Reluctant Witch's Guide to Magic
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

Kiki's Delivery Service meets Cressida Cowell in this exciting and imaginative (Kirkus) middle grade fantasy about a non-magical girl who discovers she does, indeed, have magic--and she must choose between two warring witch covens or she'll explode!

Willa lives in the Wild, in a city squished between two warring witch covens. The non-magical Wildians spend their days dodging wayward spells--from raining frogs to dancing chickens--all because of the witch war raging around them.  Being stuck in the middle of a magical war means the Wildians hate witches--none more so than Willa, whose parents were turned into clouds by a misplaced curse. Willa spends her days with her army of cats, dreaming of an end to the war and her parents' return. So when Willa is accused of being a witch after witnesses catch her accidentally stopping a spell midair, she's certain there's been a mistake. She can't be a witch! Yet Willa is dragged to the palace, where she's given one year to master her volatile magic and choose a coven to join. If she doesn't, she'll explode. But her attempts to control her magic are interrupted when a rogue witch begins nefarious spells against the Ordinary Folk. What does the witch want and what does it have to do with Willa? She must unravel the mystery to save her city, her friends, and herself.

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Kirkus

Begs for a sequel. . . .Exciting and highly imaginative.

ALA/Booklist

A bewitching introduction to an original magical world.

Publishers Weekly

For many years, the Ordinary Folk of the Island of Dreary have been caught between the two factions of the Witch War, occasionally becoming victims of wayward spells. Among those innocent bystanders is Willa Birdwhistle, "bold and unruly and headstrong" and portrayed on the book's cover as white, who lost her parents a year earlier to a stray curse. When she suddenly manifests magic on her 12th birthday, both covens lay claim to her, noting that should Willa not choose one by her 13th birthday, she'll explode. She's subsequently instructed in the ways of each coven: the "serene but vague" Silverclaws who rarely speak, never cut their hair or nails, and cast spells through dance, and the cruel Irontongues, "hairless, warty, and green," whose magic relies on tongue-twisting incantations. As the Witch War heats up, Willa works to understand her abilities and choose her destiny, though neither coven appeals to her. Juxtaposing Willa's earnest internal growth with an absurd and bureaucratic magical realm, Plozza (The Boy, the Wolf, and the Stars) creates a sense of alienation in the tween, even as she establishes new bonds, in this offbeat read with an archetypal heroine. Ages 8-12. Agent: Katelyn Detweiler, Jill Grinberg Literary. (July)

Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7--Willa Birdwhistle is Ordinary. And like all Ordinary people in Bad Faith, Willa is used to the daily interruptions and inconveniences of the Witch War. The conflict between the Irontongue and Silverclaw covens has gone on so long that no one in Bad Faith knows how or why it started, nor have Ordinary people been able to do much other than accept the war as a fact of life. A year ago, Willa's parents were turned into clouds by a wayward hex, and since then 12-year-old Willa has tried to be a good girl like they would have wanted. But that all changes when witnesses spot Willa apparently stopping a spell in midair, and she is accused of being a witch herself. She is carted off to the castle to begin rigorous magical training. She must select a coven to join before her 13th birthday, otherwise she will explode. Several mysteries unfold during Willa's magical training, and readers will enjoy the way the plot threads interweave to reveal details about the history of the two covens and their war, the rogue witch who is tormenting the citizens of Bad Faith, and Willa's own magic. At times the tone of the book seems too silly for some of the darker content, but the levity helps tamp down what could be very scary moments. All main characters are presumed white. VERDICT A fun new entry in the field of magical mysteries, this action-packed tale will keep readers engaged and leaves room for a sequel.--Dana West

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes



Shivaun Plozza
Shivaun Plozza is the author of the critically acclaimed novel Frankie, which was a YALSA Teens Top 10 Pick and on the ALA's Best Fiction for Young Adults List, and Tin Heart, which was nominated to the ALA's Best Fiction for Young Adults List, as well as the middle grade novel The Boy, the Wolf, and the Stars. When she's not writing, she works as an editor and manuscript assessor. She lives in Victoria, Australia, with her cat.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780358541271
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Clarion Books
Publication date
July 19, 2022
Series
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BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV039140 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
Library of Congress categories
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