Series: n/a
Author: Claribel A. Ortega
Source/Format: Publisher; ARC
More Details: Fantasy; Middle Grade
Publisher/Publication Date: Scholastic Press; April 5, 2022
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Synopsis from Goodreads...
A magical adventure for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers and Nevermoor, about three witchlings who must work together to do the impossible if they have any hope of earning their full powers...
Every year, in the magical town of Ravenskill, Witchlings who participate in the Black Moon Ceremony are placed into covens and come into their powers as full-fledged witches. And twelve-year-old Seven Salazar can't wait to be placed in the most powerful coven with her best friend! But on the night of the ceremony, in front of the entire town, Seven isn't placed in one of the five covens. She's a Spare! Spare covens have fewer witches, are less powerful, and are looked down on by everyone. Even worse, when Seven and the other two Spares perform the magic circle to seal their coven and cement themselves as sisters, it doesn't work! They're stuck as Witchlings—and will never be able to perform powerful magic. Seven invokes her only option: the impossible task. The three Spares will be assigned an impossible task: If they work together and succeed at it, their coven will be sealed and they'll gain their full powers. If they fail... Well, the last coven to make the attempt ended up being turned into toads. Forever. But maybe friendship can be the most powerful magic of all…
I read Ortega’s previous book, Ghost Squad, which was one of my favorite horror MG stories of 2020. So Witchlings was one of my most anticipated books of this year.
Overall, I liked Witchlings. It was overflowing with magic, and the themes and ultimate messaging explored in the story were topical.
The characters—Seven, Valley, and Thorn—were great. They were stuck in a situation that wasn’t the best: Spares whose coven wasn’t sealed, and given a task that truly seemed impossible to accomplish in such a short amount of time. There was a lot going on, but I appreciated the hopeful tone of the story, as well as the determination and friendship displayed by the characters. The bonds were hard earned, and I liked Seven’s decision to do the right thing, even though it was tough.
As the story progressed, and the revelations began to take shape, the situation wasn’t as simple as it was originally presented. And the characters had to learn to work together, or they risked failure in a situation where an error could cost them their lives. There was a little bit of horror to the story too, especially the aspects that concerned the Nightbeast. But the threat came from not only the creature but from other witches as well. The treatment of Spares was truly abominable, and it illustrated the rampant inequality in Ravenskill.
All that to say: I liked Witchlings.
About the author....
CLARIBEL A. ORTEGA is a former reporter who writes middle-grade and young adult fantasy inspired by her Dominican heritage. When she's not busy turning her obsession with eighties pop culture, magic, and video games into books, she’s co-hosting her podcasts Celebrity Book Club and Write or Die. Claribel has been featured on Buzzfeed, Bustle, Good Morning America and Deadline. Claribel’s debut middle grade novel GHOST SQUAD is out now from Scholastic and is being made into a feature film. Her forthcoming books include Witchlings (Scholastic) and the graphic novel Frizzy (First Second.)
Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Scholastic Press) in exchange for an honest review, thank you!
