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taylor_9819's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
livreadsalot3's review
4.0
Intrigue. Browsing book among book when 'The Apprentice Witch' caught my attention. All I saw was the word ‘witch’ in the title and I was a goner. When a book has the power to reel you in and hold your attention throughout all 323 pages you know it’s a good one.
Is it the best book ever written? No. But it does have magic and a moon hare named Bob, (that’s got to count for something right?). 'The Apprentice Witch' follows the life of Arianwyn who is sent to protect the small town of Lull. Arianwyn isn’t the most graceful witch and more often than not her good intentions backfire… In some ways this book reminded me of Jill Murphy’s ‘The Worst Witch,’ where Mildred Hubble and her friends were always finding themselves in trouble.
Between magic and mayhem this book was just what I needed. An amusing and light-hearted read, the perfect escape from reality.
Is it the best book ever written? No. But it does have magic and a moon hare named Bob, (that’s got to count for something right?). 'The Apprentice Witch' follows the life of Arianwyn who is sent to protect the small town of Lull. Arianwyn isn’t the most graceful witch and more often than not her good intentions backfire… In some ways this book reminded me of Jill Murphy’s ‘The Worst Witch,’ where Mildred Hubble and her friends were always finding themselves in trouble.
Between magic and mayhem this book was just what I needed. An amusing and light-hearted read, the perfect escape from reality.
lisakimmence3's review
3.0
Such a delightful little story. I loved all the mentions of afternoon tea. I thoroughly enjoyed this.
sophhaaa's review against another edition
5.0
Another nice book to read. Quick and easy with some nice characters :)
Hopefully there'll be a sequel :)
Hopefully there'll be a sequel :)
lmn9812's review against another edition
5.0
This book, you guys, THIS BOOK. I love anything and everything witchy, and The Apprentice Witch is witchy done good. Actually, scratch that--it's witchy done AMAZING.
Arianwyn, our heroine, is just beautifully developed throughout the story. She grows SO much during The Apprentice Witch, and really comes into her own as a person, and as a witch. There's so much I adore about Arianwyn--I love that she's got a stubborn streak, I love that she makes mistakes, but admits to them and tries to learn from them, and I LOVE how loyal she is to her friends.
I'm a complete sucker for tough-love grandparents in books, so I'm head-over-heels with Arianwyn's Grandma--I really hope that we see more of her in future books. I also really enjoyed seeing Arianwyn's friendship with Salle, and her interactions with the townspeople of Lull were (generally) lovely!
The plot was fun, twisty turn-y and always exciting. I really enjoyed seeing Arianwyn go about her daily work--in a lot of witchy books I feel like we miss out on the day to day activities. It was a great way to learn more about witchcraft!
I utterly loved the world building--it was rich and imaginative, and yet not told to the reader in a massive info-dumpy way. After finishing the book, I felt like I was just scratching the surface of Arianwyn's world, I wanted to find out SO MUCH MORE, yet I knew everything I needed to be fully immersed in this story, in this world. The magic system was explained beautifully, and I loved (most) of the creatures Arianwyn came across throughout her adventures.
The Apprentice Witch is a book that brims with charm and magic, setting up a future series in a beautiful way. I'm really excited to see where this story goes next! I'm a massive Diana Wynne Jones fan, and reading this book reminded me of her writing.
So all in all, I was BLOWN away by James Nicol's debut. If you like quirky MG stories about friendship and growing up and witches, I definitely recommend The Apprentice Witch.
Arianwyn, our heroine, is just beautifully developed throughout the story. She grows SO much during The Apprentice Witch, and really comes into her own as a person, and as a witch. There's so much I adore about Arianwyn--I love that she's got a stubborn streak, I love that she makes mistakes, but admits to them and tries to learn from them, and I LOVE how loyal she is to her friends.
I'm a complete sucker for tough-love grandparents in books, so I'm head-over-heels with Arianwyn's Grandma--I really hope that we see more of her in future books. I also really enjoyed seeing Arianwyn's friendship with Salle, and her interactions with the townspeople of Lull were (generally) lovely!
The plot was fun, twisty turn-y and always exciting. I really enjoyed seeing Arianwyn go about her daily work--in a lot of witchy books I feel like we miss out on the day to day activities. It was a great way to learn more about witchcraft!
I utterly loved the world building--it was rich and imaginative, and yet not told to the reader in a massive info-dumpy way. After finishing the book, I felt like I was just scratching the surface of Arianwyn's world, I wanted to find out SO MUCH MORE, yet I knew everything I needed to be fully immersed in this story, in this world. The magic system was explained beautifully, and I loved (most) of the creatures Arianwyn came across throughout her adventures.
The Apprentice Witch is a book that brims with charm and magic, setting up a future series in a beautiful way. I'm really excited to see where this story goes next! I'm a massive Diana Wynne Jones fan, and reading this book reminded me of her writing.
So all in all, I was BLOWN away by James Nicol's debut. If you like quirky MG stories about friendship and growing up and witches, I definitely recommend The Apprentice Witch.
sorrickl's review
3.0
It was a well read audiobook. The story line was pretictable, but i didnt hate it.
fscottfishgerald's review
5.0
The Apprentice Witch follows Arianwyn, a young witch who has become an apprentice witch after failing to become a full witch. She is sent to assist the small town of Lull while to waits to be re-tested. But while Lull seems like a boring, quiet town at first, it soon reveals itself to be quite the opposite.
I truly enjoyed this book. This is my second time reading it, and I still found it very good. It is a good mix of whimsy and fun. A perfect read during spring/summer. The characters feel authentic. I could easily imagine this to be a fun show someday.
I truly enjoyed this book. This is my second time reading it, and I still found it very good. It is a good mix of whimsy and fun. A perfect read during spring/summer. The characters feel authentic. I could easily imagine this to be a fun show someday.
coramae's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It was a OK book. I would not read it again. But it was good book. Perfect book for a middle schooler trying to get in to reading.
hilaryjsc's review
4.0
Pratchett-y, Wynnes Jones-y, very glad this is coming to Canada next summer (and will update to the stunning new cover when it shows up here).