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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for an early listening copy of Wildseed Witch in exchange for an honest review.
Hasani plans to spend the summer after 7th grade creating content and growing her makeup YouTube channel. She is also hoping to get her parents back together. What she isn’t expecting is to discover that she is a witch or getting a chance to attend the most coveted schools for young witches.
I really enjoyed how much of Louisiana culture and African American history Dumas included throughout the novel. All of the scenes with Grandme Annette were my favorite. The lessons and advice she gave Hasani were critical to her growth and understanding of what it means to be a witch. I also appreciated Dumas highlighting that it’s ok for a Black girl to have and show big emotions especially anger.
I really enjoyed how much of Louisiana culture and African American history Dumas included throughout the novel. All of the scenes with Grandme Annette were my favorite. The lessons and advice she gave Hasani were critical to her growth and understanding of what it means to be a witch. I also appreciated Dumas highlighting that it’s ok for a Black girl to have and show big emotions especially anger.
Hasani’s time at Les Belles Demoiselle’s was mired with a lot of competitive mean girl behavior. I get why it was included because Hasani came to the school as the new girl and was from a family that wasn’t wealthy or have a long line of witches. It just felt it was done with a heavy hand unnecessarily because the students weren’t really competing for anything. They were there to learn. Ironically, I don’t feel the instructors did much teaching. It was as though they expected Hasani to just know what to do. It didn’t make sense because she knew absolutely nothing about magic prior to coming. I never fully grasped what the difference was supposed to be between charm and magic or why they didn’t want Hasani to use magic.
After Hasani leaves the school the focus of the book completely shifts to her YouTube channel and attempting to help and find a missing fellow YouTuber whose channel is struggling. There’s also the plot line with trying to get her parents back together. It started to feel like three different stories were being forced together. It made the book feel disjointed.
After finishing the book I still don’t quite understand the magic system especially within the context that it was used at the school. I’m hoping the sequel fills in the gaps about the magic within this story. Overall, I wanted to love this book. The cover is gorgeous and the audio was well done. There were aspects that were wonderful and nuggets of wisdom woven throughout but it just didn’t all come together for me.
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wildseed witch is an adorable take on magic. With magic being connected to flowers, it allows for some beautiful imagery and magic I wish I could see in person!
This book is about growth. Hasani learns and grows so much as not only a witch, but as a person, in this book. While she starts off a bit self-centered, she learns from her mistakes and grows in a way that is truly important for other kids to see - it's okay to make mistakes, but you need to learn from them and grow, and do what you can to remedy them.
I think this book works wonderfully as an audiobook. The narrator, Channie Waltes, beautifully brings Hasani to life in a way that I don't think the book would've had the same impact in print.
Parts of this book did feel a bit cheesy, especially the aspects relating to Hasani and her Youtube channel. Perhaps it is just that I'm not used to reading about media in my literature, but either way, it wasn't enough to impact the story for me.
This book is about growth. Hasani learns and grows so much as not only a witch, but as a person, in this book. While she starts off a bit self-centered, she learns from her mistakes and grows in a way that is truly important for other kids to see - it's okay to make mistakes, but you need to learn from them and grow, and do what you can to remedy them.
I think this book works wonderfully as an audiobook. The narrator, Channie Waltes, beautifully brings Hasani to life in a way that I don't think the book would've had the same impact in print.
Parts of this book did feel a bit cheesy, especially the aspects relating to Hasani and her Youtube channel. Perhaps it is just that I'm not used to reading about media in my literature, but either way, it wasn't enough to impact the story for me.
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Hasani is into make up and her YouTube channel. She really wants to grow her channel and have a lot of followers. She also wants her parents back together again. When her dad picks her up and mentions his girlfriend, Hasani gets angry and weird things start to happen. The next morning, at home with her mom, a visitor arrives and informs Hasani that she is a witch and gives her an invitation to a magical summer camp.
There Hasani wants to make friends but her uncontrolled magic works against her. When one of her followers goes missing, Hasani must enlist some of the other girls to help.
Opinion
This book is great for upper elementary/lower middle school. With the promise of more to come, this book will be a hit for the younger reader. The story uses current slang and what children are interested in to captivate. The plot of the story is interesting with quite a few dilemmas going on at the same time. Had I read this book at a young age, I would have abandoned all outside distractions in order to finish it. (As it were, with me being an adult, I only did what I had to and then focused on finishing the book.)
Many thanks to Net Galley and ABRAMS Kids for providing me with an ARC of this book.
There Hasani wants to make friends but her uncontrolled magic works against her. When one of her followers goes missing, Hasani must enlist some of the other girls to help.
Opinion
This book is great for upper elementary/lower middle school. With the promise of more to come, this book will be a hit for the younger reader. The story uses current slang and what children are interested in to captivate. The plot of the story is interesting with quite a few dilemmas going on at the same time. Had I read this book at a young age, I would have abandoned all outside distractions in order to finish it. (As it were, with me being an adult, I only did what I had to and then focused on finishing the book.)
Many thanks to Net Galley and ABRAMS Kids for providing me with an ARC of this book.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Good: Black girl magic, magical girl finishing school, flower/plant magic, no romance/love interest, coming of age. The narrator was amazing.
The Bad: Pacing was off, too much emphasis on bullies, bad teaching styles, finishing schools are ick and mysioginistic, MC is a bit of a brat.
Hasani is obsessed with YouTube and has Summer goals of getting to 100 subs. She makes beauty/makeup videos and aims to post everyday. On her way to stay at her fathers house he tells her about his girlfriend and Hasani’s magic suddenly manifests and disrupts traffic. Thus being sent off the magical girl finishing school on a full scholarship.
I loved the idea that all the girls have a flower affinity and it becomes their identity. The school sounds super cute and at first seems cozy.
This book had so much potential, but so much of it was off.
The narrator did an amazing job. I’ve read a book narrated by Channie Waites before and she came through for this bratty confused teen.
Hasani is bullied because she's a ‘wild seed’, which translates to magic without magical immediate family members. Her classes don’t make any sense and her teachers don’t actually explain anything to her. The school KNOWS she is a late bloomer (get it? Because of the flowers??? sorry…) but they don’t take her aside and explain how things are done. She spends the first 24 hours not knowing where the bathroom is because no one tells her, she doesn’t look for one and she DOESN’T EVEN ASK. Where is the magical school induction? A teacher goes out of her way to tutor her in etiquette at the table but no one thinks to help her with magic? The adults in this book are horrid. Handing out detention after detention makes her skip down time, basically cutting her off from any social interactions with the outside world. Abuse anyone???
The introduction of kittens was adorable but Hasani refuses to refer to her roommates kitten by its given name, she’d much rather she refer to it by the same SHE gave it. Rude. Entitled. Spoiled.
Not a fan of Hasani, comparing her school to Hogwarts, twice. Anyone still referencing HP in their writing clearly hasn’t read the room. Also her school is a FINISHING school. So she learns manners/etiquette and how to sit at a table. Can we not??? Ew. Schools like that exist to keep women in tiny tidy boxes so we’ll marry well and be a good housewife. Outdated and grotty concepts of how women should act.
The pacing was a bit off. We spend the first 60% of the book at school then the last 40% solely on YouTube at home with friends. The whole friends/bullies thing was off. The pacing of some of the friends to enemies and enemies to friends were way too late. Hasani clearly has a lot of growing up to do, which happens way too late in the book.
The story was good, the lessons were great (Hasani needs to learn more lessons), the relationship she has with her new bestie is cute, I loved the lack of romance, and I enjoyed the black girl magic. This book just didn’t quite hit its mark. I’d probably read another if this is a series because Hasani has potential, fingers crossed she rebels and destroys the whole system.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Sexism
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Classism
Minor: Child abuse, Slavery
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This novel is a coming-of-age story, and about loving and discovering who you are. Hasani is having a hard time with her parent's divorce and him dating someone else. She doesn't understand what is going on and why her parents aren't getting back together. On top of all that, weird things are happening when she feels strong emotions.
Then she gets invited to an all-exclusive summer camp for young witches. This is where she learns more about who she is, and when a young girl goes missing, Hasani feels like it is her fault.
This book is well written and really enjoyable. It made me feel lots of emotions, and cry happy and sad tears for our MC.
Then she gets invited to an all-exclusive summer camp for young witches. This is where she learns more about who she is, and when a young girl goes missing, Hasani feels like it is her fault.
This book is well written and really enjoyable. It made me feel lots of emotions, and cry happy and sad tears for our MC.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This witchy mystery set in and around New Orleans, where I live was spot on. Dumas builds a magical world that lives right under our noses and I love it!
4 solid stars
A sweet and fun book about a school for witches in Louisiana.
Hasani starts her summer only concerned about her youtube makeup channel and her parents' separation. After failing to keep an emotional outburst to herself, and a bunch of flowers and weeds growing all over a major bridge, a finishing school for young witches offers her a spot in their summer program.
This is a great summer witch story - not scary, and the witchcraft is so colorful! I will definitely recommend it to middle grade readers who want something a bit sunnier than the traditional witch/wizard series. So much sweet black girl magic - great representation! There are some bullying instances discussed, as well as how social media plays into online bullying (particularly youtube and instagram) which offers a good teachable moment for young internet users.
A sweet and fun book about a school for witches in Louisiana.
Hasani starts her summer only concerned about her youtube makeup channel and her parents' separation. After failing to keep an emotional outburst to herself, and a bunch of flowers and weeds growing all over a major bridge, a finishing school for young witches offers her a spot in their summer program.
This is a great summer witch story - not scary, and the witchcraft is so colorful! I will definitely recommend it to middle grade readers who want something a bit sunnier than the traditional witch/wizard series. So much sweet black girl magic - great representation! There are some bullying instances discussed, as well as how social media plays into online bullying (particularly youtube and instagram) which offers a good teachable moment for young internet users.