Scan barcode
emersonernest's review against another edition
4.0
I had not read Alane Adams before, but I will read her again. I love the characters. I'm a little unsure of the world (which might be a good thing). I really liked the magical creatures involved.
This is a little picky, but I felt like the magical class name were silly in not a fun way. But I'm not in middle school anymore, so they could like that.
This is a little picky, but I felt like the magical class name were silly in not a fun way. But I'm not in middle school anymore, so they could like that.
milica95's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
shobizreads's review against another edition
4.0
The Blue Witch is such a fun read for elementary-aged readers and tweens. My boys (2nd and 5th grade) were immediately drawn into the stories and begging for one more chapter of this interesting story each night before bed.
It's a great mix of witches, mythology, peer relationships, magic, fantasy and there are references to Thor and Odin which my superhero-movie loving boys LOVED.
The pacing of the writing is quick and compelling. I read most of the book aloud to them, but my 5th grader also took turns reading chapters aloud.
We follow the main character, Abigail, who doesn't fit into the witches coven correctly (her magic is blue, not green) and there seems to be some mystery behind her mother Lissandra's story and death. We do learn about Abigail's father during this book, but we don't solve the mystery of Lissandra or why Melistra (one of the teachers at the coven) is out to destroy Abigail. We see just enough chaos from Melisatra's daughter Endera's manipulations and attempts to outmaneuver Abigail to keep the suspense high. And this first book ends with foreshadowing of what's to come in the sequel, The Rubicus Prophecy, that comes out in October 2019.
As a parent, reading aloud books to my kids is a high priority, but sometimes the content is hard to be excited about and enjoy - but The Blue Witch is not that case.
Highly recommend.
It's a great mix of witches, mythology, peer relationships, magic, fantasy and there are references to Thor and Odin which my superhero-movie loving boys LOVED.
The pacing of the writing is quick and compelling. I read most of the book aloud to them, but my 5th grader also took turns reading chapters aloud.
We follow the main character, Abigail, who doesn't fit into the witches coven correctly (her magic is blue, not green) and there seems to be some mystery behind her mother Lissandra's story and death. We do learn about Abigail's father during this book, but we don't solve the mystery of Lissandra or why Melistra (one of the teachers at the coven) is out to destroy Abigail. We see just enough chaos from Melisatra's daughter Endera's manipulations and attempts to outmaneuver Abigail to keep the suspense high. And this first book ends with foreshadowing of what's to come in the sequel, The Rubicus Prophecy, that comes out in October 2019.
As a parent, reading aloud books to my kids is a high priority, but sometimes the content is hard to be excited about and enjoy - but The Blue Witch is not that case.
Highly recommend.
andriaerin's review against another edition
4.0
It's hard as an adult reader to properly rate this book - overall I think it was an okay MG fantasy story featuring some pretty standard and relatable tropes - mean girls, magic school, orphaned chosen one. I think this would be a great story for young readers and am excited to add this to my classroom library in the fall.
lorihenrich2021's review against another edition
3.0
Kind of cute story. I was expecting it to be more like Harry Potter, which it wasn't. I suppose it was in a way as far as it being about witches. I kind of wanted to smack the bully in the story. I hate bullies and was on the receiving end growing up. Not fun. Not sure if I will read the others. Depends of if I can get them through the library.
brittsbookclub's review against another edition
5.0
The Blue Witch, written by Alane Adams, is a fun story filled with witches, villains, magical beasts, and Norse mythology. It follows the story of Abigail, a young witch at Tarkana Witch Academy who is struggling because her magic hasn’t come in yet. While trying not to get kicked out of her school because of her lack of magic, Abigail must also deal with school bullies, dangerous creatures, and the mystery of her parents.
I thought this was such a fun and cute book! I’m giving it 5 out of 5 stars. It was really easy to read and would be perfect for a younger reader, or even an adult reader who wants a break from all the hard-hitting books they read! I did think some parts could have been drawn out a little bit more, but other than that, I thought the content was great. There were plenty of adventures for Abigail and her friends throughout the book, it was impossible to get bored!
Abigail was a great main character. I loved her development throughout the book, from a shy, lonely girl who doesn’t believe in herself to a confident witch with a couple strong friendships. It was great to follow along as she grew throughout the story!
I would recommend this book for any young readers who love fantasy and any adults who would like to take a break from their normal books and read an easy, fun, and quick story. I can’t wait for the next book to come out!
I thought this was such a fun and cute book! I’m giving it 5 out of 5 stars. It was really easy to read and would be perfect for a younger reader, or even an adult reader who wants a break from all the hard-hitting books they read! I did think some parts could have been drawn out a little bit more, but other than that, I thought the content was great. There were plenty of adventures for Abigail and her friends throughout the book, it was impossible to get bored!
Abigail was a great main character. I loved her development throughout the book, from a shy, lonely girl who doesn’t believe in herself to a confident witch with a couple strong friendships. It was great to follow along as she grew throughout the story!
I would recommend this book for any young readers who love fantasy and any adults who would like to take a break from their normal books and read an easy, fun, and quick story. I can’t wait for the next book to come out!
rabbitholereader's review against another edition
3.0
♡ wordpress ♡ tumblr ♡ instagram ♡ twitter ♡
_____________________________
Abigail Tarkana is a nine year old witch, about to enter the Tarkana Witch Academy which is a school for young witches with strict rules. Although Abigail's past is shrouded in secrecy, she is determined to be the greatest witch since her evil ancestor, Catriona, but when her magic fails to come in, she is worried she will be kicked out of the Academy. Not only that, but a strong, young witch in the academy, Endera, seems to harbor a hate against Abigail for no particular reason. The odds seem stacked against Abigail but her resilience is stacked higher.
One thing I loved about [b:The Blue Witch|40622095|The Blue Witch|Alane Adams|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1529826949s/40622095.jpg|64396655] is that the pages are rich with norse mythology. There's nothing quite like getting a reader to believe in the magical web being spun by implicating mythical lore to create a firm balance for the story to sit upon.
Especially with this book being targeted at younger readers. I think it's great that children will have the foundation of Norse knowledge if they read this book.
Unfortunately, I found the plot too Harry Potter-esque to enjoy any originality this story had. Maybe I love Harry Potter that much that I see it in every magic-based children's fiction. Not to say that it's a total imitation - overall, it's a good read with lot's of it's own worth - however; there were far too many similarities for me to find it's own merited entertainment.
Also, the world building was a bit lack lustre for me, I think that children of almost any age can enjoy a good setting, so the young targeted age group is no excuse, really. But, from what I gather, The Blue Witch is the start of a prequel series, so I would like to imagine that the world building occurs mostly during the main series, however; not wanting to rebuild and set the tone for a new series - even if it is a prequel series - comes across as a bit lazy to me.
The ending was great. Really ominous and promising. If I was younger I would probably love this book.
Thank you to Net Galley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
teachercap_e's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5