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crowyhead 's review for:
The Witches of Worm
by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
This book scared the bejeezus out of me when I first read it in middle school. It didn't scare me as badly this time (thank goodness; last time I had to sleep with the lights on and locked my cat out of my room for two days), but it still is an incredibly creepy novel. It concerns Jessica, a lonely and angry girl who finds a blind, nearly hairless newborn kitten, and ends up raising it with the help of her catlady neighbor. Although she feels compelled to care for the cat, she finds it gross and creepy, rather than cute, and names it Worm. As Worm grows to adulthood, Jessica becomes convinced that he is a witch's cat and is telling her to do terrible things.
What's most disturbing about it is that Snyder never settles the question of whether there is actually a supernatural element to the story, or if it is all in Jessica's head. Snyder is a masterful storyteller, and there's a lot going on in this book that I missed the first time around.
What's most disturbing about it is that Snyder never settles the question of whether there is actually a supernatural element to the story, or if it is all in Jessica's head. Snyder is a masterful storyteller, and there's a lot going on in this book that I missed the first time around.