A review by preciousbodle
Which Witch? by Eva Ibbotson

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-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

4.75

In my life I have found such comfort in my books.   Through all my trials and tribulations they have consoled me, calmed me, guided me, entertained me, distracted me when I needed comfort & moments of respite from a harsh and chaotic world.  This past October, despite all of its challenges, I found myself turning to a childhood favorite, Eva Ibbotson.  During stressful times, I tend to favor the familiar over my usual taste for serious, dramatic, and very emotional books.

Which Witch is one of the very few Ibbotson books I have never read.  It contains such humorous, and very human characters written with her signature creative style with amusing dialogue, plot, and tender, heartwarming messages for all who are privileged to come across her stories.  I fear popular books for young readers today often do not stand the test of time.  In which I mean that they are not multilayered; sure, kids will enjoy them now while young, but once they reach a certain age may realize that there is not much the book has to offer beyond a surface-level plot.  The really wonderful ones that I cherish always contain what I enjoy most in my “adult” reads, such as fascinating characters, universal themes, inspiring character development, unexpected side plots, etc.  Which Witch is one of my newfound absolute lifelong favorites!

In this particular one we follow Arriman the Awful of Darkington, who is the most feared and most powerful wizard of the North.  He is distraught and miserable as he has worn himself out from a life of being awful, and dreams of retirement, but without a successor he must carry on. With the help of his closest confidants he is advised to marry a local witch and produce an heir.  What follows is a competition (held of course on Hallowe’en) to determine which witch beholds and proves worthy of the blackest magic. Two of my most favorite Ibbotson characters are from this book:  Belladonna, who is a white witch and stands no chance at winning such a dark contest, and Terence, who is a young orphan boy who Belladonna rescues along with his special pet worm.