A review by comicsandcoffee
The Witch's Boy by Kelly Barnhill

4.0

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. There is pain, and joy, and love, and forgiveness, and sorrow all wrapped up in this book. I cried a good three times in it. Everyone is so human, with good intentions and bad intentions. There's something almost poetic, or lyrical, about the writing. It is deep and thoughtful, and there were parts that left me thinking and the ending left me wondering. Which, really, can it get much better than that?

Four and a half stars. One half star deducted because there's a speech around the end that seemed a bit like an information dump, and I would have appreciated seeing more of who Tam, 'the Right Boy' was before his death. The same with Aine's parents.

I'm not sure who to recommend the book to. Short of a few 'damns' interspersed, and mentions of alcohol, there's nothing that would offend people, but I think this is more geared towards older MG readers simply because of the concepts. There is a plot and action, adventure, magic, and stone giants, but it isn't an action packed book, I wouldn't say. If I had to give it a readalike, I'd say more Lloyd Alexander's Book of Three.

I'm still thinking about it, an hour after I've read it. Good, good book.