She Who Knows by Nnedi Okorafor

4 stars A fantastically crafted story. Najeeba has heard the Call and knows it is time to travel the Salt Roads. But only men and boys are supposed to experience the Call. Follow Najeeba on her unprecedented journey beyond her home to travel the Salt Roads with her father and brothers, change her family’s prospects,…

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The Owl House: Hex-cellent Tales from The Boiling Isles

Adapted by Steve Behling 3 stars A TV adaptation that retells the episodes “I Was a Teenage Abomination” and “Adventures in the Elements”. Follow Luz as she encounters Hexside School and learns her first two spells. Nicely written. It was fun to revisit the characters in these pivotal episodes of The Owl House. Includes black-and-white…

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Witchy, Volume 1 by Ariel Slamet Ries

4 stars Hyalin is a magical world where witches’ hair length indicates their power. But those whose hair is deemed too long are declared enemies of the kingdom and annihilated. Years ago, Nyneve’s father met such a fate. Now she is determine to keep under the radar of the conscription officials and hide her true…

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Where the Dark Stands Still by A. B. Poranek

3 stars A Gothic fantasy with cozy Polish charm. This is an interesting read in its duality with the blending of Slavic folklore and Polish culture. On one side is baking, found family, and homemaking, and the other is magic, bargains, spirits, and demons. I didn’t particularly care for either of the main characters or…

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The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec

2.5 stars An interesting dive into the world of Norse mythology. I loved the idea of a novel following Angrboda and tying together some stories of witches, giantesses, and other mysterious women. For me, the first part of the book really dragged. I liked the second half more as things picked up, but that whole…

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I Feel Awful, Thanks by Lara Pickle

5 stars All Joana’s dreams are coming true. She’s secured her dream job as a potions maker in London. She makes friends, finds an apartment, and explores romantic pursuits. Everything should be perfect. But something feels off. She’s tired all the time and constantly plagued with doubt. She pushes down her emotions as best she…

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Creepy Cat Vol 4 by Cotton Valent

Translated by Alethea & Athena Nibley 4 stars A sweet ending to a great series. After their last big adventure, Flora and Creepy Cat settle back into their familiar routines. But when Creepy Cat and the other supernatural cats suddenly go missing, the humans who love them set out to solve the case. Truths are…

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The Curse of Eelgrass Bog by Mary Averling

5 stars A little bit creepy, very mysterious, and so intriguing. I loved this one! Kess is doing her best to keep her family’s Unnatural History Museum going while her parents are away on a job and her older brother is holed up in the library doing “research”. That leaves her spending most of her…

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Hide and Don’t Seek: And Other Very Scary Stories by Anica Mrose Rissi

Illustrated by Carolina Godina 4 stars Delightfully creepy and well written. Nice variety of story structures including poetry, short stories, an epistolary, a play, chat fiction told through text messages, metafiction, and even stream of consciousness from a family dog. In terms of kid’s horror, I think this one hits the mark well for middle…

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Hellaween by Moss Lawton

2.5 stars An interesting start to a series. This has a good start to a story, but for some reason, it was hard for me to get into. I was definitely intrigued by the monster realm, Gwen’s experience as an amateur witch, and her supernatural friends from another world. Some fun humor. The story was…

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