Wicked Little Things

Arnold, Justin. Wicked Little Things. 2022. 226p. ISBN 9781739983475.

Sixteen-year-old Dane Craven grew up in the small town of Jasper Hollow, but his mother couldn't wait to get out of there. His family still lives there, however, and he often came to visit his cousins when he was younger. Unfortunately, on his last visit his cousin Grant outed him, and, to avenge himself, Dane made Grant run through the woods wearing a dress. Unfortunately for Grant, he was attacked by a killer wearing a rabbit costume, and though he dialed Dane, Dane did not answer at the time, something he regrets now that Grant has been murdered.

Things go from bad to worse for Dane. Though he sometimes feels like he will burst in flames, and his temper can get the better of him, it's because he's a witch who possesses magical abilities. He's also supposed to be part of a coven of teen girls, who all wear red and are referred to as the Reds. Grant's sister is bitter as her brother's disappearance, and though she suspects Dane and him had a falling out, she doesn't know what really happened between the two of them.

Dane is visited by his familiar, a raccoon named Aloysius who speaks like a British butler. As Dane tries to wrap his head around being a witch, he's also trying to solve Grant's murder, and, as if this was not enough, he's also falling for EJ, a boy his age who works in the local coffee shop. With magic on the loose and a killer lurking, no one is safe in Jasper Hollow, and it's up to Dane and the coven to solve this mystery before it is too late!

The characters are over the top, but the plot moves along quickly and the story culminates in a thrilling confrontation. Dane learns that there are positive elements to his hometown, a place he looked down on before. He learns more about himself, and grows as a person. 

Fans of mysteries and whodonit will love this murder mystery caper and will enjoy watch Dane make mistakes and learn from them.

Charmed Life

Dumas, Marti. Charmed Life. Book 2 of the Wildseed Witch series. 2023. 384p. ISBN 9781419755637.

Hasani is a fairly skilled witch, but there have been enough incidents that suggest she's not quite in control of her magical abilities. She spent the summer in a school for witches, where she failed miserably at harnessing her powers. Ready to return to a certain level of normalcy, Hasani looks forward to the school year at Riverbend Middle. Plus, this is the year she will finally be the captain of the Mathletes, something she has been looking forward to for years!

Two large obstacles stand in her way of having a great 8th grade year, however. First, Hasani must find a way to let Angelique, her best friend, know she's a witch. Hasani is part of a coven, and the other two girls have now become friends with Hasani's group, but Hasani is worried that Angelique might not feel the same way about their relationship after she reveals she's a witch. But, more importantly, Hasani's nemesis, a fellow witch LaToya, has returned to ruin her life and now attends Riverbend Middle, and has even joined the Mathletes!

As an infestation of termites ruins the beginning of school, and Hasani is convinced LaToya is behind it. The exterminator turns out to be a witch as well, and she suggests to Hasani and her mother that perhaps Hasani would benefit from additional training. Hasani soon finds herself working with Ms. Lafleur, who teaches her to better control her magic. Hoping to catch LaToya and undermine her credibility once and for all, Hasani pursues an investigation, while juggling her friendships and tutoring. But the deeper she digs, the more she loses sight of what is really important for her. Can Hasani make her way back to what matters most?

Soul Eater, Vol. 9

Ohkubo, Atsushi. Soul Eater, Vol. 9. 2012. 208p. ISBN 9780316071130. Available in the graphic novel section of the library. 

Tasked by Medusa to discover the vault where the demon tools are stored under DWMA in Soul Eater, Vol. 8, Crona is slowly breaking under the pressure of divided loyalties. He doesn't really want to help Medusa, but her psychological hold on him is too powerful to override, so he searches desperately for the vault, hoping she will leave him alone after he finds it.

Death tells Frankenstein to step up the training of the level one students. Kid, Maka, and Black*Star must learn to attune together so that they can work more effectively as a group, but Black*Star's desire to be the best is undermining this training. Their conflicting egos are standing in the way of them becoming DWMA's best team ever.

Meanwhile, Arachne dispatches a team to retrieve another demon tool, this time in Alaska. DWMA sends an assault team, and the students must stand guard outside while Stein and Marie infiltrate the ancient witch facility. Not everything is as it seems, however, and while the forces of Arachne and those of DWMA fight each other, the witches wait in the wings ...

Soul Eater, Vol. 8

 Ohkubo, Atsushi. Soul Eater, Vol. 8. 2012. 192p. ISBN 9780316071123. Available in the graphic novel section of the library. 

Following their trek to the Czech forest to infiltrate and destroy a facility in Soul Eater, Vol 7, Black*Star and Tsubaki confront Mifune and Mosquito, agents of Arachnophobia. Using the infinite sword technique, Mifune is able to block all of Black*Star attacks, infuriating the DWMA student. However, this is all of the distraction Sid needed to steal Arachnophobia's demon tool before destroying the facility.

Returning to DWMA, Sid follows Shinigami's request that the demon tool be placed in the secret vault underneath the school. His decision to bury the tool instead of destroying it puzzles Sid. Is Shimigami planning on building his own demonic weapon?

Meanwhile, Medusa, who in fact managed to escape from Dr. Frankenstein, decides to confront her sister Arachnophobia in her lair. Having planted agents in her sister's organization, Medusa is playing the long game, hoping to dethrone her sister.

Students at DWMA hold a party at Death the Kid's home, but Kid himself is tasked to head to the Sahara to seize another demon tool. There he confronts witches and an agent of Arachnophobia, both intent on taking the tool for their own organization ...

The story continues in Soul Eater, Vol. 9.

Soul Eater, Vol. 7

Ohkubo, Atsushi. Soul Eater, Vol. 7. 2011. 208p. ISBN 9780316071102. Available in the graphic novel section of the library. 

With the Kishin released in Soul Eater, Vol. 6, it is up to students at DWMA to figure out how to stop the madness that will inevitably begin to spread throughout the world. Shimigami-sama recalls all of his finest weapons meisters to track down the Kishin, while teaching the DWMA students how to stay out of trouble.

Maka finds that her father, who feared being exiled from the school, really wants to have a relationship with her, but he doesn't know how to go about it, so Maka agrees to help him. She also volunteers to help Chrona adjust to living at DWMA, since he will soon start taking classes.

But times are dangerous, and as Dr. Frankenstein remains haunted by Medusa, the DWMA students and their teachers find themselves confronting an ancient threat in the Czech forest ...

The story continues in Soul Eater, Vol. 8.

Witch & Wizard, Vol. 1

Patterson, James, with Gabrielle Charbonnet, with art by Svetlana Chmakova, Witch & Wizard, Vol 1. 2011. 259p. ISBN 978-0-316-22989-4. Available in the graphic novels section of the library. 

Whit and Wisty are normal teenagers, living at home with their parents. When the New Order takes control of the government, police immediately descend on their home and arrests them for being a witch and wizard. Neither of them understand what is happening to them, but Wisty ignites herself, hurting someone of the officers. Hauled in front of a judge, they are sentenced to death, which can only be done once they reach 18. 

While in jail, they are oppressed and experimented on, and suffer at the hands of merciless guards. Receiving help from Whit's girlfriend, who is caught in the Shadow lands, they manage to escape and they join a group of teens dedicated to freeing other victims of the New Order. Driven to save their parents, both Whit and Wisty must learn to manage their nascent powers while avoiding the traps laid out for them by a merciless regime looking to exterminate all of those who possess magic...

Serpent & Dove

Mahurin, Shelby. Serpent & Dove. Book 1 of the Serpent & Dove series. 2019. 513p. ISBN 9780062878021. 

Louise le Blanc is the daughter of the most powerful witch in the country. She was raised in a life of privilege and opulence. Then she discovered that her whole purpose in life was to be sacrificed by the same mother that raised her for the purpose of once and for all eliminating the royal line that for so long has been hunting and killing witches. Louise fled with little more than the clothes on her back, and found refuge in the royal capital of Cesarine, thinking that her mother would never chase her into her enemy's domain.

For two years Louise has eked a living, stealing when she needed to, finding refuge in the attic of a theater, and all the while hiding her magical abilities for fear of either being discovered as a witch by the Chasseurs, the Church's witch hunters, or of being found by her mother's many spies. 

Reid Diggory is a captain of Chasseurs. He does not suffer witches, and his primary aim is to eliminate them all. A ward of the Cardinal, Reid has climbed the ranks quickly due to his skills and his wits. For him, the world is ordered and witches must be burned at the stake for the sake of God and of the people.

Through a series of unfortunate events, Louise and Reid's path cross and are found in a compromising situation. The Cardinal forces Reid and Louise to marry, to stop gossip from spreading further. A Chasseur and a secret witch are now forced to live together in the Cardinal's palace. However, this incident also alerted Louise's mother to her whereabouts, and her need for her daughter to die and end the Church's threat is dire. 

With enemies converging on her, Louise finds herself facing death from both sides, unless she can convince her new husband that not all witches are bad ...

Soul Eater, Vol. 6

Ohkubo, Atsushi. Soul Eater, Vol. 6. 2011. 192p. ISBN 9780316071093. Available in the graphic novel section of the library.

in Soul Eater, Vol. 5, Medusa and her crew headed down the catacombs under DWMA with a large vial of black blood to release the kishin that has been kept prisoner by Shinigami for all these years. Medusa and Dr. Frankenstein confront each other, while Maka is stalled in her fight with Crona. That leaves Black*Star and Death the Kid to stop Free and the witch Eruka.

Maka invades Crona's mind, and discovers that what he is looking for the most is a friend. She overcomes his defenses, and manage to finally defeat him, offering him her friendship. Frankenstein finds himself evenly matched with Medusa, but a special move finally ends the witch's life, but not before the Doctor confronts some truths about himself.

Meanwhile, Kid and Black*Star make it past Free, but are unable to prevent Eruka from injecting the kishin, Now free, it emerges from the catacombs only to fight Maka, whom he quickly defeats. Shinigami is waiting for him, however, and an epic battle ensues, until the kishin flees after realizing that Death is now forever tied to DMWA and cannot pursue. With their failure, the students of DMWA face an ugly truth. Madness will spread across the world, unless they can find a way to stop it ...

The story continues in Soul Eater, Vol. 7.

Soul Eater, Vol. 5

Ohkubo, Atsushi. Soul Eater, Vol. 5. 2011. 162p. ISBN 978-0-316-07107-9 . Available in the graphic novel section of the library.

Having infiltrated DWMA in Soul Eater, Vol. 4, Medusa has set up a plan to corral and keep prisoner all of the students and staff of the school, including Death itself, so she can free the first Kishin, who is currently buried under the school. According to her plan, this will create chaos and finally break the war between the witches and the meisters. Accompanied by Wolf, the Demon Sword and the frog witch Eruka, Medusa triggers her attack to coincide with DWMA's anniversary celebration.

While Wolf captures almost everyone into the independent cube, Maka, Black Star, Death Jr. and Dr. Frankenstein manage to escape thanks to Sid Kun's coffin abilities, and chase Medusa and her group through the school's catacombs, most likely heading towards a violent death. Have the meisters finally find their match?

Cemetery Boys

Thomas, Aiden. Cemetery Boys. 2020. 352p. ISBN 9781250250469. Available at FIC THO on the library shelves.

Despite being born in a girl's body, Yadriel has always known he was a boy. He came out to his cousin and best friend, Maritza, when he turned fourteen, and she was anything but surprised. He came out to his mother, who accepted the change, but his father found it rather more difficult, because Yadriel revealed at the same time that he is gay. Yadriel's family is a family of brujos, witches who help the spirits of the newly deceased find the afterlife, and who protect the world from malevolent spirits. Brujos also connect with their deceased relatives during the Dias de los Muertos. 

At age 15, every member of the extended brujo family is welcomed into the fold with their powers, either as a brujo, armed with a dagger to sever the tie that holds spirits back to this world, or as a bruja, who specializes in healing. Yadriel's father refused to perform the initiating ceremony for brujos for Yadriel, instead offering him the bruja ceremony. Yadriel refused, and now he is like his uncle Patrice, powerless and not recognized as a full-fledged member of the brujo clans.

Determined to show everyone that he is a real brujo, Yadriel plans to perform his own initiation ceremony, and he and Maritza smuggle themselves into the cemetery church next to their house, where he performs the ceremony and is anointed by Lady Death herself. Unfortunately, at the same time all of the brujos feel the pang of pain as one of their own dies. Miguel, who was on guard in the cemetery, is missing and his body can't be found. Yadriel decides to help by attempting to recall Miguel's spirit to get more information about his death, but instead he summons Julian Diaz, a semi-homeless boy who evidently has also recently died. All Julian remembers is that he was trying to protect one of his friends in a park, then nothing.

As Yadriel, Maritza and Julian begin crusing Los Angeles trying to find out what happened to Julian and to Miguel, Yadriel begins to fall for Julian, but Julian's only got a few days left as a spirit before it's time to send him to the afterlife. Knowing there is a killer out there, can there be is an happily ever after between boy and ghost?

This is an excellent story featuring characters not usually present in young adult books. Yadriel is conflicted with his emotions and his transition to a boy. Julian is angry with life and his circumstances, and being dead doesn't help. Maritza refuses to accept the heritage of her family, and proudly stands up for what's right. All of them have deep motivations and issues with trust and acceptance, and as a group of misfits they belong together.

Soul Eater, Vol. 4

 Ohkubo, Atsushi. Soul Eater, Vol. 4. 2010. 208p. ISBN 978-0-7595-3127-7. Available in the graphic novel section of the library.

Soul and Maka have drifted apart, and their wavelength is now diverging enough that it is difficult for them to work together. Dr. Stein proposes a tutoring session where they tell each other how they perceive the other and what their flaws are, hoping to resurrect their synced status. Maka wants to succeed and at least match her mother, who was one of the best students DWMA ever saw and protect Soul from the dangers that lurk out there. Soul is now weary of the power that comes with being a meister's weapon, and he remains haunted by nightmares he can't discuss with Maka.

Medusa, the witch that has infiltrated DWMA, is keen on exploiting the black blood Maka acquired in Soul Eater, Vol. 3. She engineers the release of the Demon Wolf, a man who was imprisoned for over two centuries for stealing the chief witch's eye, and pitches him against Maka, Soul, Tsubashi and Black*Star.

Following their battle, everyone returns to DWMA where they must now pass the most important test of their career at the school: The ultimate written exam. Can this test be worse than some of the enemies the students have encountered before? Meanwhile, Medusa still lurks at the school, and Kid, Patty and Liz hunt for the Flying Dutchman...

The story continues in Soul Eater, Vol. 5.

Soul Eater, Vol. 3

Ohkubo, Atsushi. Soul Eater, Vol. 3. 2010. 192p. ISBN 978-0-7595-3064-5. Available in the graphic novel section of the library.

While Soul recovers from his battle with Crona during Soul Eater, Vol. 2, Shinigami and Black*Star set out to find the legendary sword Excalibur, which only a true hero and perfectly aligned spirit can pick up. When both of them manage to take it, they realize they have been duped by Excalibur itself.

Meanwhile, a reckoning between Black*Star and Tsubaki on the one hand and the Uncanny Sword on the other is shaping up. The Uncanny Sword is the shape Masamume, Tsubaki's brother, assumes. He is a lost soul, who is on the verge of transforming into a Kishin, an evil spirit that feeds on the good souls instead of the bad ones. Black*Star and Tsubaki travel to a remote village, where they find the Uncanny Sword and confront it in a deadly battle.

Maka, for her part, must learn to let go of Soul's injuries, otherwise she will never gain true alignment with her weapon. And in the background, DMVA's nurse turns out to be a witch with plans for the school's student witch hunters ...

The story continues in Soul Eater, Vol. 4.

Soul Eater, Vol. 2

Ohkubo, Atsushi. Soul Eater, Vol. 2. 2010. 189p. ISBN 978-0-7595-3048-5. Available in the graphic section of the library.

Having failed their first lesson in Soul Eater, Vol. 1, Soul and Maka pursue their remedial studies at the Death Weapon Meister Academy. They are confronted by Dr. Franken Stein, who is able to manipulate the wavelengths emitted by souls to predict their moves and thus modify his attacks in response. Maka and Soul give it all they have, but are unable to defeat Stein. In a desperate bid, Soul lays down his life to save Maka, thereby passing Stein's test and completing this particular lesson.

Shinigami, Death's child, decides to enroll at Death Weapon Meister Academy, and brings his Death Scythes with him. Arriving at the school, he meets Soul and Black*Star. Their interactions devolve and soon the three of them are fighting. On the verge of defeat, Soul breaks Shinigami's symmetry and wins their fight.

At the basilica, Demon Sword wielder Crona slaughters the members of a local gang and consumes their souls. Maka and Soul engage Crona, but he proves surprisingly adept at landing blows. Can Maka and Soul resist Crona's assault and survive one more day?

The remedial assignment continues as Soul and Maka confront Dr. Franken Stein, the man behind Sid-sensei's unfortunate transformation and the strongest meister ever to graduate from Death Weapon Meister Academy. Even without a weapon, his massive soul dwarfs them all-even big shot Black*Star! Can Maka rally her strength to face Stein in battle, or will despair be her downfall?   

The story continues in Soul Eater, Vol. 3.

The Witch Boy

Ostertag, Molly Knox. The Witch Boy. 2017. 210p. ISBN 978-1-33808952-3. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

For generations, witches and shapeshifters have protected the forest and the people beyond. The girls in Aster's family are those witches, raised with spells and the ability to scry, make fruits grow from buds, and sense spirits. The boys are the shapeshifters, trained for battle and willing to sacrifice their lives to protect their female relatives. As one of the youngest boys, Aster is expected to follow in his elders' steps and become a shapeshifter. Unfortunately he has never been able to find his inner animal, despite years of trying. His true interest is in witchery, and he carries a notebook around where he records the magic he sees his female cousins perform.

His father is disappointed, and so his mother, but Aster cannot let go. As boys begin to disappear from the family compound, however, the whole family comes under attack. Aster wants to help, but the only thing he can bring is his growing control of witchery. Grandmother, the matriarch of the clan, had a twin brother once who also dabbled in witchery, but he became corrupted and stole a precious artifact before fleeing. Aster's mother is worried about her son and the path he might be on.

To compound his problem, Aster has stepped outside the protected boundaries of the compound, and made contact with a local girl, Charlie. She's an athlete with a broken leg, and like Aster she pushes the boundaries of traditional gender roles. With the clan under menace, can the two of them work together to resolve the danger and pursue their interests instead of what the other people in their lives think they should be doing?

Gorgeous and colorful illustrations make this author's first graphic novel a pleasure to read. Any reader who has not felt totally comfortable in society's gender norms will appreciate Aster's desire and struggle to be something different.

Soul Eater, Vol. 1

Ohkubo, Atsushi. Soul Eater, Vol. 1. 2009. 208p. ISBN 9780759530010. Available in the graphic section of the library.

Shinigami-Sama is Death incarnate, and he employs many agents to harvest the souls of humans and monsters. Known as weapon meisters, these agents partner with living weapons to accomplish these goals. Maka is one such weapon meister, and her partner, named Soul Eater, is a powerful death scythe. At 99 souls already devoured, Soul Eater only needs to eat one more, that of a witch to complete his transformation into Death’s ultimate weapon. Unfortunately, the witch they encounter is not ready to lose her soul.

Black Star and his weapon, Tsubaki, have yet to collect even one soul, so Shinigami-Sama sends them on a delicate mission to capture a witch and her human bodyguard, whose soul is strong enough to be worth 99 normal souls. Unfortunately, Black Star is such a show off that collecting these two souls will prove tricky.

Finally, Death the Kid, Shinigami-Sama’s own son, fights with twin revolvers Liz and Patty, sisters, has a very unhealthy relationship with symmetry, which causes him all sorts of trouble.

The three of them must face off against the strange and deadly enemies of the underworld to complete Shinigami-Sama’s objectives, but their own interests and quirks are likely to undermine their abilities to do just that!

The story continues in Soul Eater 2.

Hex Hall

Hawkins, Rachel. Hex Hall. 2010. 323p. ISBN 9781423121305. Available both at FIC HAW on the library shelves and as an audiobook on Overdrive

At thirteen, Sophie discovered she was a witch. This explained a lot of things. Her mother and her moving all the time. The tingling she felt whenever odd things happened. Coming into her magical powers untrained was hard, though, and Sophie performed one too many spells when she tried to create a love spell matching two people during prom.

Now the Council, which governs witches of the world, has decided to send her to Hex Hall, a reformatory boarding school for witches, shapeshifters, faeries, and the odd unlucky vampire. There, students are expected to learn how to control their power before their 18th birthday and release into society. They are also prepared to fight the Eye, a secretive organization dedicated to eliminating the Prodigium, also known as all paranormal creatures.

Once at Hex Hall, Sophie discovers that unlike everyone else here, she is not versed in the history or conflicts of the Prodigium. For instance, her father, whom she’s never met, is the head of the Council, and therefore most students hate her. By the end of her first day, she’s made powerful enemies of a dark witch coven who want her to join. She’s also annoyed some of the shapeshifters. She’s smitten with a sexy warlock who happens to be dating the head of the coven. And she’s rooming with the school’s only vampire, who is both hated and suspected of killing her previous roommate. What could possibly go wrong?

Hex Hall is a very entertaining book about paranormal beings experiencing very human emotions. Fans of Hawkins other books, such as Rebel Belle, will thoroughly enjoy the secrets and twists that Hex Hall harbors.

Truthwitch

Dennard, Susan. Truthwitch. Book 1 of the Witchlands series. 2016. 415p. ISBN 978-0-7653-7928-3. Available at FIC DEN on the library shelves.

Many of the inhabitants of the Witchlands have strange powers. Known as witches, they control one or more aspect of life, from water to fire to the threads that bind people together. Twenty years ago the nations of the Witchlands agreed to a binding twenty years truce, but this only provided time for leader to re-arm and re-equip their troops and plan new attacks. Nineteen years later, the last months of the truce are ticking by and everyone is ready to head back to war.

Safiya and Iseult are thread sisters, and both of them are also witches. Current residents of Venaza City in the Dalmotti Empire,  Iseult is a Nomatsi, a group of nomads reviled by non-Nomatsi people. She is a threadwitch, and she sees the connections between people as well as the threads that define their thoughts and feelings. Safiya is a domna of Cartorra, a noblewoman of the Empire of Cartorra. She’s a truthwitch, one of the rarest of witches. She can discern truth from lie, a useful power to have when the world is heading back to war. She was sent to Venaza City by her uncle to get her away from the Emperor of Cartorra, but she has done nothing but get herself in trouble, much to her tutors’ dismay.

When Safiya and Iseult attempt to rob the wrong caravan, they become the target of a bloodwitch, a man with the power to smell the blood and the quality of the witchcraft within. Assisted by Prince Merik, a wind witch, Safiya and Iseult must now run for their very lives are threatened, and as war gets set to resume, the two thread sisters will either be the salvation of the continent as predicted by the old Carwen prophecy or its doom.

Conversion

Howe, Katherine. Conversion. 2014. 402p. ISBN 9780399167775. Available at FIC HOW on the library shelves.

Colleen Rowley is in the middle of her senior year at all girls St. Joan’s Academy, the elite religious school she attends. Life is very stressful for Colleen and her friends. There are college applications to be sent out and decisions on where to attend made. There are relationships and boyfriends. Colleen herself is in a battle for the valedictorian spot, with a mere 0.1% separating her from her rival. There are issues with parents and siblings at home. Even with all of these activities, however, everyone, including Colleen, is expected to remain polite, graceful, and dedicated.

Upon returning for the 2nd semester, Colleen’s AP history teacher is gone and has been replaced by a substitute. And though they were going to read The Crucible, the substitute informs them that they will no longer do that. Her friends Deena and Anjali are shocked, but her best friend Emma seems to hold something back.

When Carla, one of the most appreciated students at school suddenly falls ill in school and must taken away in an ambulance, everyone is concerned for her. But then more and more girls begin to fall sick, with fits, shakes, and visions. Suddenly everyone knows someone who is getting sick. When the media hear of this story a frenzy ensues.

Meanwhile, three hundred years earlier, Anne Putnam is square in the middle of the Salem witch trials. She, along with a few younger girls, is responsible for setting the whole thing in motions and now she doesn’t know how to get out of it.

The two stories quickly intertwine and connect both Colleen’s and Anne’s lives in parallel ways. Is witchcraft real? And, if not, what is affecting Colleen and the girls at St. Joan’s?

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Speare, Elizabeth. The Witch of Blackbird Pond. 1978. 256p. ISBN 0440995779. Available as an ebook and an audiobook on Overdrive.

When Katherine Tyler’s grandfather, Sir Francis Tyler, died, she was forced to leave Barbados. Her grandfather, who had been taking care of her since the death of her parents years earlier, left the estate in shambles and with mounting bills. Kit was able to settle all debts, but she had to sell everything. One of the men owed money informed her he would forgive the debt if she married him.

To escape she makes her way to a new community, cold, dreary and puritan New England. She’s never met her mother’s sister, but they exchanged many letters over the years, and aunt Rachel has two daughters near Kit’s age. Arriving in Connecticut Colony in the late 1600s, she finds an unwelcoming community, one used to strict control of thoughts and stricter enforcement of compliance with the rules.

A free spirit, Kit begins to chafe under the rules. Running to hide  in one of the meadows by the river, she comes across Hannah, a Quaker who has been exiled out of the village. They soon become friends, but Kit’s uncle forbids her to go. Kit continues to visit, however, and reconnects with beautiful Nat, who was one of the sailors on the Dolphin, the ship that took her here. She’s also pursued by the richest man in town, and as winter begins to oppress the land Kit feels the full weight of solitude.

When children become sick and begin to die, Hannah is accused of witchcraft. Kit risks her own life and saves her from being caught, getting her aboard the Dolphin. Faced with suspicion and fear since her arrival, Kit is the one who becomes accused of witchcraft, and the penalty is death. Will anyone come to Kit’s defense?

If you liked this book you will enjoy The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place.