3 Stars

Disclaimer: I picked this for a reading challenge prompt. 

The little boy learns from his grandmother that witches are real and look like women. Witches are dangerous and have one goal – to get rid of children. When the little boy comes across the Grand Witch with a master plan to wipe out all the kids in England, he knows he has to find a way to stop the witches. Can he be successful in this attempt? 

The story comes in the first-person POV of the nameless little boy. 

So, my first book by a famous author is a mixed read! I know he wrote scary books for kids, but this one doesn’t seem to be great. Also, I’m super glad I watched BFG (Spielberg’s) instead of reading it. 

Right! I did enjoy this in bits and pieces. The relationship between the nameless narrator and his grandmother is beautiful. They love each other, which is easy to see. 

The little bits about training mice and mouse circus are fun. Some of the messy parts are fun, too. 

I don’t mind the outdated content since that’s when the book was written. Of course, it will have stuff we don’t like. We just explain the differences and steer little ones in the right direction. But… 

This one could give kiddos some serious nightmares. I appreciate the nonchalance with which they are presented. That does dilute the creepiness a lot. Still, a sensitive child could be disturbed by some of it. 

This seems to be standalone, or is there another book? The loose ends make me wonder if I’m missing something or if that’s how it is written. 

The illustrations are rough pencil sketches. Some are cute, and some are creepy. They gel well with the overall darkish vibe. 

To summarize, The Witches is an imaginative story, even if it is a bit simple and has outdated ideas. It is a fairly easy and fast read but may not be for everyone. I’d ask parents to read it before they share it with kids (just to be safe).