The Ink Witch
-
- $7.99
-
- $7.99
Publisher Description
For fans of Amari and the Night Brothers and The Okay Witch comes a hilarious and affirming cozy fantasy about the adventures of a girl who discovers she is the descendant of a powerful witch coven.
Becca Slugg is bored. It’s the tail end of summer, and it feels like she’s done nothing but run errands for her family’s Cape Disappointment Beach Inn,
argue with her frustratingly overprotective mother, and have one-sided conversations with the giant spider living by the dumpsters out back.
When Becca wishes for something to happen, she doesn’t expect her wish to manifest in the form of an unwelcome visit from her mom’s sinister and estranged sister, Malatrice. It turns out Becca's aunt is a powerful witch—and when she doesn’t get the help she wants from Becca’s mom, she unleashes a devastating ink spell. Becca is left with a mindless puppet for a mother and a whole lot of questions—like Can I castspells with the ink in my veins, too?
With the help of Natalya, her mother’s tarantula familiar, and Oddvar, a friendly troll living in the motel’s ice machine, a distraught but determined Becca sets out to uncover her own magical abilities and find the ingredients for a potion that will cure her mother. Besides, how hard can it be to find mermaid eggs, troll teeth, and the most precious possession of a Witch-Queen?
This magical adventure is equal parts hilarious and exhilarating, with a sassy, talking tarantula being just the tip of the iceberg.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Cherrywell (Unboxing Libby) weaves an emotionally rich tale of self-discovery and inner strength in this hilarious, heartfelt fantasy brimming with magic and memorable mythical creatures. White-cued, transgender 12-year-old Becca Slugg yearns for adventure beyond the Cape Disappointment Beach Inn, which she runs with her mother, whose tendency toward caution and routine frustrate the youth. But when Becca's aunt Malatrice arrives and places Becca's mom under a mind control spell as part of a scheme to assume dominance over the Slugg family, the tween learns that she's descended from a clan of witches who cast spells using ink. To restore her mother's agency, Becca must assemble other spell components, such as mermaid caviar and powdered troll tooth. Assisted by her mother's talking tarantula familiar, and the troll who lives in the inn's ice machine, Becca delves into a heretofore hidden supernatural world and discovers her family's secret history on the road to facing Malatrice. Throughout, Becca draws parallels between her gender identity and the complexities of living as a witch in a society that often forces people to conceal innate parts of their existence, as her magical kin had done for years. This growing awareness—as well as the compassionate support she receives from her loved ones and her own self-assuredness—injects tenderness into a playful, satisfying adventure. Ages 8–12.
