The Okay Witch
by Emma Steinkellner
Summary
Magic is harder than it looks.
Thirteen-year-old Moth Hush loves all things witchy. But she’s about to discover that witches aren’t just the stuff of movies, books, and spooky stories. When some eighth-grade bullies try to ruin her Halloween, something really strange happens. It turns out that Founder’s Bluff, Massachusetts, has a centuries-old history of witch drama. And, Moth’s family is at the center of it all! When Moth’s new powers show up, things get totally out of control. She meets a talking cat, falls into an enchanted diary, and unlocks a hidden witch world. Secrets surface from generations past as Moth unravels the complicated legacy at the heart of her town, her family, and herself.
In this spellbinding graphic novel debut, Emma Steinkellner spins a story packed with humor and heart about the weird and wonderful adventures of a witch-in-progress.
My Review
2.5 stars
This was the graphic novel that would NEVER end! It was SO long for this type of book. And, there were SO many word bubbles (the most I’ve ever seen in a graphic novel) and just a lot going on in this story. I really felt like the author should’ve just written a book for this story since she had so much to say. I don’t think the graphic novel format was a good fit.
Visually, I loved the artwork, but unfortunately, it was overshadowed and overpowered by ALL the word bubbles, which is a shame because they are beautiful illustrations. I wish we could’ve seen more of the images. I wanted more of the graphics highlighted and to stand out.
As for the story, it was interesting, but a bit convoluted and chaotic at times, and it was nothing original. I’ve read stories like this before. I did like learning about the town’s history and going back and forth from the past to the present; however, the witchy myth and folklore were muddled for me. Because a lot was going on and not too many characters were standing out for me, I started to lose interest about halfway through the story. I finished reading it because I wanted to see how it ended, and I had already invested so much time into the book, but it wasn’t a memorable story for me.
I enjoyed Moth as our main character. She was a sweet, quirky, likable character who was very relatable. I liked how she was curious and open to exploring the witchy side of herself and her family. I also enjoyed her mom and their dynamic since they are a single-parent and child household. There is also a talking cat who added quite a bit of humor to the story, which I appreciated.
However, this is another case where a publishing company is using kids’ books to push certain political agendas, which I can’t stand. There are queer side characters with talk of a homosexual relationship; there is an obviously large, diverse cast; there are racial undertones and messages, making white people look like the bad guys, and people of color are always being mistreated. It definitely has some woke messages disguised in the plot and character development. If this were an adult graphic novel, I wouldn’t care as much, but this is targeted toward children, and I found it all inappropriate. So parents, beware if you care what your children are reading.
I know there is a sequel, but I probably won’t pick it up. I didn’t care enough about the characters to care what would happen next to them.