The Witches of Willow Cove by Josh Roberts

Chased off a clifftop one Halloween night, thirteen-year-old Abby Shepherd discovers she can fly. And she not the only one. Five of her classmates also evolve witchy powers.

An enjoyable magical mystery for middle-grade readers.

Under the guidance of their mysterious history teacher, the fledgling coven begin to learn magic. But being teenagers isn’t easy and there’s more than new magic to navigate: first crushes, petty jealousies, bullies, mobile phones, rocky friendships, parents, and the strange disappearance of two local women . . .

There’s an interesting link between the Pleiades star cluster and the young witches, and I particularly enjoyed the knitting vocabulary used for spell-casting. Several open plot threads suggest a sequel.

The Witches of Willow Cove blends contemporary realism, gothic landscape, and witchcraft. I was less interested in the Robbie-Becca love story, but it was easy to get swept away with Abby and Amethyst’s magical adventure.

If Levente Szabo’s front cover artwork appeals to you, check out author Josh Roberts’s blog on the development of the design.

Many thanks to Josh Roberts, Owl Hollow Press, and NetGalley for my advance reader copy.

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