Bea's Witch

Bea's Witch  begins with the powerful words “I wish…” as the main character starts out standing in front of a wishing well.  This young adult dark fantasy chronicles the journey of a child who had been adopted after spending much of her life in foster care. While this is a standard young adult chapter book there are some really gorgeous illustrations at the end of a few of the chapters.

 The magical elements do not resume in the story until halfway through the book, but that is because they draw heavily on her character’s experience.  While starting out in disbelief before embracing the magical events that take place is pretty standard in any fantasy, the way the author dealt with it was very enjoyable to read. I also really love how the magic is introduced through the wind, as I hold a weakness for magic that relies on nature’s elements more so than making up more otherworldly creatures.  The fantasy elements read very reminiscent of Native American spirituality however my biggest criticism of the book is that the Native American experience is not credited. It is primarily a book geared towards pre-teens, however adults who would enjoy a coming of age story with the twist of a dark fantasy will enjoy this book as well

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced readers copy of this book.