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Season of the Witch: A YA Reading List

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Two years ago, mermaids were the new-and-hot trend in YA. The years before that, there were werewolves and vampires and other “creatures” making their way into paranormal YA. Without question, this year is the year of witches making a huge appearance in YA fiction. It looks like every major publisher has at least one witch novel on their lists, if not more than one, some of which are from fresh voices and others are continuations of series that include witches in them. Kimberly touched on this trend last year in her science fiction and fantasy preview, but I thought it would be worth delving into even deeper, as more books pop up featuring witches. 

Witches are kind of a neat phenomenon in fiction for a couple of reasons. First, they aren’t paranormal. Rather than being magical because of their physical shape, witches are — for the most part — magical despite taking what appears to be a human shape. Second, they fit nicely into the horror genre without necessarily being seen as a horror trope or a foundation of horror novels. Readers, especially teens, love witches because of how they’re symbolic of the occult, which is perennially popular. 

But witches don’t have to be relegated to one kind of story, either, which is part of what makes them interesting to write about. As much as they’re a part of horror, they’re also a part of fantasy, science fiction, and maybe most commonly, they’re recognizable in fairy tales. Witches are also historical, though in YA lit, there’s a surprisingly few number of novels that tackle witches from that perspective. 

In other words, witches are expansive, rather than limited to one sort of story. 

Here’s a roundup of recent and forthcoming YA titles featuring witches. All of the titles are out this year, except in the cases where the book is a continuation of a series (I’ve noted those). I should note that some of these titles, the witch element isn’t necessarily what the book is entirely about. In some cases, the witch aspect plays a more subtle role. 

All descriptions are from WorldCat unless otherwise noted. 

A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey: When three cousins in 1814 London discover their magical powers and family lineage of witchcraft, they accidentally open the gates to the underworld allowing the spirits of dark witches known as the Greymalkin Sisters to hunt and kill young debutante witches for their powers. Available now. 

Half Bad by Sally Green: In modern-day England, where witches live alongside humans, Nathan, son of a White witch and the most powerful Black witch, must escape captivity before his seventeenth birthday and receive the gifts that will determine his future. Available March 4. 

Hexed by Michelle Krys: Popular cheerleader Indigo Blackwood, sixteen, finds her perfect life threatened when Bishop, a tattooed, leather-clad stranger, tells her the family Bible just stolen from the attic of her mother’s occult shop could mean the end to all witches, including, he says, Indigo herself. Available June 10. 

Conversion by Katherine Howe: It’s senior year at St. Joan’s Academy, and school is a pressure cooker. College applications, the battle for valedictorian, deciphering boys’ texts: through it all, Colleen Rowley and her friends are expected to keep it together. Until they can’t. First Clara Rutherford starts having loud, uncontrollable tics in the middle of class. More students and stranger symptoms follow: seizures, body vibration, violent coughing fits. The media descends on Danvers, MA, as school officials, angry parents and the board of health scramble to find something, or someone, to blame. Pollution? Stress? Or are the girls faking? But Colleen—who’s been reading The Crucible for extra credit—comes to realize what nobody else has: Danvers was once Salem Village, where another group of girls suffered from a similarly bizarre epidemic three centuries ago. Available July 1 (description via Edelweiss). 

House of Ivy & Sorrow by Natalie Whipple: Seventeen-year-old Josephine Hemlock has spent her life hiding the fact that she’s a witch–but when the mysterious Curse that killed her mother returns, she might not be able to keep her magical and normal lives separate. Available April 15. 

The Wizard’s Promise by Cassandra Rose Clarke: Hanna has spent her life hearing about the adventures of her namesake Ananna, the lady pirate, and assassin Naji. She dreams of the same adventures, but little does she know she is about to tumble into one of her own. Hanna is apprenticed to a taciturn fisherman called Kolur, and, during a day of storms and darkness, are swept wildly off course. In this strange new land, Kolur hires a stranger to join the crew and, rather than heading home, sets a course for the dangerous island of Jadanvar. As Hanna meets a secretive merboy, and learns that Kolur has a deadly past, she soon realizes that wishing for adventures is a dangerous game – because those wishes might come true. Available May 6. 

Salt & Storm by Kendal Kulper: Sixteen-year-old Avery Roe wants to take her rightful place as the sea witch of Prince Island. When she foresees her own murder, a harpoon boy named Tane promises to help her change her fate and keep her island safe and prosperous, but salvation will require an unexpected sacrifice. Available September. No official cover has been released yet.  

Stolen Songbird by Danielle Jensen: For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the ruins of Forsaken Mountain. Time enough for their dark and nefarious magic to fade from human memory and into myth. But a prophesy has been spoken of a union with the power to set the trolls free, and when Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she learns there is far more to the myth of the trolls than she could have imagined. Cécile has only one thing on her mind after she is brought to Trollus: escape. Only the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time, wait for the perfect opportunity. But something unexpected happens while she’s waiting – she begins to fall for the enigmatic troll prince to whom she has been bonded and married. She begins to make friends. And she begins to see that she may be the only hope for the half-bloods – part troll, part human creatures who are slaves to the full-blooded trolls. There is a rebellion brewing. And her prince, Tristan, the future king, is its secret leader. As Cécile becomes involved in the intricate political games of Trollus, she becomes more than a farmer’s daughter. She becomes a princess, the hope of a people, and a witch with magic powerful enough to change Trollus forever. Available April 1. Description via Edelweiss. 

The Witch is Back by Brittany Geragotelis: After leading her coven into battle against the Parrishables, teenaged witch Hadley Bishop is looking forward to a relaxing, love-filled summer with boyfriend Asher, until his ex-girlfriend, Brooklyn, shows up and a power struggle ensues. Available now. This is the third book in a series, which begins with What the Spell, followed by Life’s A Witch.

Red Queen by Christopher Pike: Heading off for a weekend in Las Vegas with her friends, Jessie Ralle has only one worry—how to make it through the road trip in the same car with her Ex, Jimmy Kelter. The guy who broke her heart five months ago when he dumped her for no reason. The guy who’s finally ready to tell her why he did it, because he wants her back. But what Jessie doesn’t realize is that Jimmy is the least of her problems. In Las Vegas she meets Russ, a mesmerizing stranger who shows her how to gamble, and who never seems to lose. Curious, Jessie wants to know his secret, and in response, alone in his hotel room, he teaches her a game that opens a door to another reality. To Witch World. Suddenly Jessie discovers that she’s stumbled into a world where some people can do the impossible, and others may not even be human. Are there really witches? Is she one of them? Available August 19. This book was originally published as Witch World, but it’s getting a new cover and title treatment. 

Sisters’ Fate by Jessica Spotswood: A fever ravages New London, but with the Brotherhood sending suspected witches straight to the gallows, the Sisters are powerless against the disease. They can’t help without revealing their powers—as Cate learns when a potent display of magic turns her into the most wanted witch in all of New England. To make matters worse, Cate has been erased from the memory of her beloved Finn. While she’s torn between protecting him from further attacks and encouraging him to fall for her all over again, she’s certain she can never forgive Maura’s betrayal. And now that Tess’s visions have taken a deadly turn, the prophecy that one Cahill sister will murder another looms ever closer to its fulfillment. This is the third book in a series that begins with Born Wicked and continues with Star Cursed. Sisters’ Fate will be available August 14. Description via Goodreads. 

Steadfast by Claudia Gray: Nadia must stop the evil sorceress Elizabeth before she lures the One Beneath to Captive’s Sound, destroying the town and everyone Nadia holds dear at the same time. Steadfast is the sequel to Spellcaster and will be available March 4. 


Seduction by Molly Cochran: There’s not yet an official description nor cover for this book yet, but it’s the third in a series that begins with Legacy and Poison. Seduction will be available December 4. 

As much fun as it is to preview a trend, I think it’s also worthwhile to point to some backlist titles that feature witches in some capacity. Here’s a look at some older YA featuring witches to satisfy eager readers. This is far from comprehensive (I didn’t include James Patterson’s “Witch and Wizard” series, for example), so feel free to share other titles in the comments — both those which are older and those which may be coming out soon. 

A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn: Sixteen-year-old Princess Talia persuades seventeen-year-old Jack, the modern-day American who kissed her awake after a 300-year sleep, to take her to his Miami home, where she hopes to win his love before the witch who cursed her can spirit her away.

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins (series): When Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, she is exiled to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

Stolen by Vivian Vande Velde: A girl finds herself running through the forest at the edge of a village with no memory of anything, even her own name, and later learns that she might be twelve-year-old Isabelle, believed to be stolen by a witch six years before.

Once A Witch by Carolyn MacCullough (series): Born into a family of witches, seventeen-year-old Tamsin is raised believing that she alone lacks a magical “Talent,” but when her beautiful and powerful sister is taken by an age-old rival of the family in an attempt to change the balance of power, Tamsin discovers her true destiny.

“Tiffany Aching” series by Terry Pratchett

Witch Child by Celia Rees: In 1659, fourteen-year-old Mary Newbury keeps a journal of her voyage from England to the New World and her experiences living as a witch in a community of Puritans near Salem, Massachusetts.

Persistence of Memory by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes: Diagnosed with schizophrenia as a child, sixteen-year-old Erin has spent half of her life in therapy and on drugs, but now must face the possibility of weird things in the real world, including shapeshifting friends and her “alter,” a centuries-old vampire.

The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan: On remote Rollrock Island, men go to sea to make their livings–and to catch their wives. The witch Misskaella knows the way of drawing a girl from the heart of a seal, of luring the beauty out of the beast. And for a price a man may buy himself a lovely sea-wife. He may have and hold and keep her. And he will tell himself that he is her master. But from his first look into those wide, questioning, liquid eyes, he will be just as transformed as she. He will be equally ensnared. And the witch will have her true payment. 

Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle (series): In 1837, as seventeen-year-old twins, Persephone and Penelope, are starting their first London Season they find that their beloved governess, who has taught them everything they know about magic, has disappeared.

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab: Sixteen-year-old Lexi, who lives on an enchanted moor at the edge of the village of Near, must solve the mystery when, the day after a mysterious boy appears in town, children start disappearing.

When I Was The Greatest by Jason Reynolds

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If you’re looking for urban fiction, you might want to give Jason Reynolds’s When I Was The Greatest a shot. Set in Bed Stuy, New York, this is the story of Ari, a good guy who is just trying to pull it all together and keep afloat in a neighborhood which isn’t always the easiest, the fairest, or the safest place to be.

But this isn’t really a story about feeling sorry for Ari. Ari is a pretty sweet guy — he absolutely adores his mother and his little sister Jazz. His dad, who is not living with them, has made a lot of mistakes in his life, but Ari understands the whys and hows of those mistakes and accepts his father despite them. Dad comes around quite a bit, so he’s not an entirely absent father.

Then there are Noodles and Needles. Not their real names, of course. They’re Ari’s neighbors, brothers, who are about as divergent in personality from one another, and from Ari, as possible. Noodles is older, and he’s probably Ari’s best friend. But he’s a troublemaker. Noodles engages in activities he shouldn’t and he does so without a whole lot of remorse. He’ll steal and he’ll act out and it’s not a big deal to him.

Needles gets his nickname from the needles he uses to knit. He learns how to knit from Ari’s mother, who decided to show Needles how to do it because her background in working with mentally ill taught her that sometimes having a means of refocusing attention can help a person with an illness.

Needles has tourette syndrome, and he regularly breaks out into tics. The knitting, as they all discover, is a means of helping calm Needles down during a tic. He loves the activity, as it keeps both his mind and his hands busy. Ari thinks it’s kind of neat that Needles is so taken with it, but Noodles is far less into it — it makes his brother look even weaker than he already is.

Reynolds’s novel is a character-driven one, as the bulk of the action in this story is far less important than the development of the boys. We learn pretty early on that Noodles acts out, and Ari suspects there’s a lot more going on within him as to why he chooses to behave the way he does. As we get to know the characters better after the big incident — which I’ll get to in a minute — we discover than Noodles’s behavior is related to the resentment he has toward Needles’s illness. Noodles believes that his brother’s tics are the reason that their father left them, and even though he loves Needles, he can’t help but associate his father’s absence with him. Of course, there is a lot more to it than that, but knowing Noodles’s world view, his beliefs and suspicions ring true and honest. He’s a teen in a rough part of town with no father and a brother who he loves and wants to love more, but he can’t make sense of the way all of the cards have fallen in his life.

What Ari wants to do is get all three of them into one of the biggest area parties for just one night. That party, which will be brimming with pretty girls, booze, and good beats, should help loosen them all up. And of course, it’ll make them look cool, since they’re all under 18. The bulk of the plot of When I Was The Greatest revolves around Ari, Noodles, and Needles getting new hair cuts and styles and flashier clothes in order to fit in to this party. But when they get to the party and Ari’s put into a corner he doesn’t know how to escape from, he fears that his reputation will forever be tainted. Except that’s not really the thing he has to be worried about.

Needles is in trouble. And Noodles will be in trouble, too.

How the three boys untangle themselves from the party and the fight that broke out is what changes their relationships with one another and for Ari, it changes his relationship with his father.

The setting in this story is rich, but what I think I appreciated about it the most was that while this was urban and while it indeed featured the elements you’d come to “expect” in an urban novel — violence, drinking and drugs, gangs, and so forth — that’s not at all what the book was about. This was a book featuring black teens who are just that: teens. They’re navigating relationships with one another and they’re figuring out their own selves in the world they’re a part of. Things aren’t perfect, but the story is never focused on that imperfection. It’s on the sidelines. The focus is instead on the characters. Reynolds does an excellent job of making Ari’s voice authentic and relatable. There are good adults in this book, too, and what makes some of them such good adults is that they’ve all made mistakes and not only do they own up to them, but they talk about how much they’ve learned from their past choices. Beyond Ari’s mother — who works two jobs to make ends meet — and Ari’s father — who does sketchy stuff in order to make a living — there is Ari’s boxing coach who becomes an incredible mentor for Ari not just in terms of the sport, but on a much grander scale.

When I Was The Greatest is a bit of a slower read, though, because it is more focused on character than it is on plot. Perhaps a means of describing this book would be to call it literary urban fiction. This book should have good appeal to teen readers, and in conjunction, there’s a lot that can be talked about. There is great service done even in the packaging of this book. The knitted gun on the cover is appealing and raises questions of what role it could have in the story (there’s not a knitted gun, but there is knitting and there is a gun incident that stands as the moment when Ari and his father really connect).

Readers who love Coe Booth’s work will find Reynolds’s novel to be a really good read alike. As long as language isn’t an issue — because one of the characters suffers from tics — this book would be okay to hand to younger teen readers eager for edgier realistic fiction.

When I Was The Greatest is available now. Review copy picked up from my library. 

January Debut YA Novels

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A new year means it’s time for a whole new round of debut authors and voices to read. Like last year, I’ll do a monthly roundup of debut novels for the month, with cover images and book description, and I’ll link up any reviews Kimberly or I write as the year progresses for easy reference.

“Debut” is a topic I plan on talking about a bit more in depth soon, but in short, these roundups are for first-time authors of any sorts who are publishing their very first YA book. So you won’t see books that are first YA books from authors who have previously published adult or children’s books. You also won’t see books that are debut novels in a new genre or by authors assuming a pseudonym for a particular book. I’m keeping the definition of debut straight and pure.

With that, here are January’s debut YA novels. January tends to be a quieter month in terms of publishing, so it’s not surprising there are only a few debut novels. All descriptions are from WorldCat, unless otherwise noted. If I have missed a traditionally published debut novel out this month, let me know in the comments. I want books that are available for print purchase through major sources — please no self-published or digital-only titles.



Bird by Crystal Chan: Twelve-year-old Jewel was born on the day her brother Bird died and lives in a house of silence and secrets, but a new boy in her Iowa town may help find the answers Jewel wants despite her Jamaican grandfather’s warning that he is a “duppy,” a malevolent spirit.

Defy by Sara B. Larson: Seventeen-year-old Alexa’s parents were killed by a sorcerer during a raid, so she has disguised herself as a boy, joined Antion’s army, and earned a place on Prince Damian’s guard–but Antion is ruled by an evil king, and “Alex” must find a way to defeat him and protect her prince.

No Surrender Soldier by Christine Kohler: Growing up on Guam in 1972, fifteen-year-old Kiko is beset by worries: He’s never kissed a girl, the popular guys get all the attention at school–but the worst part is the serious problems at home. His older brother is missing in Vietnam, his grandfather is losing it to dementia, and he just learned that his mother was raped by a Japanese soldier during World War II. It all comes together when he discovers an old man, a Japanese soldier, hiding in the jungle behind his house. It’s not the same man who raped his mother, but, in his rage, Kiko cares only about protecting his family and avenging his mom–no matter what it takes. And so, a shy, peaceable boy begins to plan a murder. But how far will Kiko go to prove to himself that he’s a man? Based on a true incident in history, No Surrender Soldier is the story of a boy grappling with ancient questions of courage and manhood before he can move on.

The Gospel of Winter by Brendan Kiely: Managing the challenges of his fractured family by taking Adderall, sneaking drinks, and confiding in an abusive priest, Aidan finds support from new friends including a crush, a wild girl, and a swim-team captain with his own secrets.

The Scar Boys by Len Vlahos: Written as a college admission essay, eighteen-year-old Harry Jones recounts a childhood defined by the hideous scars he hid behind, and how forming a band brought self-confidence, friendship, and his first kiss.

2014 Youth Media Awards – Thoughts & Reactions

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The announcements happened, and all of our to-read shelves exploded. Now comes the equally fun part: dissecting the choices and discussing amongst ourselves what they all mean. I’m going to touch on just a few titles honored and blurt out a few thoughts about each – please discuss at will in the comments.

Printz Award
I haven’t read a single one of these books. Nary a one. But I’m psyched that of the five books honored, three are SFF books: Kingdom of Little Wounds by Susann Cokal, Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner, and Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick. Interestingly this year, I don’t think any of the titles (including the two non-SFF titles, Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool and Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell) were huge surprises. I’d seen all of the selections discussed as Printz possibilities in a few different places by many different people. The exception is perhaps Navigating Early, which I think was a bit of a shock for several viewers who weren’t expecting a book on the younger side of YALSA’s spectrum to be honored.

Odyssey
I love this award so, so much, given to Scowler this year. This is the second year that the team of Daniel Kraus and Kirby Heyborne have won the gold seal, which is remarkable to me. (They previously won for Rotters in 2012). There is clearly something magical going on there. The ten-second clip the committee chose to showcase the audiobook gave the whole audience a collective shudder – and they loved every moment of it.

Edwards
I don’t think I was expecting Markus Zusak to take the prize, perhaps because he’s only written five books, and Edwards winners tend to have a larger oeuvre. But there’s no denying his books have made a significant and lasting contribution to youth literature. I have a copy of Getting the Girl that I’ve been meaning to read for years – perhaps now is the right time.

Overall Thoughts
This was a good year for girls named Flora, for balls and marbles and other round things, for Candlewick, for Brian Floca and Tim Federle. It was also a good year for genre fiction, which had representation in nearly every award category. The Morris honored a ghost story (In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters), the middle grade Schneider was awarded to a fantasy about dragons (Handbook for Dragon Slayers by Merrie Haskell), the Belpre honored an apocalyptic story (The Living by Matt de la Pena), the Odyssey awarded a truly creepy horror audiobook (Scowler by Daniel Kraus, read by Kirby Heyborne), a Newbery honor went to a ghost/horror story (Doll Bones by Holly Black), and as I mentioned above, over half of the Printz titles were SFF.

I loved what Angie Manfredi (@misskubelik) had to say about a couple of these choices on Twitter yesterday morning. She said it in a few 140-character tweets better than I could. About Matt de la Pena’s The Living and Merrie Haskell’s Handbook for Dragon Slayers:

I’m sad I couldn’t be in Philadelphia in person, but I certainly felt like I was there in spirit. Hearing the tremendous cheers after each title was announced via the livestream was magical. I’m looking forward to pulling out my copy of Midwinterblood and preparing myself for awesomeness. I’m also looking forward to listening to Scowler – but definitely with the lights on.

Youth Media Awards

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The ALA Youth Media Awards announcements happen today, and I can hardly contain my excitement. The Printz, Newbery, and Caldecott always get a lot of attention (as they should), but there are actually eighteen different awards announced on this special morning. I thought I’d take a little time to focus on a few of the lesser-known awards that I particularly appreciate.

Margaret A. Edwards Award
This award honors an author, along with specific titles, for “significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature.” When Tamora Pierce won this last year, a collective shriek was heard round the world from readers like me. This was such a deserved honor. Pierce has never won a Printz, but an award like this shows the tremendous impact she has had, and continues to have, on the YA lit world.

Fantasy books are bestsellers now, but they still trail realistic novels (both historical and contemporary) in recognition of literary merit. An award like the Edwards allows the books and authors I (and readers like me) love to be recognized in this way. Many recipients of the Edwards have also been honored with Printz or Newbery awards or honors (including Lois Lowry, Terry Pratchett, and Laurie Halse Anderson), but past recipients also include authors such as Lois Duncan, Francesca Lia Block, and Anne McCaffrey. Winner Cynthia Voigt has received huge acclaim for her realistic series featuring the Tillermans, but the Edwards committee also recognized her for Jackaroo, a beautiful novel about legend and history and love and truth and how they all intertwine. (You should all read this book and its loosely-connected sequels.)

I guess what I’m saying is that fantasy novels often get short shrift when it comes to literary awards, and the Edwards is a fantastic way to remedy some of that oversight. It’s a little vindication for us readers who spent our time in other worlds – the things we love do matter.

Odyssey Award
It’s no secret I love audiobooks. The Odyssey award recognizes outstanding audiobooks each year, usually a winner and at least three honors. Past winners/honorees that I have personally listened to include The True Meaning of Smekday (narrated by Bahni Turpin), The Knife of Never Letting Go (narrated by Nick Podehl), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (narrated by Jim Dale), Skulduggery Pleasant (narrated by Rupert Degas), and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (narrated by Sherman Alexie).

Each of these selections are written well, but the skilled narration elevates them further. They’re done so well that if you’re working on a household chore while listening to one, you run the danger of suddenly coming to and realizing you’ve been holding the washrag in your hand, motionless, for the past ten minutes, the book held you so rapt. A good audiobook is better than a movie, can be better than the just the book itself. The Odyssey Award has only been around since 2008, but the idea behind it is timeless. As the award’s about page writes, “Through the years our cultures have been nurtured and our customs passed on by storytellers–audiobooks carry on that tradition.” Hence the name of the award, recalling Homer – a perfect choice.

Other notable awards include the Pura Belpre (for Latino/Latina writers and illustrators whose work celebrates the Latino cultural experience), the Coretta Scott King (for African American authors and illustrators whose work celebrates African American culture), and the Stonewall (for books GLBT books). Interestingly, the Stonewall has been given since 1971, but it’s only honored a children’s or YA title since 2010.

While not a part of the Youth Media Awards announcement at Midwinter, the American Indian Library Association also bestows youth literature awards at this time. Joseph Bruchac, Tim Tingle, and Eric Gansworth were all honored this year. Check out the full list here.

This year is also notable as the year the Outstanding Books for the College-Bound list will be updated (as is done every five years). Kelly is on the committee this year and I’m excited to see the results of her time and effort.

With all of this going on (and this isn’t even all of it!), it’s not hard to see why many youth librarians consider this the Oscars of our profession. I love that the ALA strives to recognize books in so many different categories: the Schneider honors books portraying the disability experience for kids and teens, the Geisel honors early readers (so often overlooked and written off), the Batchelder honors books in translation, and the Morris honors debuts. It’s to all our benefit to be aware of outstanding books across the spectrum of kidlit – the YMAs help bring these books to our attention.

What awards do you look forward to most each Midwinter?