Reviews

This short novel was a lovely, quick read about a young animal witch named Heckie. She moves to a new village and soon begins a quest to do Good by turning evil people into animals. After they turn into animals she takes care of them and usually gives them to the local zoo, because that animal is no longer an evil being, it's just an animal. Then, Heckie's animal-creating skills come to the attention of a slimy villain, and it's up to her young friends, Daniel and Sumi, to save the day.

I absolutely love the way Eva Ibbotson writes and creates characters. Her witches (and other people) can be good or bad, ugly or beautiful, kind or ghastly, but they are always funny. The children she writes are clever and earnest, and are given real responsibility and agency. I think this book would be excellent for any kid to read, they could really put themselves in Sumi or Daniel's shoes as they try to help their friend.

wetdryvac's review against another edition

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5.0

When I saw that Ursula Vernon had listed Ibbotson as an influence, well, I had to check them out. Super extra specially pleased I did. It's a different sort of writing than much of Vernon's, but the same mix of good cheer and cleverness applied to deserving characters.

I particularly like Ibbotson's mad takes on ethics which show up exceptionally well here.

msteasam's review against another edition

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2.0

This book was fun and kind of weird.

Even as a kid, it was a bit too childish for me though.

kammi's review against another edition

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adventurous funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.25

lauralynnwalsh's review against another edition

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3.0

I wanted something a bit lighter, since my life right now has been "challenging", and this fit the bill for this, but the story didn't quite make it for me.

The characters are the main attraction, but somehow, I just didn't find out enough about them to make a real connection. For example, you don't really get to know Heckie and her friend Dora, before they have a big fight and stop talking to each other. You don't care enough about the friendship to feel its loss until much later in the book.

And some of the characters, especially the other witches and the children, seem uni-dimensional. One wizard wants to make cheese walk. This could be a great joke, but it isn't developed enough to help me understand him - to feel his quirks and sympathize with him. It is just a one-line joke, until it comes in handy later in the story. You do find out a lot about some of the villains, but what you find out is mostly there to convince you that Heckie's plan for them (turning them into animals) is justified.

I don't think children would mind these flaws, but for me, it keeps the book from being a classic. Enjoyable, but superficial.

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