Middle Grade Monday: The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner

Paperback, 272 pages           
Release Date: September 3, 2019
Published by: Aladdin
Read from: November 10, 2019
Stand-alone
Source: Library
TW: Witchcraft
For fans of: Witches, Graphic Novels, LOL, POC, POC on the cover, 


     Sabrina the Teenage Witch meets Roller Girl in this hilarious, one-of-a-kind graphic novel about a half-witch who has just discovered the truth about herself, her family, and her town and is doing her best to survive middle school now that she knows everything!
     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, surprise: 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 THOUGHTS*

     I know I say this every time I read and enjoy a book about witches but I am really surprised that I loved this one. I haven't had the best track record with witches in previous years, but this year has changed everything I thought I knew. And I'm am unnaturally giddy about it. 
     Moth has always felt that she didn't belong where she was. The children were mean to her, she has no friends, and everyone acted as if she was weird. But then, something that she can't ignore happens. As it turns out, she's a witch. And an important one at that. Her family is one of the most important ones where she lives. But then, of course, things get more complicated. 
     I LOVED Moth. She was so independent and so strong. At 13 I wasn't even close to being as strong as she was. (But I also wasn't a witch, so maybe that's what it is?) And the fact that she was learning all of these things on her own? Yes she had a familiar and "others," but I still feel she was the strongest. 
     Another thing I always say is, I know I loved a book when I go through the range of every emotion. From laughing to being upset, from upset to scared. I moved through it all. And that's strange for me and graphic novels. I don't always get into graphic novels because there's more pictures than words, and I don't always look at the pictures as I read. But this time, I didn't feel I had to. I read straight through the words and I didn't feel like I missed anything. 
     As for the art, this was the only thing I wasn't a HUGE fan of. Idk... Their noses just make me uncomfortable. Everything else is just ok. Besides Moth's hair, nothing else stands out to me. And I really liked the color choice, but not drawings. If that makes any sense. 
     I was sort of surprised so that I liked this for many different reasons, but it was totes a good choice. I needed this different, fresh book to read in the middle of the 500+ books I've been reading lately. And now that I've read and loved this, I know this will stay with me for a long time. And that makes me super happy. 
Overall, I give this


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