S. D. Hintz

Murder and witches and scorch-roaches Oh My! Supernatural elements and mystery abound in this engaging YA novel about a young boy uprooted from his home. When Murray's mother is killed he has no choice but to move in with Grandma Anna, a woman he barely knows since his mother and she kept very little contact over the years. Grandma Ana lives in a very strange neighborhood occupied by a vicious dog and odd neighbors who hate children and keep strange secrets. Grandma has lived there for years without suspecting their true nature but when Murray begins to figure out what's going on will she believe him? This was an exciting read with a hair raising climax.

I received a complimentary copy for review.… (mais)

Swiftly introducing a wealth of dark characters, author S. D. Hintz draws middle-grade readers quickly into a macabre world where a bike ride might be the road to safety or oblivion. But “Runnin’ from our problems ain’t gonna fix ‘em” says 13-year-old Murray’s only friend in this aged place. But his grandmother’s not running; she seems almost blind to the dangers, ready always to see the best in his neighbors why Murray learns to fear them. Still, Grandma has secrets of her own…

Punished for doing right, unable to explain his reasons, Murray soon feels he might have nowhere to turn. But what will happen if the witches catch him? And might witches be real?

Supernatural, scary, gruesome in places, but nicely balancing scares with comfort, disturbing evil with eccentricity, The Witching Well is not a book for the squeamish, but a fun tale for mature middle-graders and up.

Disclosure: I was given an ecopy and I offer my honest review.… (mais)