By Kaylie Seed
Emmaline (Emma to most) can hear the rhythm of heartbeats, which only means one thing: she is a witch. When children reach the age of thirteen, their blood is tested to see if they carry witch blood, something that Emma will try to hide. When it’s time for test day, Emma finds herself being paired up with odd new friends as they set out to find the fabled Witch City. Along the way, Emma challenges everything she has ever known while also discovering secret cities, untapped powers, and missing family members.
While Escape to Witch City is marketed as a middle grade novel, older readers will find joy in this fantastically written story that follows themes like the values of forgiveness, mother-daughter relationships, friendships, and the beginnings of a coming-of-age story. This story is action-packed and filled with interesting characters.
Readers who enjoy worldbuilding will find that Escape to Witch City is one filled with rich imagery and a vividness that truly feels like each page is coming to life. The plot is not only easy to follow but throws readers many twists and turns that are bound to keep them entertained. There are slower parts to this read but the action scenes certainly make up for these slower parts of the story. At this time there are no plans for a sequel; however, it certainly is set up for one. If that is the case then readers who fall in love with this story will be looking forward to more from Emma and her friends.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.