The Witch's Boy

Author: Kelly Barnhill


Genre: Adventure, Magic, Fantasy

What this book is about: When Ned and his identical twin brother fall off their raft into the pulling waters of a river, only Ned survives. The villagers say that the wrong boy lived, but there is still part of his brother inside of him because Ned's mother, a witch, placed his brother's soul inside Ned's heart. After the incident in the river, Ned grows up slowly and weak while not having any voice interaction with anyone even his family. On the other side of the forest is a girl named Aine, who is the daughter of the Bandit King. Aine's mother was a strong woman, but after she passed, her last words haunt Aine, " the wrong boy will save your life, and you will save his." When their paths intersect, they have to trust each other to stop the war that is about to erupt. Will they be able to work together and trust each other or will they fall short?

Your opinion: I loved how this book showed how Ned made it through the hard times and kept continuing on his mission. I also loved how Aine acted so maturely, while her Bandit King father was focusing more and more on thievery, crime, and the magic that tangled his heart while he is losing focus on his daughter. The one thing I didn't like was how the author gave many details about each thing Ned, Aine, or the other characters did, because I felt as if it was getting more annoying than helping the story.

Rating:  5 out of 5 stars

Who would like this book: I think readers that like reading about adventure, friendship, and family bonding would like this book as well as readers who like magic. I will rate this book for 4th graders and up because of the words that they use in the book and some violence.

Reviewed by: OB