Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I have to say that "The Witches' Kitchen" is making itself a challenge to rate. A fantasy for Middle Graders, I would definitely suggest to kids that they check it out if they like a truly creepy fairytale. For adults though, I'd have to advise them to approach the book more hesitantly. The ideas behind "The Witches' Kitchen" are definitely creative and interesting, and the artwork is absolutely first-class, but the writing is a little uneven. In some places, for example, the tone changes abruptly, and in other places there is far too much dependence on dialog to tell the story. It almost seems like a play at times.
There's also the question of motivation. Darn if I could discern why anyone did what they did. The toad, for example, picks up friends who help her along. But there's no reason, other than to have a story, that I could see for them befriending the little heroine. I had to put on my 'this is a fairytale' mindset in order to read on with satisfaction.That said, I would most definitely look forward to reading the next book by Mr. Williams, either in this series (yes, please we'd like another book) or elsewhere. I expect his writing skills will increase to match his artwork-- which would be phenomenal indeed.
3 to 4 stars depending on what part of the MG-to-YA-to-Adult scale you inhabit.
Pam T~
mom/blogger
Notes:
Language: few instances, all extremely mild, most beginning with "d"
Violence: mild
Read-aloud: surprisingly makes a very good read-aloud. I am currently sharing the book with my 10 yo daughter.
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