Recent Reads: Begone the Raggedy Witches by Celine Kiernan

Source: From Librarything Early Reviewers and Candlewick Press in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

 

Begone the Raggedy Witches by Celine Kiernan
Series: The Wild Magic trilogy #1 
Publisher:  Candlewick Press
Publication Date:  September 11, 2018

 

Format: Paperback ARC

Rating:
 


 


Goodreads Synopsis:

When witches kidnap her dad, Mup is swept up in a wild tide of magic that carries her to another world. Can she reunite her family and find her way back?

On the night that Aunty dies, the raggedy witches come for Mup's family. Pale, cold, and relentless, the witches will do anything for the tyrannical queen who has outlawed most magic and enforces her laws with terror and cruelty -- and who happens to be Mup's grandmother. When witches carry off her dad, Mup and her mam leave the mundane world to rescue him. But everything is odd in the strange, glittering Witches Borough, even Mam. Even Mup herself. In a world of rhyming crows, talking cats, and golden forests, it's all Mup can do to keep her wits about her. And even if she can save her dad, Mup's not sure if anything will ever be the same again. First in a new trilogy by Irish author Celine Kiernan, this tale of family and forbidden magic charts a fresh path through the landscape of beloved fantasy tradition -- and promises to bewitch any reader in search of stories to love.

Review: 
I always get excited for books about magic and witches and I was excited to receive this one. It is the start of a trilogy for Middle Grade readers about a girl named Mup whose father is taken by witches in order to lure her mother back into the magical realm she was born in. 

This was a fun read and it was fairly short. Mup is a wonderful main character for younger readers and her support of others and overall attitude in a time of crisis was encouraging. The story follows her as she goes after her father with her mother who has recently learned she is from this magical place and was taken to live life normally by her aunt. There was drama and magic, and an overall sense of urgency throughout the story so the pacing worked well.

I liked how the world was built and how the readers are able to fall right into it. An added bonus was also that the ending was not a complete cliffhanger so you can read it as a standalone if you so choose to. 

Overall I think this will be a fun read for younger readers and since this is the first in a trilogy, there are more stories to come if you enjoy this one.