This was a cute book and appropriate for the age demographic it’s targeted for but a little too simple and immature for myself. I did love the message of friendship and how people are always how they seem and do think many will enjoy this book.

DNF at 57%

Witches of Willow Cove is a middle grade fiction about 13-14 year-olds in the small town of Willow Cove. Our protagonists (at least for as far as I read) are Robby and Abby, two best friends. Abby discovers she's a witch when they both go to the abandoned mental institution and come face-to-face with another, much older and much more powerful witch. Abby flies for the first time, saving both her and Robby's life.

This isn't a bad book. My rating might seem incongruent with some of my opinions but I want to make it clear: this is a good book. It's just not for me. A few points:

--> The writing is alright, nothing special. It isn't very captivating but it works for the targeted audience. But I've read better middle-grade/children's fiction.
--> The pace is... there. It doesn't do anything. There's no suspense, no waiting, no sense of danger.
--> The last point is important because of the characters. I never felt connected to any of them. The felt too two-dimensional and too removed from the reader. Sometimes this distance does wonders for the story but not this time.

I can appreciate the plot and the abundance of female characters - who are witches!! I can also appreciate the setting of the story: the town of Willow Cove felt very cosy and I really liked looking at it through the eyes of the characters. I would totally live there.

These things however are not enough and I give this book 1.5 stars.

i really enjoyed reading this book the characters were great and I really enjoyed the concept of the plot.

Next up for me was The Witches of Willow Cove by Josh Roberts. This magical tale focuses on two middle-school kids, Abby and Robby, who live in the small town of Willow Cove that is located close to Salem, Massachusetts. On Halloween, which also happens to be Abby’s 13th birthday, the pair sneak up to the old asylum on Whispering Hill in the hopes of discovering clues regarding the disappearance of Robby’s mother many years before. Instead, Abby discovers that she can fly when they are chased away by the building’s new owner who casts a spell and sends an army of stone statues after them.

The next day, it is revealed that the new owner is in fact Miss Winters, a new substitute teacher at the town’s middle school who has replaced their history teacher who recently disappeared in circumstances similar to Robby’s mother. Miss Winters begins gathering together a coven of six girls, including Abby, all of whom have discovered they have magical powers on their 13th birthdays. The two best friends find that they are pushing one another away as Abby focuses on her new coven and Robby tries to split his time between researching the truth about Miss Winters and hanging out with new girl Becca with whom he is experiencing his first crush. As the pair learn more about the history of Willow Cove, they realize that many of the adults around them have been hiding secrets, but has Miss Winters arrived to help the next generation of witches discover their potential or to enact her own secret plans against them?

This was a fun, if not especially original, choice of middle-grade Halloween reads. As with Scritch Scratch, the story weaves in some real-life history – in this case surrounding the infamous Salem Witch Trials – but adds in a fictional spin that ties our young, modern-day protagonists to those events. This did get quite intense at times with vivid descriptions of young girls hanging from trees and although this is not done in a sensationalist way, it may still be upsetting for some readers. There is also a strong feminist message throughout this story that is as relevant today as it would have been in the days of the trials.

While The Witches of Willow Cove is told from the alternating perspectives of Abby and Robby, there is a whole cast of interesting and well-developed secondary characters here too. Latinx Becca is not just a simple love interest, burly football player Zeus reveals he is more than his stereotype might suggest, and the girls in Abby’s coven each have their own unique character traits and personalities that prevent them from being simply a bunch of identikit, cookie-cutter background figures.

The book keeps the true motivations of Miss Winters under wraps right until the end and I found myself switching back and forth several times, unable to decide whose side she was really on. Even at the conclusion, enough questions are still floating around that I fully anticipate a sequel and I’m sure I will be picking it up when that time comes. The book also accurately depicts the awkwardness and confusion of middle-grade romance, with several side plots bubbling along beside the main story and helping to keep things moving in interesting ways.

There’s a lot to like in The Witches of Willow Cove and this more than makes up for any shortcomings as regards originality. Young readers will love this one.

I read this aloud with my 10 and 13 year old and we all loved it. It was fast paced and filled with mystery, magic and intrigue. I was a little concerned that it would be too creepy for my 10 year old but it walked the line without going over it. A perfect Halloween read!

Thank you to Owl Hollow Press and NetGalley for sending me an e-copy of this book. My review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

This was a fun read. I loved the characters and the storyline. It's also an easy read, which I enjoyed. I would recommend this book to anyone really. Especially middle-grade readers.

Major The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina vibes from the whole book which I really enjoyed. I didn’t think this book would be my cup of tea because it was targeted as “middle grade” which I think is a fair rating but young adult readers would like this book as well so maybe changing the rating to be a little higher would help potential readers not judge a book on the cover or description.

Switching characters is fine and it seems to be a book trend now but the only problem is when the chapter starts there is no warning on if you are switching characters or not so once you know who it is you have to re read a bit to get back into the groove.

I didn’t mean to finish this book in one night but it was honestly such a page turner I couldn’t stop myself. I was entertained on every page and every chapter had its own little cliff hanger to keep you going.

This book was as easy to read as it is to breath. The plot, characters, and overall storytelling made this easily one of my favorite books this year! Thank you!

This story was entertaining but also kind of average. Nothing much stood out. It had a simple writing style though, which is always nice in the MG genre. I think I would like to read a physical copy to see if I get a better experience out of the book - sometimes, a bit of the magic disappears when the story is read on a screen.

I did expect more from it but it's ultimately like I said - entertaining but not a memorable experience.

Got the job done. A fun read but nothing particularly stand out about it! Definitely a bit campy, but that adds to the fun.

Thank you Owl Hollow Press and Netgalley for the EPub.
This story starts off strong and ends strong, but the middle was a little slow to get through. I enjoyed the mix of science and magic throughout. Strong friendships and some necessary drama help make it a great read for middle schoolers.

I downloaded this book for my son as he is really into witches and magic. It is a middle-grade book about six young witches who are being trained by the mysterious Miss Winters. The main character is a girl named Abby but she is not the only witch in her small town. He absolutely loved the book and read it twice just by himself since I have downloaded it. He is big into magic and the world of Harry Potter and I am glad to see that this book also brought his interest just as strongly.

Good fun to read. My daughter loved me reading this book to her. It was exciting. Full of adventure and fun. Very well written

Thank you NetGalley and Owl Hollow Press for sharing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the two perspectives of this story and the action at the beginning. This book starts strong, but unfortunately becomes a little drawn out in the middle. The ending is really great and I am glad the author left room for a sequel. Fans of Harry Potter and other magical stories will love this book.

As if growing up isn't hard enough, Abby has recently learned that she possesses magical powers. But this isn't just Abby's story—it's Robby's story too. After Abby's discovery about herself, as well as other girls in their small town, she finds herself keeping a lot of secrets that cause her and Robby to drift apart. But what she doesn't know is that Robby is secretly investigating Miss Winters and knows more than he's letting on.

Unfortunately, the synopsis fails to tell the reader that this book is told in dual perspectives, and I think both are equally important to the mystery and character development. The characters experience a lot of trials and feelings within the pages of this story—friends growing apart, making new friendships, questioning romantic feelings for a close friend, keeping secrets versus telling the truth, trusting peers and adults, loss of a family member—that make it inclusive for all early adolescents. This novel probably isn't as sophistocated as maybe something like the Nevermoor series (although I haven't read it and am just judging by the outstanding reviews), but it's more than just a cute tale for little girls. This is a great debut release and I would absolutely recommend this to all middle grade readers.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review

Why I requested this book:
I have been in a huge middle grade mood this year
Witchcraft, paranormal and books involving mentors are all things that peaked my interest

Pros:
The writing style was easily consumable and has the right sorts of lessens for a middle grade audience.
The characters are enjoyable to follow throughout the story.

Cons:
More telling than showing is done for how the magic and setting in regards to world-building.
This was not the most unique of world’s that were built. Said magic and setting seemed to play a back-set to the forward drama.

Overall: Average in all magical aspects while excelling at character development.

My 9 year old daughter loved this book! She found it interesting and exciting. I heard all about it when we would sit down to dinner. Definitely a winner. Probably most appropriate for upper elementary and middle school students, but my 2nd grader, a strong reader, loved it as well!

The story follows Abby (the main character) and Robby (her best friend – and geek) whose adventure is shared with a group of 6 girls who discover their ‘witchy skills’ on their 13th birthdays. Are they really all connected by the past? This book is a little spooky and covers tragedies and injustices, empowerment, hope over fear and empathy.

The story is set in Willow Cove – a small town close to Salem. It’s Halloween and trick or treating is in full swing. Abby and Robby go to explore the old haunted building ‘Whispering Hill’ where they encounter some witchcraft happening. The mysterious stranger they see there could hold a secret that could destroy them all!

Author Josh Roberts keeps the reader guessing and offers a few red herrings along the way. I was easily led to believing that a couple of the characters were not what they seemed. However, that turned out to be my over imaginative mind working overtime! My favourite character was Amethyst – the Goth. What a strong character and role model.

A must read – full of twists and turns; secrets and lies. It touches on the pain of sometimes being let down by people we know and believe in. Also how the cracks that appear with friendships can be healed. A much read for all who have an interest in magic and witchcraft.

The book was an interesting read! I had great time reading it!!! It was quick fun read! Great characters and very atmospheric!

There was not a dull moment in this book! I am sometimes hesitant to read and recommend middle grade books to my students because they can be too childish, but this had the perfect balance between magic, witches, and middle school drama!

At first, the cast of characters was difficult to keep track of, but once the story picked up I wanted to know everything about everyone. The creepy, atmospheric mood of the story made me feel like I was right in the story during Halloween (it's the middle of summer right now). Just the characters alone and their development throughout the story is enough reason to pick up this book, as you won't be disappointed.