This was a cute magic read. This book just did not make a super big impression on me! I thought the world was super fun and thought it was a fun read. This world seems a bit confusing a points and the plot just did not capture my attention and make me want to read it. It was a super cute read and would more books int this world. This was a cute read but did not wow me!!

Main character Willa lives by herself in the Wild after her parents were cursed and floated away as clouds. She works for a nasty weaver, and does her best to behave acceptably, despite her body feeling a constant, fizzing possibility that she does her best to stamp down because she does not want to be mistaken for a witch. The Wild is situated between two warring witch covens, who have been fighting seemingly forever, and consequently has no tolerance for witches.

When Willa is mistakenly labelled as a witch, she’s taken in by the King to be trained in her magic so that in a year she can choose one of the factions to become a part of, rather than explode (which happens to unaffiliated and untrained witches).

I wish I had liked this more, especially as I had been looking forward to reading this. However, I found the the author’s tone frustrating, which often felt like it was aimed at six-year olds, despite the story being aimed at nine-twelve year olds. I tired quickly of the frequent mention of boogers and general infantile approach to what should have been a magical and fun story.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Clarion Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Willa is an ordinary girl who lives in a city caught between two warring witch covens but Willa is most definitely NOT a witch, even though other people seem to think she is. Just because she gets that fizzy orange soda feeling in her body right before unexplained things happen around her doesn’t mean she’s a witch.

Until one day she’s told that she most definitely IS a witch, and worse, she has to choose one of the terrible and unappealing covens to join or else she’ll explode. But while Willa is trying to learn to control her magic and make an impossible choice, an unknown witch seems determined to influence Willa’s decision by causing harm and chaos all around her.

A Reluctant Witch's Guide to Magic by Shivaun Plozza was a fun and adventurous read, filled with lots of humor and heart. Willa is a smart and feisty heroine and it was so enjoyable to learn about the history of magic and how it works in her world through her eyes. Ultimately, this book is about the power of friendship and being true to yourself, which are each a type of magic in and of themselves.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me an advanced reader copy of this book for review.

What a fun and whimsical read! I enjoyed how silly it was. Bringing cozy fantasy to middle grade readers. This is an enjoyable one to read aloud to younger ages as well. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I received an electronic ARC from Clarion Books through NetGalley.
Plozza offers readers an interesting look at a world where two witch covens war with curses and a village of ordinaries lives between them. Readers join one young girl as she tries to make it on her own. Her parents were cursed and have floated away as clouds. She struggles to contain part of herself that she doesn't understand. This works until it explodes from her and she is named a witch. Her life changes significantly as she has to live in the castle and learn to control her skills. She makes friends with Gill and Princess Marceline. Together, they figure out who is causing the spells everywhere in the castle and village.
This novel offers an off-center style humor. The two warring covens are portrayed as stereotypes and their behaviors and mannerisms will amuse readers. Underneath the humor, is a needed message of being who you are meant to be and not who others want you to be. Willa figures this out by the end.

Willa has always been different, luckily, she is able to hide it. When she is accused of being a witch Willa can’t believe it. Yes, sometimes things seem to happen that could be considered magical, but that must be normal. Sadly, soon there is no denying that she is a witch. Now she is faced with a choice will she pick between the two witch covens, and she needs to do it posthaste, least she explodes of wild magic when she turns 13. No pressure right? Well sadly Willa really doesn’t like either coven. In fact, she will do anything to find another way so that she can do magic on her own terms.
I enjoyed this book. It is the perfect blend of funny and serious. Willa’s quest to find friends and find out where she truly fits in is quite powerful. It also is a perfect example of all the different emotions that kids that age are dealing with. It is a powerful time and sometimes it does seem like the world will explode if you can’t get control back of your body. I think that kids who enjoy humors magic will truly enjoy this tale.
Thank you so much to Clarion Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

"A Reluctant Witch's Guide to Magic" is a book I wish I'd had as a kid, when I often felt like a disappointment, like I was never good enough. Willa would have been a heroine to my younger self. Now, I find her helping to heal parts of my grown-up self that sometimes still feel misunderstood.

I highly recommend this sweet, magical, compelling book to people of all ages -- people who sometimes feel alone, who feel like no one gets them, people who are grieving, people who are struggling to know who they are. If you know a child or a grown-up who identifies with Willa, this book would be great for them to read.

I liked the mystery aspect of the book and I think it's age-appropriate. I love how Willa has cats who follow her wherever she goes. And I do believe the book left us enough hints that another installment is coming? Looking forward to reading what adventures Willa, Marceline and Gish go on!

Special shout-out to the magical book that is also one of the characters in "A Reluctant Witch's Guide to Magic.”

“The Long and Thoroughly Ordinary Tales of Pearl B. Purcep, an Explorer of Little Note,” you make me laugh!

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review.

It took me a little while to get into the story (I think trying to keep track of which witch was from which coven), but once I got into the story I found it to be a fun and easy fantasy read. I occasionally found the spells distracting (they were more involved than just words!), but I can see younger middle grade readers enjoying the fun spell descriptions (waggle your tongue like you're licking an ice cream cone!)

Thank you so much for allowing me to read this book in advance for a review. I absolutely had a blast reading this book. I highly recommend this book to younger audience and despite the fact that I'm not the target audience, I still enjoyed it.

A Reluctant Witch’s Guide to Magic is a funny and quirky middle grade fantasy book about a young girl who lives in the middle of two warring witch covens. She hates witches with passions because they turned her parents into clouds. But she learns that she is actually a witch, and she will have to choose a coven or explode! Willa is trying to learn how to control her unruly magic when a rogue witch starts cursing people left and right. She’ll have to discover the identity of the mystery witch and stop them if she wants to save her city, her friends, and herself.
This was a fun book filled with quirky characters! The magic was goofy and silly, but I still enjoyed it. I think that it was lighter read, and more geared toward younger middle schoolers or anyone who just wants something a little bit brighter. But it still tackled some pretty deep themes. I think the book really showcased how quickly people can turn on each other. And also the importance of telling the whole side of every story.
I loved how the author balanced telling an interesting story with sharing some important truths. Willa was such a relatable character, and I felt so bad for her as she was put into this really horrible situation. I loved her friends and how she learned the importance of friendship. I think it was nice not to have any unnecessary romance plots thrown in either which I appreciate. It was about the kids’ friendships with each other and how they had each other’s backs.
This was a fun read! However, I do want to add that I disagreed with some of the themes of this book. For example, Willa is told throughout the book that nothing is her fault and she just needs to accept herself. And while in this case, it makes sense, it might be confusing for impressionable middle school kids in different situations. Also, I was concerned with the lack of responsible, adult figures. I am all for showing how kids can change the world, but I think it’s important to have some trustworthy adults in the story, and sadly, in this book, there were none.
So while I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a fun, quirky read, I would recommend parents reading through it first, so they can talk to their kids about it.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

I posted my review on Goodreads, Bookbub, and Barnes and Nobles on 05/24/2022. I will post on Amazon and my blog closer to release day

This is a great book for young readers looking for a light, fun read. The magical world is delightful and original. I loved the hilarious spells and magic-gone-wrong scenarios that followed Willa around. There are lots of twists in the book to keep you guessing too!

A Reluctant Witch's Guide to Magic is a fun middle-grade read about a girl named Willa who may or may not be a witch. Two local covens that are always at war are now trying to get her to join them after the town thinks she is a witch herself. It is a quirky, funny, and smart story with well-written characters and a lot of heart. I really liked Willa with her resolve to do the right thing and her cleverness., she is a great character. I think this will be a big hit with kids of all ages.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

If you're a fan of the upside down magic series you will love this book!

I love finding cute books with great messaging for younger readers. Maybe it's the teacher in me but I think these books are so engaging and fun to read. This one is no different. A book about witchcraft for young readers this story is about Willa who is not the BEST at witchcraft but boy are we having fun with her story. Being given the choice at a young age to choose her magic or she'll explode was a bit shocking at first but you have to giggle at this story!

I received an ARC of, A Reluctant Witch's Guide to Magic, by Shivaun Plozza. Is Willa a witch? Willa is a great character. Finding out if she really is a witch, and if she can solve the mystery and save the ordinary people, kept me reading til the end.

Great chapter book for a younger audience! A sincere thank you to NetGalley and Clarion Books for providing me a copy of “A Reluctant Witch’s Guide to Magic” in exchange for an honest review. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read this story and leave my review voluntarily.

This was a very cute book! I enjoyed the setting and the main characters was cute. Thanks to Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

What an interesting premise for a middle grade fantasy chapter book! Two warring covens, one reluctant witch who must choose her path, many rouge spells wreaking havoc for a cast of intriguing characters and a mysterious, evil force determined to destroy the city... there's plenty here to interest a broad range of readers aged 9+. I particularly liked the idea that 'a swan doesn't quack' as I think it's nice to have a positive message to hold on to after the fun of solving the mystery has passed and I can definitely think of a few of my pupils that would thoroughly enjoy this book. Well worth sharing with young fantasy readers in your life!
Thank you NetGalley.co.uk and Clarion Books/Harper Collins Publishing for the free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great novel for children in Year 3/4 (aged 7-9) who are looking for a light-hearted comedy story. I enjoyed the character development of the lead protagonist, Willa, and her journey with her identity as a witch. The magic and spells themselves are very silly with outcomes that I know young people would laugh out loud at. Themes of friendship and not wanting to conform to expectations run through the book and teach children in a light way that they should not be forced to be somebody that they are not. This book would definitely be a hit with children looking for a novel containing humour and magic!

Ever since a stray spell hit her parents and turned them into clouds, Willa isn't a fan of witches. So when she is accused of being a witch and told she must choose between the two warring witch clans or explode, she is determined to find a way out of it. But then townspeople start being attacked by a rogue witch, and Willa is caught up in the mystery. The descriptions of the magical spells and how they are cast is particularly whimsical. I enjoyed the magical system. this does seem to be the first book in a series, so I didn't get all the answers I wanted at the end of the book, but at least one mystery is wrapped up with a plot twist I didn't see coming. Overall, this novel is a cute, fun read perfect for kids.