This months BookBox Club read was The Lost Witch by Melvin Burgess.
The story in a nutshell is a 13 year old girl who finds out shes a witch, a powerful summoner who has the potential to save her kind.
In reality (warning the following contains spoilers) it’s starts out sounding like a dodgy kidnap story, with an old man trying to convince the Lost Witch, Bea, to run away from her family and ive with him. This includes mild stalking as he stands under her window at night ( officially protecting her, but it doesn’t feel like that). Next up is the story of an ‘older’ boy that uses sex as a control mechanism over the next two year period ( Bea is 13-15 at this point), although she consents to it we need to be clear it is officially rape. This boy then is actually an old man in disguise. Creepy. With the writing style reminding me of Enid Blytons it just didn’t feel right.
So heres the thing. I didn’t dislike the story, you want to see it through once you start reading but I think its aimed a younger age range than mine. Im just not sure what that is. Due to the topics it clearly not suitable for younger adults, but even at the higher end of the YA official age bracket it feels unsuitable. The writing style and story isnt that of any older than YA I just don’t know.
Ironically this is one of the few books that I ve read recently that’s not princess/royalty/war so it should have been refreshing but it didn’t feel it.
The book cover is pretty though!
One More Chapter 