A Reluctant Witch's Guide to Magic - by Shivaun Plozza (Hardcover)

About the Book

With her parents the victims of a misplaced curse, Willa and her army of cats are drawn into a mystery to save Willa's city, her friends, and herself when it is revealed that she is a witch.

Book Synopsis

Kiki's Delivery Service meets Cressida Cowell in this "exciting and imaginative" (Kirkus) middle grade fantasy about a non-magical girl who discovers she does, indeed, have magic--and she must choose between two warring witch covens or she'll explode!

Willa lives in the Wild, in a city squished between two warring witch covens. The non-magical Wildians spend their days dodging wayward spells--from raining frogs to dancing chickens--all because of the witch war raging around them.

Being stuck in the middle of a magical war means the Wildians hate witches--none more so than Willa, whose parents were turned into clouds by a misplaced curse. Willa spends her days with her army of cats, dreaming of an end to the war and her parents' return.

So when Willa is accused of being a witch after witnesses catch her accidentally stopping a spell midair, she's certain there's been a mistake. She can't be a witch! Yet Willa is dragged to the palace, where she's given one year to master her volatile magic and choose a coven to join. If she doesn't, she'll explode.

But her attempts to control her magic are interrupted when a rogue witch begins nefarious spells against the Ordinary Folk. What does the witch want and what does it have to do with Willa? She must unravel the mystery to save her city, her friends, and herself.

Review Quotes

"Begs for a sequel. . . .Exciting and highly imaginative." -- Kirkus Reviews

"A fun new entry in the field of magical mysteries, this action-packed tale will keep readers engaged and leaves room for a sequel." -- School Library Journal

About the Author

Shivaun Plozza is the author of the critically acclaimed novel Frankie, which was a YALSA Teens Top 10 Pick and on the ALA's Best Fiction for Young Adults List, and Tin Heart, which was nominated to the ALA's Best Fiction for Young Adults List, as well as the middle grade novel The Boy, the Wolf, and the Stars. When she's not writing, she works as an editor and manuscript assessor. She lives in Victoria, Australia, with her cat.