Cattywampus - by Ash Van Otterloo (Paperback)

About the Book

Magic is strictly forbidden in the McGill house, but Delpha McGill has found the family book of spells and plans to use it to make things a little easier for herself and her mother; Katybird Hearn comes from a rival family of witches, but her magic has been slow to emerge and she thinks a spell book is just what she needs to help things along--and when a quarrel between the two unleashes a graveyard full of angry zombies the two girls must work together to save Howler's Hollow, and themselves.

Book Synopsis

The magical story of a hex that goes haywire, and the power of friendship to set things right!

In the town of Howler's Hollow, conjuring magic is strictly off-limits. Only nothing makes Delpha McGill's skin crawl more than rules. So when she finds her family's secret book of hexes, she's itching to use it to banish her mama's money troubles. She just has to keep it quieter than a church mouse -- not exactly Delpha's specialty.

Trouble is, Katybird Hearn is hankering to get her hands on the spell book, too. The daughter of a rival witching family, Katy has reasons of her own for wanting to learn forbidden magic, and she's not going to let an age-old feud or Delpha's contrary ways stop her. But their quarrel accidentally unleashes a hex so heinous it resurrects a graveyard full of angry Hearn and McGill ancestors bent on total destruction. If Delpha and Katy want to reverse the spell in time to save everyone in the Hollow from rampaging zombies, they'll need to mend fences and work together.

Fans of A Snicker of Magic and The Witch Boy will love this funny, folksy, fresh debut from Ash Van Otterloo that proves sometimes it takes two witches to make the strongest magic happen.

Review Quotes

An Indies Next pick

An Indies Introduce pick

"Deftly weaving elements of magic and nature with a story of adolescent change, debut author Van Otterloo conjures a timeless contemporary fantasy." -- Publishers Weekly

"A spirited debut." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Lively and entertaining! Ash Van Otterloo delivers spooky fun and an essential new kid-lit character in this spirited debut." -- Ingrid Law, Newbery Honor-winning author of Savvy

"Cattywampus is a Southern yarn in all the best ways -- it's warm and welcoming and promises you a wild ride. You'll want to settle into this story and stay awhile." -- Erica Waters, author of Ghost Wood Song

"It is southern, witchy, magical fun about friends and family and the histories that connect us and haunt us. The dialogue is fireworks... The subtle creepiness won't scare you (too bad), but the vibrant, beating heart of this story will haunt you for a good long time." -- Natalie Lloyd, New York Times bestselling author of A Snicker of Magic

About the Author

Ash Van Otterloo is the author of Cattywampus. When they're not writing and freelance editing, they love gardening, hiking, exchanging playful banter, and collecting folklore stories. A longtime resident of the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, they now live in Washington with their family and an enormous collection of plants.