Rating: 
Summary: Nice way of presenting a much-written about subject...
Review: During my sophomore year of school, I had to do a research project on the Salem Witch Trials. Much of the information I read (including historical fiction, which this book is) always told about Salem itself. Yet, what about the other towns surrounding it? This book takes the same time period, and tells of Mary's journey from living with her grandmother in England to traveling to America, and then finally settling down with a group of Puritans, many whom Mary had befriended. I think the journal style the book is written in is nice and helps the book's flow. I also like how Mary has relationships that really develop with many people, instead of just using them as props. It was a charming read, and I'm going to pick up the sequel soon.
Rating: 
Summary: i forbid you to buy this.
Review: imagine this - puritans settle in 1600's massachusetts. said puritans are joyless prudes. a group of naughty puritan girls go dance nude in the forest. they were playing at fortune-telling games and lovespells. they get caught, and accuse an innocent person. the ringleader has her eye set on another girl's husband. she means to use the hysteria to kill everyone in her way. she makes a poppet in court to use as a pawn. when contradicted, the girls shiver and scream, "i freeze!" once in court, they pretend to hallucinate that the accuser, mary, has turned into a bird. finally the innocent girl is forced out of puritan society. soud familiar? it should. it's ripped right out of arthur miller's "the crucible". the whole thing. and i know that "the crucible" was based on history, so if this was as well, then of course they are similair. but no no no. i mean much of "witch child" is blatant plagiary; check out the reverends's dialogue on page 189, or the girls' on page 252. "witch child" looks enchanting, but don't waste your money. i had high hopes, but it's just a kiddie rip-off of "the crucible." sadly, all "witch child" has going for it is beautiful cover art. read david almond's "skellig" instead.
Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant and Intriging!
Review: Once I started reading this book I couldn't put it down, it's that good! What I like about the book is that there is actual evidence/history to the story behind it. The book is a REAL journal that was written by a girl named Mary. After finishing the book and realizing there's a sequel, the first thing I did was went and bought it. I hope it's a good as the first one.
Rating:
Summary: Witch Child Casts A Powerful Spell!
Review: Hi, I'm Allie and I think that this book is incredible. I've read it over and over again, and I love it!
It's about a girl named Mary who is accused of being a witch child . (By the way, you never do find out if she's a witch or not...) After her grandmother is wrongly accused and hanged on charges of praticing witchraft, Mary has to go to a small settlement called Beulah. Although she is treated as an outcast, she maked a few good friends there. But then, when she meets Indians in the wood, everything turns upside-down...
Like I said, this is one of the best books you'll ever read. It's certainly one of my favorites!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Reading
Review: I've read this book, what seems like 100 times... I couldn't put it down. I found the book to hold deep insite to the inner workings of a "witch." During the 1600's being a witch was deadly, but now its over looked by most. its good to know what it would have been like if someone like myself had grown up back then and lets me be thankful for living now. I am a praticing witch and I found the book to be wonderful.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing Read!!
Review: I picked up this book [] because, I don't know, I was sort of drawn to the cover, you know? Well I just finished reading it yesterday, and I must say, it was awesome!
It's written as if the heroine of the novel, Mary Newbury, was writing it herself, only the novel is in diary form. Anyway, it's about Mary's travels from all the way across the ocean to America to a settlement there, only to find herself in some trouble of her very own. The book was well written and I especially liked the content of the book, seeing as how the Salem Witch Trails interests me a great deal. Although the story is really gripping and suspenseful, I found it to be sort of slow at times.
Rating:
Summary: Witch child by Ceilia Rees
Review: Witch child is a book that I think everyone can relate to in a way of there own. Witch child is the kind of book that I didn't want to put down because every other wordmade me wonder what would happen to the girl.The girl in the book reminded me of me because I know how it feels to be rejected by a new place just because of what I am and who I know.I also know how it feels to hide something from people just because they don't think its right.I connected with the book so mutch it made me want to hop inside the book and help the girl and her "grandmother".The book is about a girl who lives with her"grandmother" and as far as she knows she has no other family.But when the towns people go after her "grandmother" accusing her of being a witch the story changes.After the towns people kill her grandmother she finds herself running for her life also.With no place to go,no money or food or clothes except the ones on her back,she finds herself in the hands of a strange un named woman.She wonders if the un named woman could be her mother She wakesup to find the woman gone then her journey begins.Whether its going on land or sea the young girl dose anything to escape her fate.She'll do anything including lie to a priest,and deliver babies.When she gose to the new land someone finds her secret and offers to teach her more about her secret.The girl gets warned of someone finding her secret.But she ignores the warning and goes with the peoople she knows best. When she just finds a new life, she finds out that the witch hunter is coming. She doesn't know what to do. Should she go back to find the person who warned her or should she stay and pray she doesn't get caugth? If you want to find the answers to these questions, you have to read this book. I recommend you do.
Rating:
Summary: An extremely awsome book.
Review: The book Witch Child is a great book. It's about a girl who lives with her grandma until she is hung for being a witch. Then the girl is sent across the sea to the New World. When she gets there she changes her name to Mary and lives with a woman named Martha. Eneryone in her town starts to suspect that there is a witch among them. From this point many exciting things happen until finally at the end Mary is forced to make a life saving choice. I liked this book so much because it's very exciting and the book is written from a real journal from the Salem Witch Trials. The only thing I didn't like about the book was the way they did the ending. The journals ended so they had to have someone else's piont of view and it wasn't as good. I still thought this book was good enough to give 5 stars and I think you would enjoy reading it.
Rating:
Summary: Another, younger, 'Crucible.'
Review: I accidentally came across this book while looking for something else. Am I ever glad I did! Celia Rees has written a minor masterpiece, and I'm hooked. Can't wait to find the sequel! If you've read or seen the play [and movie] The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, this book will contain many echoes for you. However, there are three major differences: 1. This story is told from a child's viewpoint rather than an adult's. 2. This isn't quite as dark or tragic as Miller's. 3. The person being accused of witchcraft really is a witch! The seventeenth-century protaganist of Witch Child is a fourteen year old English girl, Mary, whose grandmother [and only parental figure] is found guilty of witchcraft and executed in the first chapter. Mary is spirited away just before the critical moment and sent to America to save her life, as she too stands accused. But she's sent to the Salem area! Not a good place to send a young witch in those days! From the moment she arrives there until the predictable denouement, every chapter is filled with tense suspense, as Mary tries valiantly to be true to herself and her heritage while protecting herself from rabid witch-hunters. A few sideplots do not at all detract from the overall story line. This book is not just for 'young adult' readers, as 12-year-olds are nowadays labeled. Any reader, young or old [I'm 62, for example], who loves good character development and clear prose, will most likely be fascinated. I have only two minor quibbles with the book, one of them the author's fault, one not. 1. The photo on the book's cover appears to be of a young woman about 25 years of age-- not exactly the sort of thing to attract the book's target audience! 2. If you care at all about the protaganist's fate, don't read this book until you have the sequel at hand, because I guarantee you'll want to read the latter IMMEDIATELY!
Rating:
Summary: Witch Child
Review: The book Witch Child, written by Celia Rees, was a very exciting and interesting book. Witch Child takes place in a small town in England. Mary then travels over seas to the United States in Salem. The book is written in a diary format, which helps make the story interesting and gives it a more dramatic effect. Mary Newbery who is 15 at the time, in the book comes across as a very sweet, loving girl. This book is good for highschoolers to adults. It is an adventurous book based on historical events. Witch Child was a great book and, if you love excitement, I encourage you to read it.
|
