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Summary: Problems falling asleep?Read witch child, and you will!
Review: I'm a student from Belgium. At my school Witch Child is compulsory reading. Normally it doesn't bother me, because I'm fond of reading books of any type or on any subject. So I eagerly started reading Witch Child.The story deals with Mary, a young girl whose grandmother has been murdered for being a witch. For her own safety Mary flees to America with a group of Puritans, who despise witches very much. That's why her real identity may not be revealed to them. On her journey to the new world the girl is confronted with lots of problems, which she resolves thanks to her knowledge and special abilities she was taught by her grandmother. During the voyage on the ship Mary makes new friends, people she can trust. But on the other hand others start to dislike the girl, due to her skill ( which is - in my opinion - often mistaken with black magic).When they finally arrive at their destination , the Salem area, everybody gets settled and the new life can begin. Almost every day Mary wanders through the forest. One day she meets Jay Bird, an Indian boy. The two become good friends , and tell each other about their culture. Jay Bird makes Mary clear how open-minded his tribe is, and he helps her when she's in trouble. Owing to Mary's different behaviour and little strolls in the forest, people even get more suspicious than before and start suspecting her of being a witch .It's for you to find out if she really is , or if this is just another narrow-minded gossip spread by Puritans. I won't recommend this book to anyone. For the youngsters the book is too boring, and for the elder one it is too childish. But beyond that it is a very confusing story. There is a major lack of tension throughout the whole book. That's why I think some parts are tedious. A few passages make no sense, I'd rather say they're irrelevant. Although the story makes you curious in the end, one question keeps burning on the reader's lips : "Will finally something happen please!" Let's hope in this case, the sequel will be better!
Rating: 
Summary: Five Thumbs Up!
Review: Witch Child is a great book...for young and old. When I first started it, from the first page I knew it was going to be great. I couldn't stop reading it, so eventually I finished it! I definitly think that there should be a sequal. Thanks!
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Summary: I encourage you to buy this book!
Review: The story of Mary Newbury is a wonderfully-told, if occasionally anachronistic, period piece which gives fresh perspective on religious intolerance, manifest destiny, earth-centered worship and women's place in society in colonial America. It certainly will remind adults of their first experience (as harshly pointed out by a previous reviewer) with "The Crucible", but the intended audience of this book will not have that story to trade upon - this is a children's book. And after all, Miller's "Crucible" is based upon factual events; can we not assume that similar trials took place in smaller venues than Salem, Massachusetts around the same time? I'm a grandmother, and I enjoyed the unabridged audio version very well; production values are high and the story is told so well that when it's over you pause and think, "Is this a true story?" I will definitely look for the sequel.
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Summary: Wonderful Audio Experience!
Review: Jennifer Ehle's reading of this wonderful book was just as captivating as her performances in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE and POSSESSION. The novel, moreover, gives readers--especially young readers--a look at the dangers of intolerance of those that are different in outlook, in religion, or in race. Celia Rees has taken the bare bones of the witch hunts in 17th-century England and Massachusetts and created a novel which is suspenseful and true to the nature of human beings everywhere and in every time. This is not an example of plagiarism in any way, shape, or form. On the contrary, it tells a truth in the highly creative way of having someone now "discover" the pages of a journal written during those early days in American history.
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Summary: Good Historical Fiction Book
Review: I enjoyed reading this book a lot. The plot started immediatly and hooked me until the end and most of the information was accurate. However, the characters seemed fake and steriotypcial. The was the only remotely real character and her feelings they seemd unaccurate for the time period. First of all, she had never met a Native American in her life, and everyone around her hated them. Yet Mary immediatly thinks highly of them. Also, she never really seems scared or upset when she is claiming she is. This book is overall a good read and anyone who enjoys historical fiction should read it.
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Summary: it was an interesting read
Review: Rees had me convinced that this was non-fiction for the first few chapters. But how the plot played out seemed like a regular old ficitonal story - also how she could have remembered such things in great detail. BUt speaking of detail.. that is what makes this book so readable. Its descriptions for everything, its word choice and slogans seems to bring the back the life of the colonial times.
I think this is a great story for open minded teenagers. When I received this book from a friend, I thought it was going to be directed toward more older audiences. I was a bit off. Oh, well. this book was interesting.
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Summary: One of the best books I've read
Review: Witch Child is mysterious, romantic, and adventerous. It ends at the peak of the story, forcing you to buy Sorceress, the second book. It's a great story; I've read it many times. I would recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction or witchcraft/magic.
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Summary: Witch Child
Review: Witch Child is a book about a young girl whose grandma was tried because she was a witch. She was sent on a journey to the New World because her grandmother wanted to protect her. On her journey to the New World she met a new friend named Martha. Martha was Mary Newbury's best friend and like her mother. When Mary got to the New World she met a little Indian boy named Blue jay. They would meet in the woods and talk and exchange goods.
Overall the book was great. The best part of the whole book was when they got to the New World and began to build there new village. Some of the weaknesses of the book were that at some parts it got a little confusing. If you find any confusing then I would advise you to go back and read that part again or else you would be really lost.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is over the age of 12. I am 14 ½ and I really enjoyed reading the book. I had the book finished within 5 days because it grabbed my attention. I also do not like to read at all, but this book really grabbed my attention
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Summary: L@@K Ms. Hale...L@@K!!
Review: Witch Child is a good book, very interesting. I would reccommend it to any teen reader who's having trouble in life and needs something they can relate to when they feel outcasted. Yep, there we go Ms. Hale. *puts hands out for her extra credit*
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Summary: Excellent show of life pre-witch hysteria
Review: Celia Rees has done an excellent job with her first book. She gives her readers a first-hand look at life in England, the trip to America, and a journey through discovery in a time period that a lot of people tend to forget. Rees developed Mary in a wonderful, mysterious way that left me craving for more. As a fan of historical fiction and a historical reader of the Salem Witch Trials, I found this to be a great source for teachers trying to help students understand the culture and mindset of those in the 1600's. I would recommend any teacher who covers anything that deals with the Salem Witch Trials or New England in the 1600's to use this book in their class as either a supplement or in a literature circle. Thanks to Rees for giving students a story that not only captivates its reader, but also helps with looking at the big picture while thinking outside the box.
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