Review: Witch Twins

I love a good witchy read, so when I saw this on Netgalley, I decided I had to read it. Such an adorable tween witchy read.

Title: ‘Witch Twins’

Author: Adele Griffin

ISBN: 9780786815630

Publisher: Hyperion

Available: NOW at your local library or book store

Source: Requested on Netgalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

Ten-year-olds Claire and Luna are identical twins—and witches. Even though they can cast simple spells (with the supervision of their five-star-witch grandmother, Grandy) and know all sorts of magic, unfortunately no special charm can keep their divorced father from deciding to remarry. When he announces his engagement to Fluffy (her real name!), the girls panic, afraid he'll move to Fluffy's native Texas. Claire and Luna throw the problem into the brewing vats and hope to come up with a good, smart, tricky solution before the dreaded wedding.

My Thoughts:

This novel is a nice setup for follow up novels. Readers will meet two ten-year-old identical twins who just happen to be witches, and the only family member who knows is Grandy. After all, witchery skips a generation, and Grandy is a grand five-star witch who makes sure to train the girls so they can earn their first star.

See? Cute already.

In this first novel, we learn about Claire and Luna and their tight twinly bond. They seem to do everything together, especially witchcraft. So when their favorite teacher goes on maternity leave and they are left with a substitute, things get hairy. The sub decides the two girls need to form their own identities—apart from one another—and while one adjusts quickly, the other does not. If this is not bad enough, now their dad is re-marrying a woman named Fluffy, and they are not happy.

Shenanigans ensue throughout the plot, usually with hilarious consequences. Ultimately what the writer has given us is a tale of two sisters with a strong bond who want to do the right thing by everyone they love. They face the consequences head-on and try to deal with the aftermath with as much skill and grace as they can.

I want to say that I just adored Claire and Luna. They did not develop a lot in this novel, but as the first in a series, I can see the growth taking shape toward the story’s end. I would love to read the other three novels in the series to see the characters come full circle as sisters, as friends, and as witches.

Grandy was such a fun character. I mean, her name is “Grandy”! Doesn’t that sound like someone who would bake cookies, sew a dress, and teach her granddaughters witchcraft? She has a lot of spirit in this book, and her goal is to help Claire and Luna reach their full potential as witches to earn their first star.

The girls’ parents were also an interesting lot. Neither is aware of the girls ability for witchcraft, but they are aware of girls being ten. And then there is their brother, who really doesn’t add anything to the story, making him more of a third wheel. I’ll be curious to see if Griffin does anything with him in the other books.

I do have one complaint: the new book cover. It does not match this novel. The girls on the cover look a lot older than ten, marketing to twelve-year-olds. If we are going to deal with characters that are ten-year-old little girls who do not wear make-up and are enjoying being ten, then the cover should reflect that. The older cover does, and I understand why they wanted a more modern cover, but it just does not fit.

I would recommend this to readers of Diana Wynne Jones fans who enjoyed ‘Witch’s Business’ because this novel has the same feel to that one. This is suitable for readers aged 8+.

What’s the cutest witchy read you’ve read recently? Comment below and let’s talk about books.

Happy Reading!

-      The Hodgenator