What do you think it would be like to lie about your whole life, only to find out that you’ve been wrong the entire time? The book Witchtown by Cory Putman Oakes is an amazing book that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It shows that family is something that you choose, not something that you are born into. When Macie and her mother Aubra move to Witchtown to steal their fortune and erase the minds of the residents, as they have done to many witch havens in the past, Macie is faced with a new problem. She is taught to believe that she is a Void, someone who can’t channel elements and can’t do magic. Her mother is a Natural, the most powerful type of witch, but she is hiding something from Macie that may turn her whole world upside down. Macie faces tough new friendships, a pyromaniac poltergeist, and running her own business. But the biggest she problem she faces is her mother, who has been stealing more than just money. She doesn’t face her alone, Macie has the help of her friends who work relentlessly to defeat her mother who has a plan bigger than breaking into vaults. The setting of the book and the writing technique that conveys it was almost magical. The characters change and grow throughout the book and do act like their age group. In the book it goes between what’s happening currently and Macie’s past with a boy named Rafe. The slow trickle of information throughout the book gives this book a great sense of suspense. This element of suspense is also relevant with the main story line, as plot points are slowly hinted at and built up to, leaving you wondering what is going to happen next. I was also pleasantly surprised by the use of LGBT themes, as there is a lesbian couple who owns a bakery and helps Macie through her problems with the poltergeist. The conflict is interesting and is solved in such a satisfying way, with an ending that you will have to find out for yourself! I recommend this book if you enjoy suspense, mystery, family, and bit of romance.

Review by Alison