Review by Frank Plowright
Founder’s Bluff is an old Massachusetts town where the history of witchcraft as taught in the local school is at odds with what actually happened. Moth Hush discovers this after she’s manifested magical powers of her own, managing to silence two school bullies. She’s always been obsessed with witches, folklore and magic, so at thirteen discovering her own heritage as a witch seems a dream come true, and she’s not in a mood to listen to the possible drawbacks.
Emma Steinkellner expertly weaves in the story of how people labelled as witches in 17th century New England were treated with her fictional history, while simultaneously establishing Moth as someone readers’ hearts will go out to. She’s isolated in school, but supported at home, where her mother runs a second hand store bequeathed to her when Moth was little.
Attractive, flat, two-dimensional cartooning with big-eyed characters works well in supplying Moth’s world, and Steinkellner’s storytelling instincts are strong. The Okay Witch is broken into chapters, and each increases the sense of wonder as Moth explores the world opening up for her, and each delivers a new revelation or experience for Moth while also relating considerable back story. A constant refrain is that the history passed down isn’t necessarily the truth, with the Kramer name that’s sustained Founder’s Bluff for centuries called into special question. A really good explanatory sequence takes place in the museum, and readers will be a step ahead of Moth in realising how significant events in the past occurred.
A lot of ground is covered on the way to a resolution in a story that never stands still. Supporting characters include new kid at school Charlie, the cat that wanders into Moth’s home one day with a surprising revelation, and that and the background serve to disguise actual spells being kept to a minimum. It’s a clever form of suspense, as readers will want Moth to use the powers, but part of growing up is coming up with solutions to overcome problems, and excessive use of witchcraft would send the wrong impression out to readers.
The Okay Witch straddles the borderline between an all-ages graphic novel and a young adult title. While Steinkellner keeps everything at a relatively safe level of thrills, there are scenes that could be mildly upsetting to young children, and there’s a complexity they won’t quite understand. It’s clever, it’s fun and it’s entertaining, which makes it an absolute delight that Moth’s story picks up again in The Okay Witch and the Hungry Shadow.
