School Library Journal

Gr 5-8 "There is no such thing as a good witch." These words, well known to all the villagers of De'Noran, haunt 12-year-old Kara Westfall. Ostracized and abused, she and her brother are the children of the last known witch, who was hanged on the edge of the Thickety when Kara was five. As the tangled branches of the dark, forbidden forest spread closer to the village, something strange and powerful awakens in Kara. Was her mother's magic truly evil? White's debut novel is darkly bewitching. The isolation of De'Noran and the fervor of its residents create a heady suspense, and White's well-crafted characters operate beautifully within the fantastical world he has created. Offerman's inky silhouettes perfectly complement the story. Readers will devour each twist and turn of the plot, right up to the startling conclusion. Sara Saxton, Wasilla Public Library, Wasilla, AK

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Nail-biting suspense is the hallmark of this long fantasy novel, from the terrifying prologue to the shocking epilogue. This pleasantly accomplished debut presents readers with a dystopian, theocratic society that fears and executes witches and magic users. The community lives on the island of De'Noran, where the habitable land is being devoured by strange forest called the Thickety. In the prologue, readers meet little Kara Westall, who is roused from her bed and dragged to watch her mother's execution as a witch. Years later, Kara, now 12, is responsible for herself, her younger brother, Taff, and their father, crippled by depression. When Kara finds her mother's grimoire in the Thickety and uses it, the already suspenseful narrative becomes nerve-wracking. The author's storytelling chops show in how he ratchets up suspense, delivers believable characters (both good and evil), and reveals information slowly and only when absolutely necessary. There is a stunning climax and a seemingly perfect resolution. Readers will know, however, that nothing is perfect, and the epilogue confirms this fact while providing hope for a sequel. The spellbinding story, lashings of suspense and stalwart heroine will draw in fantasy fans and keep them reading until the bitter ending. (Fantasy. 11-14)

Voice of Youth Advocates

It is always delightful to find a new fantasy that does not mine the usual tropes, but presents readers with something fresh and original. In The Thickety, readers meet Kara who, when she was only six years old, watched her mother convicted of witchcraft and executed. Because of that, Kara and her family are shunned by the villagers who have been taught that witchcraft is an abomination. One day, Kara is lured by a strange bird into a forbidden forest called the Thickety. There she discovers a book that is a compendium of magic spells. Through the book, Kara begins to discover that she has an inherited ability to perform magic, but she must keep this secret from everyone or risk her mother's fate. When another village girl steals the book and also begins practicing witchcraft, Kara has to find a way to stop her, as the book has given its new owner terrible powers that are being used for evil, not good.The author has created a world that is vivid and beautifully realized. Rather than subject readers to elaborate preliminary world building, readers enter this world and feel at home almost immediately. The characters are well drawn and fully developed, particularly Kara, whose struggle to understand her new powers and fear of being persecuted are poignant. The cleverly suspenseful plot moves along at a good pace. Fans of Jaclyn Moriarty's Colors of Madeleine fantasy series or Neil Gaiman's fantasy novels will eagerly snap this one up.Jan Chapman.

ALA Booklist

When Kara was just a child, she was accused of witchcraft and forced to watch her mother executed for the same crime. Ever after, she and her family have lived in their isolated theocratic community as pariahs. Now 12 (though mature beyond her years), Kara stoically tries to hold everything together for her sickly brother. It all starts to unravel when she's summoned to the deep wood, called Thickety, where she finds a dangerous grimoire that awakens her magical abilities. But her magic comes with a price, and soon she's not the only one trying to harness its addictive spells. In spare prose, debut author White follows Kara as she discovers sinister forces at work in her community and strives to combat the temptation to use her power for nefarious ends. Though much of the intriguing world, including Thickety, is left unexplored, an unsettling twist ending leaves a creaking door open for more stories. White's persistent dark imagery, along with Offermann's eerie silhouette spot illustrations, adds to the overall dark atmosphere.

Horn Book

Kara has always doubted the accusations of witchcraft that led to her mother's execution. Yet when she discovers her mother's grimoire in the evil forest surrounding her home, her understanding both of magic and her mother's crimes is called into question. Kara's kindness and courage make her an appealing heroine as she and her brother defy human injustice and magical dangers.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

The followers of the Path have left the sinful world behind to live in the isolated community of De-Noran, which is increasingly encroached upon by the Thickety, the domain of the forest demon Sordyr. Kara Westfall-s mother was executed for the crime of witchcraft, and now her family ekes out a living under the burden of the community-s suspicion. It falls to 12-year-old Kara to keep her sickly younger brother and dysfunctional father alive. She negotiates the treacherous road of a pariah, attempting to persuade a proto-Puritanical society that she is harmless, even while the dangerously addictive powers she has inherited from her mother well up within her. In this darkly imaginative debut, White creates a fantasy world with creatures that are anything but sweet-a cyclopean bird, a multi-mouthed horror-and, after a deceptively satisfying resolution, he unfurls a twist that will make readers want the next chapter of Kara-s story immediately. White-s prose is evocative without being dense, and Offermann-s sharp-edged silhouettes (not all seen by PW) add an ominous note. Absolutely thrilling. Ages 8-12. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, Janklow & Nesbit. (May)

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

Nail-biting suspense is the hallmark of this long fantasy novel, from the terrifying prologue to the shocking epilogue. This pleasantly accomplished debut presents readers with a dystopian, theocratic society that fears and executes witches and magic users. The community lives on the island of De'Noran, where the habitable land is being devoured by strange forest called the Thickety. In the prologue, readers meet little Kara Westall, who is roused from her bed and dragged to watch her mother's execution as a witch. Years later, Kara, now 12, is responsible for herself, her younger brother, Taff, and their father, crippled by depression. When Kara finds her mother's grimoire in the Thickety and uses it, the already suspenseful narrative becomes nerve-wracking. The author's storytelling chops show in how he ratchets up suspense, delivers believable characters (both good and evil), and reveals information slowly and only when absolutely necessary. There is a stunning climax and a seemingly perfect resolution. Readers will know, however, that nothing is perfect, and the epilogue confirms this fact while providing hope for a sequel. The spellbinding story, lashings of suspense and stalwart heroine will draw in fantasy fans and keep them reading until the bitter ending. (Fantasy. 11-14)