Starred Review ALA Booklist

Starred Review Sightings of the Ghost Girl of the Woods are met with terror, as misfortune swiftly falls on those who glimpse the slight, white-haired girl. For her part, Goldeline quite enjoys her dreadful reputation, though it's Gruff and his bandits that travelers should fear, not the pale 11-year-old who works for them. Gruff became a surrogate father to Goldy after her mother was burned for witchcraft a few years earlier, and the woods have been her home ever since. But her life is upended again when she helps a boy, Tommy, escape Gruff's men only for him to be intercepted by the person she fears most in the world e evil preacher who killed her mother. Forging a path of destruction, the manic preacher hunts Goldy and Tommy with the single-minded purpose of cleansing them of witchcraft's evil until an inevitable confrontation brings all to a head. First-time novelist Cajoleas writes with the ease of a seasoned author, conjuring an atmospheric setting that hums with menace and a compelling, unpolished protagonist. He explores the ambiguous nature of good and evil through the preacher's misguided religious fervor and the love Goldeline receives from "bad" people, a witch and a bandit. Goldeline's heart-pounding race through the woods reveals a complex, magical world that will give readers much to contemplate.

Kirkus Reviews

A Bible-loving, magic-using orphan and her reluctant companion plunge into the deep dark woods in this Southern fantasy. After the zealous Preacher burned her mother for witchcraft, 11-year-old, white-haired, golden-eyed, white Goldeline fled Templeton to live with substitute father-figure Gruff and his bandits in the forest. When Goldeline's impulsive rescue of 10-year-old, redheaded, white orphan Tommy destroys the camp, the two youngsters traverse the dangerous woods in search of the much-mythologized rogues' refuge of Moon Haven. With the terrifying (yet underdeveloped) Preacher and his mob of Townies in pursuit, Goldeline rewrites her own story, going from apprentice bandit and Ghost Girl to inappropriate angel to budding witch. The duo's encounters and escapes from wicked people—whose villainy is crudely symbolized by their deformities—echo traditional fairy tales but have an unexpected Christian twist; Goldeline learned magic from her mother but also treasures the (good) Book. Debut author Cajoleas unspools the simple but suspenseful story with a distinctive Southern cadence and rich scenic descriptions but a peculiar absence of characters of color, and geographic and historical vagueness place this tale in the realm of fabulism and big-fish stories. A folksy fairy tale bridging The Robber Bridegroom and Beasts of the Southern Wild. (Fantasy. 9-12)

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

In Cajoleas-s intriguing and eerie children-s book debut, a white-haired, golden-eyed girl sets off on a quest through an enchanted deep woods. Ever since the death of her magic-wielding mother at the hands of the cruel Preacher, 11-year-old Goldeline has been cared for by a bandit named Gruff and his band of men, and she participates in their highway robberies. Goldeline rescues 10-year-old Tommy after the men rob his carriage, hiding him and pretending to be an angel (albeit a cantankerous one). Following a violent skirmish with the Preacher-s men, Goldeline and Tommy wind up on their own in the woods, where they encounter a variety of threatening characters. As Goldeline struggles with what she remembers of her past and uncovers her own magical abilities, she narrates in a rough-and-tumble voice that reflects her hard-edged upbringing (one hillside abode they flee to in desperation is -like a happy home gone wrong, like what me and Momma had but twisted and sunk with grime-). A suspenseful tale of self-discovery. Ages 10-up. Agent: Jess Regel, Foundry Literary + Media. (Nov.)

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6Goldeline has lived a harsh life and is haunted by visions of her past. Her mother was burned at the stake for being a witch by the evil Preacher, and her fellow townspeople think that she must be a witch as well. Life in the Hinterlands is tough. Forced to live on the run from the Preacher, she spends her days colluding with a group of bandits attempting to steal from innocent passersby. While doing her "damsel in distress" act with the thieves, she encounters a young boy named Tommy who has lived a similar lifeon the run, fending for himself. When she attempts to help Tommy, she unwittingly grabs the unwanted and dangerous attention of the Preacher. Goldeline and Tommy must work together to elude capture or face certain death. The only place to escape to is the dark, mysterious woods where magical creatures, undiscovered terrors, and her own potential magical powers await. Cajoleas crafts a story that echoes many elements of today's world while still being fully entrenched in the fantastical. Goldeline is a determined young girl who knows what she wants but is sometimes unsure of how to achieve it (a relatable feeling for many young readers). While the story suffers from pacing issues in the beginning, those who stick with it will be rewarded by a complex yet approachable mythology featuring a strong female protagonist. VERDICT A solid purchase for most collections, particularly where middle grade fantasy is in demand.Christopher Lassen, BookOps: The New York Public Library and Brooklyn Public Library

Voice of Youth Advocates (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Readers meet Goldeline as she is luring passing carriages into a trap. Her mother is dead, burned as a witch, and she has never known her father. She lives in the forest with Gruff and his fellow bandits. She plays the “Ghost Girl of the Woods” in an ambush scheme that is working fine—until she finds a boy in one of the victim’s carriages. She decides to keep him as a friend, but soon Tommy wants to go home. This brings the preacher, who turned the town against her mother, back on Goldeline’s trail and soon, Tommy and Goldeline are being hunted through the creepy, magical woods. Goldeline knows she will never be safe until the preacher is dead. Each character they meet in the woods provides her with a piece of the puzzle to defeating the preacher. The pair finally finds safety with Tommy’s aunt after the preacher is dead, but, in the end, she chooses freedom and the quest for information. Cajoleas’s debut novel combines elements of The Scarlet Letter, Huckleberry Finn, Rumplestilskin, Hansel and Gretel, and other fairy tales into an engrossing new hero’s journey. Told from Goldeline’s point of view, readers are privvy to a child’s perspective on magic, friendship, evil, and freedom. Readers who enjoy spooky tales of finding your own strength, like The Night Gardener (Amulet, 2015/VOYA April 2014), will appreciate the mysterious woods, the birds, the crazy ladies, and Goldeline’s many talents.—Suzanne Libra.