Horn Book (Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2015)

Desperate to take up her grandmother's mantle and become the island's witch, Avery Roe will do anything to escape her mother's house--including striking up a relationship with a Polynesian whaler who claims he can break her mother's binding spell. Set in nineteenth-century New England, this well-executed blend of romance, historical fiction, and magic will enchant fans of the subgenre.

Voice of Youth Advocates

Sixteen-year-old Avery Roe comes from a long line of water witches. They have served the residents of Prince Island well over the years, protecting the whaling ships that are the main livelihood of the islanders. Avery wants nothing more than to be the new water witch once her grandmother passes, but her desire leads to inevitable conflict with her mother, who desperately hopes to give Avery a chance at a normal life. When Avery, skilled at interpreting dreams, has a dream that forecasts her own murder, she becomes even more determined to escape her mother's control so she can assume the full powers of a witch. When she meets a South Pacific Islander named Tane, a harpoon boy on a whaler, he offers to help her break her mother's spells and free her. As the clock ticks down to her fate, she falls in love with Tane and his fate becomes inextricably locked with hers.This debut historical romance offers compelling elements of paranormal suspense. The story also addresses the larger issues of discovering one's identity and purpose in life. The writing flows well, the characters are fully imagined, and the story is engaging. Although the literary quality does not quite reach the level of similar paranormal thrillers, such as Margo Lanagan's The Brides of Rollrock Island (Random House, 2012/VOYA October 2012), it still offers a highly enjoyable story that will undoubtedly appeal to fans of the genre.Jan Chapman.

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

Sixteen-year-old Avery Roe always thought she would continue her family-s line, doling out spells and magical charms as the sea witch of Prince Island. That was before her mother forced her into a traditional Victorian upbringing and the dull life of a pastor-s stepdaughter. After Avery predicts her own murder through a dream, she makes increasingly desperate attempts to untangle her family secrets and unleash her magic. While Avery-s otherness sets her apart from the natives, she finds an ally in Tane, a harpoon boy with tattoos that carry powers of their own. Their tragic love story is just part of Avery-s transformation from captive daughter to a woman who can guide not just her own life, but the very wind and sea that surround her home. Debut author Kulper-s fictional whaling island, off the Massachusetts coast, pulsates with vibrancy as the author draws from real events and folk tales to illuminate the toil and turmoil of the industrial age, imperceptibly weaving strands of truth into an inventive story of self-sacrifice and sorcery. Ages 12-up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Harvey Klinger. (Sept.)

ALA Booklist (Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

Avery Roe, who can predict the future from dreams, comes from a long line of magical women, and she is destined to become the witch of Prince Island, a small whaling community in New England. But before her grandmother can teach her the spells passed down through generations of witches, her mother o chose a life far away from magic and the witch's cottage on the rocky shore kes her away and warns her of the sacrifices a Roe woman must make to become the witch. Avery is determined, however, and she recruits the help of a handsome, magically gifted Polynesian boy, Tane, who promises that he can help her overcome her mother's powerful curse and fulfill her destiny. But the closer she gets to Tane, the more her mother's haunting warnings begin to ring true. Debut author Kulper infuses her atmospheric novel with richly detailed descriptions of whaling in nineteenth-century New England, and through tenacious Avery's lyrical first-person narrative, she explores poignant themes of destiny, sacrifice, and free will.

School Library Journal (Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

Gr 9 Up-Sixteen-year-old Avery Roe's destiny is to become the next witch of Prince Island. It's the 1860s and Avery is descended from a long line of witches that use their magic to keep the island's whaling men safe at sea. When the protagonist turned 12, before fully unlocking her magic, her mother dragged her away from her training at her grandmother's cottage to raise Avery in town to be a proper society lady without magic. A Roe witch cannot be killed but can be maimed. Avery's once-beautiful mother was severely beaten and left with a devastating facial scar before Avery was born. To protect Avery from this fate, her mother cast a spell that prevents the girl from ever leaving town to see her grandmother. The teen has the gift of accurately interpreting dreams. After repeatedly dreaming of being a slaughtered whale, Avery knows her fate and despairs of ever escaping to fully master her magic and prevent her death. Then she meets tattooed Tane, a harpooner from an island near New Zealand, who comes looking for answers to help him avenge his murdered family. He believes his powerful magic can help Avery break her mother's spell. Kulper's debut seamlessly blends fantasy elements with the more realistic life of a whaling settlement during the 19th-century. This unusual fantasy isn't a quick read. It's long and the characters are not instantly likable, but they do grow on patient readers because the author portrays them as real, flawed, and multidimensional; teens will learn to love and root for them. Sharon Rawlins, New Jersey State Library, Trenton