The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner (Mini-Review)

Series: N/A
# of Pages: 272
Publisher: Aladdin
Publication: September 3rd, 2019
Source: Library Copy
Genre: Middle Grade Graphic Novel
Goodreads | Amazon 

Sabrina the Teenage Witch meets Roller Girl in this hilarious, one-of-a-kind graphic novel about a half-witch who has just discovered the truth about herself, her family, and her town and is doing her best to survive middle school now that she knows everything! Magic is harder than it looks. Thirteen-year-old Moth Hush loves all things witchy. But she’s about to discover that witches aren’t just the stuff of movies, books, and spooky stories. When some eighth-grade bullies try to ruin her Halloween, something really strange happens. It turns out that Founder’s Bluff, Massachusetts, has a centuries-old history of witch drama. And, surprise: Moth’s family is at the center of it all! When Moth’s new powers show up, things get totally out-of-control. She meets a talking cat, falls into an enchanted diary, and unlocks a hidden witch world. Secrets surface from generations past as Moth unravels the complicated legacy at the heart of her town, her family, and herself. In this spellbinding graphic novel debut, Emma Steinkellner spins a story packed with humor and heart about the weird and wonderful adventures of a witch-in-progress.

If you know anything about me then you know that I'm a huge fan of graphic novels, comics, and manga. This year I've been investing my time in reading more middle grade graphic novels. The Okay Witch came to me via a colleague at work. Needless to say, the fact that this featured main characters that are POC and witches was more than enough to pique my interest. The Okay Witch focuses on 13-year old Moth who is obsessed with all things related to witches. When she accidentally uses magical powers after being bullied, Moth enters into a magical word that she never expected and learns the dark secrets that plague her town Founders Bluff, Massachusetts.

One of the most obvious things that I LOVED about this graphic novel was the representation. There aren't a lot of graphic novels that feature POC witches. It was both refreshing and interesting to see this change in a middle grade graphic novel. I also enjoyed the dynamic between Moth and her mom. To me, it was extremely realistic to see how much they struggled when the knowledge of their heritage was supposed to be kept a secret from Moth. Moth had a difficult time respecting and understanding the boundaries set forth by her mom. I thoroughly enjoyed watching them figure out how to communicate with each other and build that level of respect and trust. It's definitely something that I think all middle grade kids and parents would enjoy seeing. The only issue I had with the graphic novel was the pacing. I felt as though it moved too fast towards the end. I think that the author definitely should have considered spacing the plot over the course of two volumes.

In terms of the artwork, I found it to be vibrant and a direct representation of the story being told. While Steinkellner has an interesting way of drawing humans, I loved the varied representations. It's eye catching and the panel work was amazing.


If you're looking for a new and fun middle grade comic to check out I would definitely recommend this one.