On Halloween night, nearly 13-year-old Abby Shepherd goes trick-or-treating with a few friends, Robby and Zeus. While out, the children spot a mysterious house on a hill, which is claimed to be filled with sorcery. Despite the potential dangers, the kids go to that house.
However, they meet a witch and have to flee from her. They escape by riding on flying brooms. When they return to their homes, they get in trouble with their parents. Robby even gets grounded.
The next day, Abby runs late for school. She goes into science class, and is paired with a girl, named Amethyst, as a partner for a project. But stakes continue to rise as the story progresses.
The book had an interesting premise as well as a nice variety of characters. I especially admired Robby’s bond with his pet iguana, named Einstein.
Although the children did the wrong thing by visiting a perilous place, I felt sorry for them when their parents became angry with them and had to punish them.
Another aspect that surprised me was how Robby’s dad was also Abby’s science teacher. So, she had to obey him at school. I also loved when Abby said magic spells as she stared at herself in a mirror. One of them included a spell from the Harry Potter series.
The story has a mix of fantastic and paranormal elements as well as some neat twists and turns. Although it was quite long for me, I pushed myself to get through it.
As for the writing, It was mostly easy to follow, although sometimes, I struggled to picture what went on, but not too much.
Overall, I enjoyed The Witches of Willow Cove. I would recommend it to both children and adults, especially those who want something similar to Harry Potter.
I rate this story 4 out of 5 stars.