The Witches by Roald Dahl

I personally wouldn't let my child read this book. Goodreads tags it as a children's book, middle-grade book, and Young Adult book. So I think it's clear that there is a grey area as to who would enjoy this book. Again, as I said, I am a chicken. Maybe certain children would like it.  I really encourage parents to read a sample at least first and then decide if your child is old enough not only to appreciate these books but to understand that they are works of fiction.

Genres: Horror, Children's Fiction, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Fantasy, Witches, Classic.

Trigger Warning: Witchcraft, Psychologically Distressing, Permanent Transfiguration, Death and Dying.

"A witch is always a woman. I do not wish to speak badly about women. Most women are lovely. But the fact remains that all witches are women."

This book is about witches, real witches! And how to spot them. They aren't as obvious as riding on broomsticks or wearing pointy hats or cloaks. They are much more subtle, more cunning and vile. They are trained to disguise themselves. They may look like ordinary ladies, but deep down they are detestable creatures. 

So how can you tell? Would you know if you came face to face with a real witch? 

If you don't know. Then you better find out. There is nothing a witch hates more than children. And she has terrifying powers that she will use to get rid of children for good. 

The Review

I am a chicken; I already admitted this last week when writing about the Goosebumps books. I mistakenly only planned four reviews this month and panicked when I realised Halloween fell on a Saturday. (I have a special book planned for Halloween.) So I went looking for another book. I thought I would look at a younger audience and see what was out here. And then I stumbled on Roald Dahl. I loved Roald Dahl when I was a kid: Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach! And of course my personal favourite, The BFG. So when I saw that he had a book called The Witches, I thought it would be a perfect choice. 

I hated this book. I made it halfway through the audiobook, and I just couldn't. I did search the ending, and I will admit it is a nice ending. But I really wouldn't feel comfortable sharing this with a young child. And I wonder if it is a little too juvenile for an older pre-teen. Again, it probably depends on the child - on how sensitive they are, etc. But I can say as a (sensitive) adult, I was put ill at ease while reading it, and I certainly wouldn't let my child read it. (I want to again make clear, though, this is an individual decision that should be made by parents with their child in mind.) 

 

I listened to this book through my local library (on the Libby App). 

Rating and Recommendation

I didn't write a "Spoiler Alert" section because I don't think there is any reason to really spoil what happens. I already wrote in the trigger warning a little about the "climax" of the story, so I just decided to continue on to my recommendation. 

As I already said, this book didn't do it for me. Which is fine. I also recognise I am not the target audience. First, I hate this type of stuff, and second, it is for children. Since I didn't finish the book and I am not the target audience, I decided not to rate it. I already gave my opinion about it, and about children reading it, I think that is enough. 

But I do want to say that I love Roald Dahl, and these really are the type of stories he is known for (this one is a little darker than what I was used to). So if a child enjoys other Roald Dahl books or even the movies, they may enjoy this one also (or grow into it depending on their age).  

I actually do own this book! I own a box set of Roald Dahl books because I love his writing in most cases. I probably would not have bought this book by itself. Especially now that I tried reading it. 

Conclusion

I can not stress this enough: each child is different. Some may enjoy it; others may have nightmares about it. I encourage any adult to read this book before allowing a child in their care to read it. Maybe the story is better and "funnier" in the book; maybe the illustrations make it less scary than the audiobook. I am not sure. That's definitely possible. And something to explore. 

You can find The Witches in its respective mediums below: 

 

* Book cover image retrieved from GoodReads. All rights belong to the author and/or publisher. 
* All the "stickers" in this blog were provided by Bookish (presented by NetGalley).
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