Wildseed Witch will inevitably get compared to other magic school books by authors of color like Amari and the Night Brothers but I can truly say that other than having Black leads they're nothing alike. And that's not a bad thing at all just don't set your expectations going into this expecting a book that reads similarly.

Hasani is a young girl who is very passionate about her Youtube channel and finding ways to grow it. She discovers she's a witch after a viral video and an invitation to attend a magical charm school. When she gets there she's soon realizes she's not like the other girls despite everyone having magical abilities. She's what they call a "wildseed", a witch who doesn't come from a strong legacy of witches and doesn't know how to control her powers. Most of the girls who she's attending the charm school with have been practicing magic for a couple of years. At Les Belles Demoiselles they are taught that magic is unruly and that charm is good and proper. She doesn't know the rules the other girls do and the faculty hasn't done the best job to prepare her. She's also insecure because everyone's so pretty and put together.

I like how this book incorporated culture from Louisiana from real Creole to using the names of real cities and towns. I really liked Grandme Annette and her sage advice and lessons. One thing that stuck out to me is how the history of sugarcane is brought up in this story. Some witches at the school feel like they're rebelling against slavery by denouncing sugar while also having it on the table at every meal. And Grandmere points out that just because someone did an evil thing with a thing doesn't make the thing evil.

There was a lot of cattiness and competitiveness amongst the girls that felt unnecessary at times because this isn't the type of situation where the girls are competing for a particular title or spot. Most of the girls seem to also come from money too which is played up and down during this book depending on the scenes. At the same time it did show the downside to popularity as Hasani uses her influence to make a name for herself and the girls seem to flock to whichever girl is most popular at the moment.

Hasani is not the easiest main character to love because she spends most of the story focused on her own interests. She has come to terms with her parent's separation yet so throughout the book she's also plotting ways to have them end up back together again. And I did like that he was allowed to be angry while also having to come to an understanding that her parents no longer make each other happy.

There were some sections the pacing was a little slower than I would've liked I do think it's worth a read. The magic system felt unique and there's some good lessons here about family and friendship.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I was really looking forward to reading this book as magical middle grade is one of my favorite things to read. Unfortunately, this one just didn't click with me. I could not connect with Hesani at all. The story just didn't pull me in and make me care.

While this book clearly wasn't for me I do think others would enjoy it. I feel like when my daughter gets a little older this is exactly what she would want to read. There is strong YouTube representation here that I think kids of this social media age will appreciate and relate too. The story is simple and fun with a slight twist that will entertain young readers.

If you have a middle school aged girl, or even a little younger/older, who enjoys magic, nature or wants to be an influencer this is something I'd recommend picking up.

The cover is so cute and I love the all melanated cast. This adorable middle grade book explores the world of Hasani. She's a rising eighth grader whose home life has been upended by the separation of her parents. This change in family dynamics unleashes the magic within Hasani. She begins to cope with these changes and work on emotion regulation all while attending a charm school for witches. The Creole and French culture throughout the book was refreshing. This is an easy read that is age appropriate. Shout out to the author for including STEM topics.

Hasani, an aspiring make-up YouTuber from New Orleans, discovers she is has magic in Wildseed Witch by Marti Dumas. This middle grade novel is about friendship, family, YouTube, and of course witches, but most importantly it is about learning who you are and balancing that with who you want to be.

As summer begins, Hasani is ready to grow her YouTube channel, MakeupOnTheCheapCheap, by posting a video every single day. But then her dad reveals that he is engaged to a woman who is not Hasani’s mom, and she does magic for the first time. When she makes a rant video about her Dad and his new fiancé, Hasani does magic for the second time, and that is when a teacher at Les Belles Demoiselles arrives at her house to offer Hasani a spot at the exclusive summer school for young witches, with a full scholarship. Since Hasani has no family to teach her how to control her magic, she knows that attending camp is necessary, but she doesn’t expect it to be as difficult as it turns out to be, and for it to be such a struggle to make friends. But as she learns more about using “charm not magic,” the school’s mantra, and as her YouTube channel takes off, Hasani’s abilities and friendships grow.

The setting and imagery in this novel were outstanding. I loved reading about the amazing school filled with flowers and animals that will do whatever is asked of them. Each witch has her own signature flower, and this added such a cool element to the story. Every girl’s room is decorated around her flower, they dress to match their flower, and of course their magic grows their signature flower. I’m not a fan of YouTube and I don’t wear makeup, but I still found myself enjoying the parts of the novel that were focused around these aspects because they were so well written. Also, a series of kitten inspired makeup looks? I would love to see that!

The one piece of this novel that I really struggled with was Hasani herself. She was a very hard character to like. However, she was a pretty perfect example of the typical self-centered, stubborn and whiny pre-teen. I’m basically certain that I acted just as badly as Hasani, if not worse, when I was thirteen so I do have to cut her some slack. But, even though Hasani was simply acting like a pre-teen, it was still hard to read sometimes. I certainly appreciated the growth in her character towards the end of the book however. She displayed a lot of self-awareness and showed that she was willing to work on being a better person, and witch!

Wildseed Witch is an easy book to recommend, most anyone will find something to like here (though it will likely have a bit more appeal for girls). On top of the beautiful setting, Dumas has also given us an entire cast of BIPOC characters, and seamlessly weaves a little history lesson into the narrative. Witch lovers, makeup lovers, aspiring YouTubers, you don’t want to miss this magical (or should I say charming) book!

Hasani is not looking forward to summer even though it will give her a lot of time to build her followers on her YouTube channle, MakeupontheCheapCheap. Her mother is busy with work, and she does NOT want to spend time with her father and her new live in girlfriend across town. While driving to her father's house, Hasani gets angry when she learns about Sandy, and a bridge that they are supposed to cross isn't passable, and vines are growing all over it. Later, a woman from Les Belles Demoiselles school comes to Hasani's mother's house and tells her that since she can do magic, she has a scholarship to the school for six weeks. Most of the students who attend come from families where magic has been part of their lives for many years, but Hasani is a "wildseed"; a witch who shows magic even though there is no family history of it. It's hard to fit in to a school on such short notice, with students who have more knowledge of magic and are a bit more privileged as well. Her roommate Celeste isn't thrilled to have to bunk with her, and LaToya and Angelique also give her a hard time. She does befriend Demi-Rose, or Dee, but the two get in trouble for trying to change Hasani's hair with a potion that doesn't go quite as planned. The teachers are somewhat understanding of Hasani's difficulty is understanding magic and the school, but don't seem to be prepared to offer support to a "wildseed", so Hasani struggles both to understand her new magical world and to befriend her fellow witches. She does her best to learn, and her magic is very strong. When she gets home from the school, she learns some alarming things, and gets involved in a problem with one of her followers. Will she be able to come to terms with her new found identity, keep her father safe from an unexpected threat, AND to grow her YouTube channel?
Strengths: Hasani is a fun character who is super involved in growing her YouTube channel but is surprised to learn that she has magic. This is the dream of a large portion of my students, and Hasani's stay at magical summer camp charm school is wish fulfilment at its finest! Of course, there is girl drama at the school, but she is able to make a good friend or two AND learn to harness her magic. Who among us wouldn't try a magical portion to make our hair different? There are some good magical details about Hasani's classes (Fragrance, The Art of Arranging, Animal Affinities, and TEA!), a general genteel atmosphere of the school ("Magic is for hooligans. Belles demoiselles use charm."), and spells and potions that the girls are able to use, often to interesting effect. There is the added complication of Hasani's parents' recent divorce, and the problems with his new girlfriend to add another layer of interest. I'm glad to see that this will be a series, and am curious to see how Hasani will use her magic in book two.
Weaknesses: I was hoping that this would have the deliciously complicated world building of Clayton's The Marvellers or Black and Clare's Magisterium series, but more of the book was spent on Hasani's feelings about not fitting in and obsessing about the number of followers for her YouTube channel than details about the classes, food, or school grounds. That will definitely appeal to middle grade readers who love friend drama, but I was dying to know more, especially with the New Orleans area setting. What I really think: The cover of this one is so gorgeous that I would buy it for that alone! So many of my students harbor dreams of being YouTube stars that they will enjoy that part of the book more than I did; after 16 years of blogging, I don't even have 400 followers, so books that have young influencers gaining Internet popularity quickly always seem unrealistic to me. Of course, its' completely realistic that Hasani is able to magically grow flowers! Definitely purchasing, and my readers who enjoyed the make up details in Dee's Violets Are Blue or the magical elements of Little's The Time of the Fireflies, Meriano's Love, Sugar, Magic, Scott's School of Charm, or King's Zach King: The Magical Mix-Up will enjoy going to Les Belles Demoiselles along with Hasani.

This is a great middle grade novel. Wildseed Witch touches on so many topics that younger generations have to deal with nowadays while at the same time introducing a new magical word to escape into. I also loved that it included some history of New Orleans as well. Wildseed Witch is a coming of age and fantasy novel that I would recommend for middle grade readers.

Plot seemed to focus more on real world problems without having the fun of discovering you can do magic. Witches are taught to use charm and save magic. Characters are likeable.

This is a coming of age middle grade book with themes of identity, friendship, growth, privilege, and morality. The MC changes over the length of this book, despite so many obstacles. This book was a a quick, entertaining read. One of the most appealing thing about this book was the fully BIPOC cast. Overall a fun, light fantasy read for middle grade readers.

A lovely story with a good resolution, but I found the lack of communication from faculty for a green witch confusing and frustrating. I felt like Hasani had very little say in what happened to her because of her lack of clear instruction and knowledge, this couldn't bring myself to buy into her "bad witch" storyline. Given the emotional challenges she had to deal with, I think she could have still made missteps and grown with a little more autonomy and a lot less confusion for the reader. But I do think it's a promising series with a cool setting and an interesting magic system.

This was a really interesting book! I liked the plot and the characters and the plot twists were perfect. This is a great read!

Although I related to nothing in this book, I do have to say it was pretty intriguing. I loved her desire to grow her curls and i was impressed with the magic system in this. Overall a quick fun read and will be a hit with younger readers. 4⭐

Wildseed Witch by Marti Dumas

I can’t say I relate to everything in this book, however, Hasani’s wild desire to grow her curls and using magic she doesn’t understand is something I can relate to very much.

On that note, let me tell you this book is awesome. I found this book to be entertaining, a quick read as it was intriguing, different, and overall I just had fun reading it.


The story follows Hasani who discovers that she is a witch and is quickly recruited and given a scholarship to attend the Belles Demoiselles premier l’ecole de sorcieres. It takes place in Louisiana so you get some of the cajun / french dialect. Hasani is given a change to learn how to control her magic at Belles Demoiselles since she is what is known as a “wildseed” which means she’s the only one in her family with magic. So basically Hasani is a muggle-born.


The magic system in this world is interesting as at least from Belles Demoiselles’ perspective it’s better to use as little magic as you can and not let it overflood and therefore drain off of you. So the girls are taught to use charm not magic, but the charm is also magic in its own way. The girls are taught to control their magic and if their magic gets out of control then they will accidentally grow flowers…which is cool as every student / person with magic has a flower that is representative of them which is neat and the flowers serve to also help them know how well they’re doing with controlling their magic.

I really liked Belles Demoiselles because it’s a refreshing change for a “School” , especially a magical one. For one it’s inhabitants all have flowers to help represent them. The program that they’re enrolled in is a summer-long program. The girls’ families are able to know what they’re doing, even wildseed parents like Hasani’s, they know but through the magic they’re basically all secret keepers so if you know you know. The girls are all taught to behave in a charming manner, which means they have to learn to walk and sit and eat properly like ladies. Which is honestly so refreshing as it’s such a different take on magic systems / schools. For example when Hasani first arrives she has to sit with one of the teachers for weeks because she “plops” when she sits and she needs to learn to be more proper which will help her hone her magic / charm.

Hasani is trying to grow her makeup Youtube channel: MakeupontheCheapCheap, and she’s trying to get her parents back together. When she learns she has magic, yeah she’s tempted.

Hasani makes one good friend at Belles Demoiselles: Dee, who is the alternative girl basically, she doesn’t give a shhh and she’s just there to learn her magic and that’s pretty much it. She’s playing the game while she has to. I immediately knew she’d be a good and lasting character. The second friend Hasani makes is LaToya who honestly I thought was super shady from the get-go because she just happens to notice Hasani ogling someone else’s hair and decides you know what? Let’s do a potion for you too! She just seemed like the character you knew had to have creepy skeletons in the closet but tried to act cool in public. She was too much too soon. Every time.
I think that discovering how the magic works in this book and how it’s developed as well as the school which is prim and proper (made me so happy) is a refreshing take on magical schools. Plus it was nice to see that the families were allowed to visit despite the magic that guards the school.

Love this book and can’t wait for more! How do you become a good witch when your a Wildseed? Hasani has to find out how to control and guide her magic, along with how to make friends and enemies at a new school! Fantasy mixed with tech and coding, along with all BIPOC characters. And I mean, just L👀K at that gorgeous cover! #WildseedWitch #NetGalley

A novel of belonging and self knowledge featuring a diverse cast perfect for middle grade fans of fantasy, YouTube, or books with dramatic friendships.

When Hasani, a young girl living in New Orleans, discovers that she is a witch, and is sent to a finishing school for magic wielders, she hopes to build her powers enough to boost her fledgling YouTube channel and maybe convince her parents to get back together. But with demanding instructors and intimidating social cliques, Hasani's time away is not as easy or as whimsical as she might have hoped.

This is a lovely book about a young person coming to understand their power and place in the world. While magic is front and center, this is a universal story of acceptance and identity. While some of the resolutions feel slightly under baked, the original premise and empowering messages make up for these small issues.

** Thank you for this copy***

This middle-grade novel kept me entertained from the very beginning. I loved that Mart Dumas incorporated New Orleans/Louisiana History. This is a coming-of-age story that everyone can relate to. Wildseed Witch is all about finding out who you are and who you want to be. It's a feel-good story with pure magic.

The popular phrase, "black girl magic" comes to life in this charming novel about a debutante school for up and coming witches with the focus centered squarely on BIPOC characters in the heart of Cajun Louisiana. Hasani is considered a "wildseed" because she wasn't born into a lineage of witches and has not yet learned to control her magic. She is invited to join a prestigious finishing school for young witches and a chance to learn to hone her skills.

Throughout the story, so many universal themes of friendship, acceptance, knowing oneself, and using restraint are lessons that must be learned and sometimes relearned. The focus of having power within oneself, and celebrating the culture and joy of Black girls was such a wonderful theme to celebrate in this book. The characters were multi-dimensional, the coven that Hasani forms is made up of so many personalities, and the fact that the girls are smart and proud of their skills makes them such great characters to look up to.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Wildseed Witch Hasani just wants to live a normal life, get followers for her YouTube channel, and for her dad and mom to get back together. But when her dad introduces her to his new bikini-wearing, Instagram influencing girlfriend, Hasani realizes her dreams of the perfect family might not be within reach. And that's when it happens: her magic begins to reveal itself. The next day, a teacher from a local magic school offers her a scholarship to attend and learn how to use her powers. Hasani jumps at the chance, but when she starts school, it quickly becomes apparent that her skills aren't at the level of the other girls'. Will she be able to throw off her outcast status and prove herself? And what will her abilities mean for her future, and the future of her family?


The writer has done a great job giving us a clear sense of Hasani's life in New Orleans, and her goals and conflicts are clear and feel real throughout. An entertaining read that will easily delight middle grade readers, but with plenty of relatable moments for people of all ages.

Wildseed Witch (Book 1)
by Marti Dumas
A Review By LandsAwayBooks @ Wordpress

3.5 stars

What drew me to this title was it’s all BIPOC cast of witches at a charm school and the beautiful cover of a black girl with flowers blossoming all around her!

Two very hard things to resist!

Hasani is a 13 year old who has a plan for her summer: daily posts to her YouTube channel focused on doing dazzlingly bright make up looks with dollar store brands and getting her parents, who were perfectly over the moon happy with each other, back together again!

Simple enough, right?

Her plans go awry when she discovers that she has magic, a flowering magic that is both beautiful and for wildseeds, witches who are the first of their lines, destructive! She’s whisked away to a six week elite finishing school, Les Belles Demoiselles for similarly magicked young ladies.

Certainly a lot to take in?

Hasani handles this all in stride and prepares to learn about magic and make new friends at the school.

But nothing goes to plan, a wild seed is something too different from the gentle bred young ladies at the school, where CHARM is prized above the wild magic blooming within Hasani, and worse yet, with the destruction she unwittingly leaves in her path, maybe they’re right?

This is my first MG read in a long time, and it reminded me of why I truly love the genre! This was just a delightful read that hit the typical beats of the genre but also had surprising depth!

I loved the setting for this story, in New Orleans and in the sugarcane fields, that the magic school was built by the enslaved and their descendants, and that history surrounding the school was so beautiful to me! I loved how present the creole culture was there, down to the bones! I loved how magic and technology were combined, that even though the school was such a historical marvel, it still had firm links into the present and that magic could influence code was brilliant!

I wished that as this was the first at book in the series, it focused more on the school and magic and had more moments of joy in it, I wanted to be more immersed in these aspects of the story! But I hope that this is explored more in future books in the series!

I loved that this book explored themes of identity, and that greeting were about knowing who who were, and how that was a power! A beautiful message for the people who’ll be reading this!

Themes of friendship, privilege, morality, social media usage and online bullying were also explored.

All in all, a very cool first book, I’m very eager to see how Hasani and her coven grow!

Thank you Netgalley and ABRAMS Kids, Amulet Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book was decent. I really liked the fish out of water setup. I liked the flower focus of the magic and Hasani's interest in makeup and YouTube. Unfortunately I found some characters a bit unrealistic. The bullys' behaviors feel more like cliche bullying than realistic harrassment. I also found it very odd that Hasani's mother was willing to drop her daughter off with complete strangers so quickly.

This is a LONG book, particularly for the target audience! I really liked Hasani, and I think readers will enjoy and connect to her, if they don't lose their focus due to some overdetailing and lulls in the plot on occasion. It could've benefitted from a tighter edit. I really enjoyed the message of being comfortable in your own skin. The author skillfully addressed difficult topics such as online bullying, social media ethics, and family dynamics.