A relatively simple novel about a young girl who is (spoilers incoming!) raised by a witch, returned to her family of origin, and in learning who she is within that context learns who she truly is. The novel is written in a unique manner that is somewhat reminiscent of verbal storytelling traditions and it is the narrative style, rather than the story itself, that really carries the work along. Certainly worth a purchase for a library that is looking to diversify their collection with slightly off-mainstream content.

Thanks to NetGalley & HarperCollins Children's Books for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't a fan of the lyrical writing style but I enjoyed the few characters and story.

There Flies the Witch by Mayonn Paasewe-Valchev - 5 /5
Children's Fiction - Multicultural Interest - SciFi & Fantasy

There Flies the Witch is a beautifully written story about finding out where one truly belongs. This story made my heart burst with all the emotions one could experience. It has magic, betrayal, family and love. I adore this story, it is written well and would recommend it to others.

The story follows Red and her determination to find out where she belongs in the world. She has only one repeating memory that scares her to her core, but that doesn't stop her for pressing on.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the eARC.

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

Family's change. Red experiences changes under the tutelage of Yakaka and the love and care of the boy and his mother. All of the joys and pain make Red who she is.

This book is full of whimsy, fantasy and care. Themes of magic, family and friendship are throughout as well as finding one's voice and purpose on life.

This is beautiful. The storytelling in this book is amazing, so refreshing. It's an excellent fairy-tale.

4.5 stars.
Very beautiful poetical prose in the present tense, first person. Tells the story of a girl that doesn't belong to the woman raising her but who she sees and loves as her mother. It's a fast read, but very beautiful with the short chapters and lyrical sentences, and plenty of repetitions, these make the paragraphs sound like a song.
I love the story of the island, the characters, the nature themes, and how Red finds her past to find herself. She is Red but she is also something else and instead of turning her back on one part of herself, she embraces it all. I love the surrealist, folkloric mood that invoked.
Themes like identity, foster family, love for found family, and coming of age.
Will please readers who enjoy books like The Girl Who Drank the Moon but it is also shorter and easier to read and focus on. Good for children and adults who like whimsical magical stories.
Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC and give my honest opinion.

For as long as she can remember, Red has had a terrible nightmare, one which recurs every time she closes her eyes, and one that seems to hold more meaning than a typical dream. But Red’s mother Yakaka claims the vision means nothing, so the two go about their nomadic existence as they work to heal the ailing earth. Every day, Red attempts to learn the skills Yakaka possesses, but no matter how hard she tries, the words she utters do not carry the same weight as they do when Yakaka speaks them. And when Yakaka disappears unexpectedly one day, Red finds herself adopted by a pair of humans who ultimately provide Red with a new perspective on the world she thought she knew.

This intriguing story is written in three parts, each one pertaining to a specific stretch of time in Red’s life. The words are fairly simple and the sentences are clipped, giving the narrative the feel of a novel in verse despite it being organized in a traditional manner. Within the brief chapters, readers find occasional shifts from the general presentation, and these alter the momentum of the story enough to give readers pause, allowing them to consider the events in a new light. While the overall design of the novel makes it accessible to a wide range of readers thanks to its straightforward language and frequent transitions from one chapter to the next, it simultaneously inspires readers to dig deeper to discover the true meaning behind the words.

Multiple layers make up the overall narrative in this novel, and as readers consider the events taking place within it, they find themselves uncovering nuances hidden beneath each interaction. Red’s existence is something of a mystery from the very beginning, and as different truths come to light, readers realize more of what is happening than the characters themselves do. These elements make this story well-suited for discussion in classrooms and book clubs, and the novel inspires reflection while encouraging readers to revisit previous passages to look for clues. Repeated phrases, unusual characteristics, and mysterious circumstances all weave together to create a unique and thought-provoking tale. This is an interesting addition to library collections for middle grade readers.

This was a rather quick read and I enjoyed having some new aspects to a rather saturated genre.
The writing style was was unique and the voice was very strong. It made it a bit more difficult to get into just because I'm not used to it, but I think it would make an absolutely amazing audiobook.

This was a quick, easy read for my young readers, with short chapters and a steady pace. I had very high expectations for this book, after seeing the books that this book was for readers of and knowing that I love found family tropes. While the world and characters were easy to get invested in, it won't be a story that sticks with them or that they want to read again.

This was a cute story about a little girl who is trying to learn magic and learn about who she is in the process. I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style at first but it got better in the end.

There Flies The Witch by Mayonn Paasewe-Valchev

I really wanted to like this book, but it just isn’t what I thought it would be. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. The story follows a girl named Red who lives with an older woman who can fly. They travel around the world healing the planet using magic. The older woman, Yakaka, has been trying to teach Red magic, but Red knows she is not like Yakaka and cannot perform magic, which is something that really bothers her and makes her feel like she is different. One day, while out flying, Yakaka doesn’t feel well and lands on a small island. She tells Red to go fetch her some water and when Red comes back Yakaka is missing. Red runs into a young boy and eventually heads to his home while she waits for Yakaka to come back. The island is abandoned except for the young boy and his mom. Red eventually sees the boy and his mom as her family just as she sees Yakaka as her family. While living on the island there is a massive storm which will have Red relying on all her family members to help overcome the devastation of the storm and realize the magic within herself.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Mayonn Paasewe-Valchev, Greenwillow Books, and HarperCollins Publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy of There Flies The Witch. While I did not enjoy the story as much as I had hoped to, I did enjoy Red’s sense of wonder in regards to the nature around her.

Red lives with a witch who takes her on journeys where she heals the world. She is the only mother she has ever known, even though she looks nothing like her. One day, she takes her to an island, and leaves her there, to be found by a boy and his mother. They are the only ones living on the island, as everyone else has left, and the boy's father has gone to sea. It is implied he is not coming back.

Red has been taught magic speaking, magic story telling, but she never has learned how to use it. Even so, she tries to bring her mother the witch back, but she does not come back.

And so, she lives with the boy and his mother on the island.

And that is the story. I mean there is more to the story, but that is the main plot, of Red learning to use her magic, and living on the island where her mother left her.

This is a quick read, middle grade book, with very short chapters, so it runs along at a solid clip, as we explore the island, and Red's relationship with her new family.

I found it a little, well, boring. I wanted something more to happen. I wanted things to happen sooner. It took the whole novel for things to happen, so perhaps that is on me.

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC.

Wow!! This was such a sweet, wholesome, and enchanting read! Red was an amazing character and I loved how this story explored important topics while also remaining kid friendly and fun. I loved where the story went and I also loved the world that this author built. A beautiful story and you should all read it.