Perfect cozy vibes- an apprentice witch, her black cat, and a whimsical village in Appalachia. It's Kiki's Delivery Service with a spin.

Are you a millennial who was obsessed with witches, magic, and Harry Potter? Then you should stop reading reviews and just read this book! Don Martin has written a story for those of us who grew up in the Harry Potter world but made the adventures more welcoming to EVERYONE. My heart feels so full and my younger self is celebrating on the inside. This book is perfection.

This tale of a young witch and a cursed town was very well done. Verity is established as a character very quickly, and she is fun too read. I appreciate very much the way Verity is shown as a little too confident and the way she has to address her own failings and find a way around them. The supporting cast is both humourous and heartbreaking, showing the reader many symptoms of generation trauma, but also resilience and ability to find hope. I confess I didn't pick up on the ties between Earl's bad bargains and the real life damage caused by coal mining in Appalachia. Once the afterword pointed it out, I was amazed at how well the story works a depiction of what people will, and sometimes have to do to feed their families. Earl is a fabulously creepy antagonist, both in actions and look. This was a very satisfying read.

I enjoyed this book for its vivid details and cozy, magical feel—it gave me Kiki’s Delivery Service vibes after Kiki leaves the bakery. I loved how Verity handled her enemies and solved her challenges, but the ending didn’t fully satisfy me. Still, it was an enjoyable and memorable read.

This little book has so much heart! I was thoroughly impressed by the character development, and the richness of the world for a middle grade novel. This world just felt deeper than and more full that some of the middle grade books I've read recently. I would recommend this to older teens as well, since I think there is enough here to keep even older readers engaged. I think my favourite thing (besides Jack), was how truly funny some of this book was. It's generally a pretty dark fantasy with a scary villain and beautifully dark imagery, but sometimes the turns of phrase the characters use and the asides in the narrative are so funny I chuckled out loud. It created a lovely break from the higher stakes action. The romance was also lovely, and well earned. This is a fantastic addition to any middle grade fantasy collection.

What a fantastic story. This is one of my favorites of the summer. It reminds me so much of the Tiffany Aching series by Terry Pratchett. There is something about the writing that resonates similarly. Our lead is a hard-working witch who is smart and compassionate. Verity looks after the town and along the way, the town slowly starts to show respect back. They had been fooled by magic before, so they were standoffish. I loved Verity and Jack; they are a perfect team. The setting in the mountains looms large over the characters. Lots of magic in those ancient hills. The writing style was perfect, it keeps a nice pace yet allows you a bit of time to absorb what is happening. I hope the author revisits Verity and Co. There are so many stories that could be told. Loved this book.

This book gives off Kiki’s delivery service vibes! I really loved seeing this young witch learn how to weild her magic! I also love her animal familiar and how he could change forms and sizes to help Verity out, he was perfect comedic relief!
I think this book is great for people of all ages! Thank you to the author and toppling stack tours for sending me this book! If you want to keep up with the rest of the tour head to this website to find other creators content! https://topplingstackstours.com/#VerityVoxandtheCurseofFoxfire #TopplingStacksTours #DonMartin

This is a middle grade or YA/teen novel which takes readers to the small town of Foxfire and here we follow a witch in training still learning the ropes. who must help the town with their troubles, make new friends, search for a missing girl, and uncover a way to end the curse that is plaguing the coal mining town of Foxfire. This was wonderful and adventurous and it’d even compare it to the Ghibili movie kiki’s delivery service which only sweetens the deal.

In a forgotten town in rural West Virginia that has been cut off from the rest of the world due to a malicious being making unfair bargains, a young witch-in-training not only tests her own mettle, but learns an important lesson about found family and the strength in allowing others to help.

It should be no surprise that poet turned fiction author Martin's prose is stunningly beautiful, but he has crafted some truly breathtaking passages in describing Foxfire and its people. Sure, this is a story about a young witch who wields magic and how she defeats the bad guy who has become corrupt with power. But this is also a novel that honors the story of every overlooked settlement in the remote areas of Appalachia. Because what the residents of Foxfire experience is historical fact (if you take out the bits about magic) and I really appreciate that Martin gives them a voice.

Tough topics are covered, but I love that Martin has provided readers with a YA novel for younger teen readers and I cannot wait to get this into the hands of our teen patrons!

Mae was my favorite resident of Foxfire and while reading I couldn't help but picture Tess Harper in the role. Oh, and I adored Jack-Be-Nimble.

My one complaint is that the chapters are really long, which may be a struggle for some teen readers. It was for me at parts because I try to never stop reading mid-chapter.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Page Street Publishing, and Page Street YA in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 ⭐️
A heartwarming tale that captures the essence of Kiki’s Delivery Service, but queer, along with the tone and whimsy of Ella Enchanted or a Heather Fawcett middle grade.

This story was full of so much heart. Even when things were bad and most of the town pushed her way, Verity had so much heart and goodness to give that she never stopped trying. And through it, helped those who were stubbornly prejudiced and in the process found her found family, and her person.

It’s a tale of feeling lost, of feeling lonely, of feeling trapped, but rediscovering the hope to change it. It’s a tale I would 1000% give to others to read. Especially younger readers. It is cozy and full of whimsy and important life lessons to learn. It was a lovely book to read.

Thank you to NetGalley & Page Street YA for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

This would be a fun read for upper MG/lower YA readers.

Verity Vox is a witch-in-training who spends a year helping people in order to learn her craft. At the beginning of her third year, a leaf points her to Foxfire–a cursed town. The town was separated from the rest of the world by the destruction of the single bridge that leads there. No repair of the bridge has ever been successful. The townspeople are wary of Verity at first, especially after their experience with Earl the source of the town's curse. Verity wins their trust and appreciation by helping each one repair and reclaim a cursed item.

But when Verity helps find a missing girl, a girl who wished to leave Foxfire and traded her heart to do so, and manages to bring her home, everything goes wrong again. The curse rears up, destroying all the good work Verity has done.

Thank you to Page Street YA for awarding me this ARC through Publisher's Weekly's Grab-a-Galley program.

Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire was a cozy, witchy adventure. I enjoyed the themes around community, and the characters of the village people in Foxfire were memorable. I loved Verity as a protagonist--plucky, still teenage but with lots of her own agency. For me, the plot was most successful, while the narration and writing style were less favorite elements. Sometimes, the writing flowed beautifully, but other times it clunked and made me pause to re-read. That feels down to being a debut, though. I think this author has a lot of promise and I'll be reading more of him in the future.

Verity Fox is a witch - desperate to help. Her eagerness, utter trust in those around her and just genuine good intentions helps her break through trauma, horrible past experiences a small town in Appalachian hills.
Honest people. Honest efforts. With some witchcraft and a lovely familiar - Verity tries to save the entire town and its people. Heartwarming.

This seemed like it would be right in my wheelhouse, but I could not connect with it. The writing felt very wink-wink, look how clever I am, which is not my taste. There were a number of editing errors that I presume were caught for the final edition, but they were distracting.

This new YA novel is full of witchy magical goodness and definitely didn't disappoint. I enjoyed it so much and wanted to just keep reading all the way through. Verity is off on her witch apprenticeship, traveling around and offering her services. I love the concept of this and how much character that kind of journey can build, let alone the magical powers! Foxfire is such a sad town, and they have been struggling for so long they've lost hope and don't trust anyone. Verity is so patient and is willing to put in the work to gain their trust. I didn't expect the book to be so sad, but it really was. But in a good way if that's possible. I love the found family throughout this book, the strong female characters, and the message to be you and find the people who love you as you are. Heartwarming, sweet, sad, uplifting, and magical. You won't want to miss this one.

This was such a fun and witty pick me up book. it did take me awhile to get through it because for some reason when the chapters are long I read slow as all get out. This one clocked in at 13 chapters which I totally got the vibe of it. When we were introduced to a certain character I said well they better fall in love and if you read the book then you know. Thanks for not disappointing me and making that happen!

Verity Vox is an apprentice witch and in this world that means from a set age young witches travel from town to town where they are needed to stay for a year and make life better. To hone their magic learn and grow. The downside to this is when you leave everyone forgets you which to me is the saddest thing of all. Building friendships and helping people out only to no longer be apart of their memories but you are left to carry on. That made Verity strong immediately in my world. The knowledge of this being what she has to endure time and time again and yet still continues is amazing.

In this story verity is called to Foxfire a town that has been cursed for...well quite sometime. There's an evil man who was chased out of the town and now resides in the mountains calling himself king. He's not just any man either he has magic and he has used it to turn deals against the people of the town and prevent them from leaving and others from entering.

I really adored this story. I did find it to be one of those books where I need to shut my brain off or I would overthink and then get myself confused because sometimes the narration was unreliable or didn't make the most sense. There are some darker aspects to this book so if you like a sprinkle of horror in your cozy fantasy you might enjoy this!

Verity, a snarky witch apprentice, shows up in the cursed town of Foxfire, ready to fix things with a little spellwork, except this place fights back!

The town’s been wrecked by a shady magic dealer named Earl, people are missing, and no one trusts a witch. But Verity isn’t one to back down! As she gets tangled up in dark mountain magic, a girl who needs her help, and powers that come at a cost, Verity learns that not everything can be solved with a well-aimed spell!

✨️It’s spooky, smart, and full of heart with just enough edge to keep things interesting!

💥5 Fun Reasons to Read It:
▫️Verity is the kind of witch you root for messy, bold, and full of sass!
▫️Magic has rules here, and breaking them hits hard.
▫️That creepy small-town vibe? Perfectly done!
▫️The bond between Verity and Tacita will sneak up and squeeze your heart!

It’s the start of a series, and you’ll definitely want more!

Verity Vox, a young witch in training - she has a peculiar way of using her magic, her voice is her primary way of using it, thus she sings nursery rhymes for her spells - is set to move to a different place after spending a year in a bakery. The only problem is, she still hasn’t received a clue on where she is supposed to go next, that is, until she saw a leaf on her familiar’s - Jack's - mouth asking for help because their town is cursed. Using a little tracking spell Verity followed on where the leaf will take her, before she even managed to enter the town though, there was a force that is determined to keep her out of there, but Verity, although young, believes on her capabilities as a witch and fought with the force and was able to set foot at Foxfire, a town deep in the mountain that is cut off of the rest of the world with their bridge being gone and with Earl, a malevolent being who named himself as the King of the mountain, harassing the villagers with his ill contracts.

This is a solid book that shows Verity’s growth from a young, inexperienced witch to someone who she became by the end of the book; the connection she formed with the people of Foxfire is commendable as well. It doesn’t feel like she is doing anything just because it is part of her training, but also because she genuinely cares for everyone, especially her friends, deeply. I must say that, at first, there are parts that I don’t like, but then I realized that they happened as part of her growth as a character. The magic system in this book is not complicated; in fact, as Verity is in training, the lore on using the magic is even shown/explained in an understandable way, although it did make the pacing drag in these parts, but it is still manageable. If you're looking for a book that will make you geek out about magic, I suggest giving this book a try.

Thanks at Page Street Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire is one of those charming upper middle-grade stories that truly crosses over to all ages/adult appeal. I adored the main characters and the setting in Appalachia. The story hit the perfect mix of cozy and sweet with dark and a little eerie, which makes it the ideal read for autumn. Verity is such a delightful character as a young apprentice witch who is still learning her powers and trying to help the residents of a town cursed by a shady magic bargainer. Honestly, once I started reading this, I didn't want to put it down! Give this to upper middle-grade/lower YA readers who love magic, folklore, and emotional depth, and don't mind a bit of creepy horror mixed in. A gem of a book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Page Street Publishing for access to the ARC in exchange for a honest review!

Even though I don’t typically gravitate toward middle grade or early YA, the stunning cover of Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire and the comparisons to Kiki’s Delivery Service caught my eye, and I’m so glad they did. This story is just as whimsical and emotionally resonant as promised, with lush writing and a vivid setting that immediately pulls you in.

What stood out most to me was how beautifully written this book is. Don Martin paints the Appalachian-inspired town of Foxfire with such clarity that it feels like a character in its own right. Drawing from a real Appalachian town and culture, the setting is rich, grounded, and alive with detail. You can feel the history in the bricks, the magic in the woods, and the weight of generational memory woven into every part of the town. It was one of the most immersive settings I’ve read in a while.

Verity herself is a wonderful protagonist, especially for younger readers looking for a character who is still figuring out who she is and how she fits into the world. Her struggles with insecurity, belonging, and self-worth are relatable at any age, and her emotional journey is heartfelt and genuine. The supporting cast, especially Tacita and Gilly, help bring out different sides of Verity and reinforce the themes of empathy, friendship, and self-discovery. I also have to mention Jack, Verity’s nonverbal familiar, whose quiet presence is both comforting and impactful. His emotional support and intuitive understanding of Verity gave him just as much weight in the story as any speaking character.

The villain, Earl, is compelling even if he leans into caricature at times. His ruthless hunger for power contrasts effectively with Verity’s more introspective journey toward understanding her own inner strength. Their opposition builds toward some truly intense and magical moments, with a few scenes that sent actual chills down my spine.

Though this book is generally cozy in tone, it doesn’t shy away from emotional depth or darker themes. The slow-burn romance between Verity and Tacita is especially lovely, offering a tender thread of connection that blooms slowly and sweetly over time. It felt well-suited to the tone of the book, never overpowering but quietly present in a way that adds to the overall warmth of the story.

If I had one critique, it would be the pacing in the back half. Some plot elements begin to drag a bit, and I found myself needing to push through moments that lost some narrative momentum. That said, the strength of the characters and the emotional payoff at the end made the effort worthwhile.

In all, this was a magical, heartfelt read that felt both nostalgic and fresh. Verity’s story is one I would absolutely recommend to younger readers, and honestly, to anyone who enjoys a thoughtful, witchy story full of heart, growth, and just the right touch of danger.