Revenge of the Witch

By Joseph Delaney
Rating: 4 1/2 stars
Reviewed by Noelle

For anyone who likes a deliciously scary story, you should pick up a copy of this book. Thirteen year old Tom Ward is finally being sent out from his family's farm to become an apprentice. His unusual status as the seventh son of a seventh son renders him able to be apprenticed to Old Gregory, the Spook. A Spook is a man who travels around to the different villages, ridding them of evil creatures like boggarts and witches, ghasts and ghosts. Tom's first test is to stay in a haunted house, where Old Gregory gives him 3 things to remember: don't open the front door to anyone no matter how hard they knock, don't be late going down to the cellar at midnight to deal with whatever resides there, and don't let the candle go out. Tom survives the spooky night, but he isn't sure he is going to survive his apprenticeship. For when Tom promises to do a favor for Alice (don't trust girls wearing pointy shoes!) in return for the favor she does for him, he gets trapped into helping one of the most evil witches is the area. And sometimes making a wrong right again opens up even more troubles. This is a fantastic page turner of a novel which will draw you pellmell to its conclusion. Readers will be happy to hear that evil is gaining power, because that will mean additions to Tom Ward's tales of becoming a Spook. Not a story for the faint of heart!