Green Witch
Starred Review. Grade 9–11—Green, 17, who first appeared in Hoffman'sGreen Angel(Scholastic, 2003), continues in the wake of her family's and town's decimation by a group known as the Horde, who despise modern invention, the future, and any type of growth. Green, called so due to her ability to make things grow, has shown inner growth from the time of being isolated and brutalized, both by the events brought on by the Horde and at her own hand, to the present when she is now reconnecting with other survivors in the town. "Loss does different things to different people…I have planted a garden, reached out to my neighbors, begun to write down my story." And so she does, going on a soul-searching quest for answers about the nature of life, love, and the future. Four of the neighbors she speaks to are said to be witches, but they are the sages of the story who impart wisdom and gifts unto Green that serve her well on her quest. With the help she gains from their counsel, she sets off in an attempt to free prisoners from the Horde's prison, and also to test the waters of her own strength and capacity for love. Hoffman's spare language leads to a story sounding as if it were being told by a sage. It is a language and voice promising more stories from Green, more growth to be seen within herself and within the hearts and spirits of the people. If this makes for a Green Witch, readers will find her a welcome witch indeed.—Tracy Weiskind, Chicago Public Library(c) Copyright 2010.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.