First Impressions Review: The Witch Boy, by Molly Ostertag

 


            I picked up this graphic novel because it reminded me of my nephew. I had recommended ‘Mooncakes’ to my mom as a birthday gift for his sister, and he was eager to read it as well. This has a similar art style, a similarly diverse cast of characters, and a story that is just as heartwarming – so I hope he will like it, too!

            The story follows Aster, a young boy from a magical family who has a knack for witchcraft. Everyone tells him that witch-magic is for girls, and that he is destined to be a demon-fighting shape-shifter like all the men in his family...but Aster has no talent for shifting at all. The only person who seems to understand this dilemma is a sporty non-magical girl who happens to spot him making blackberries ripen one day on the borders of her town. Then the other boys start disappearing, taken by some mysterious force. This turns out to be a monster that offers to teach Aster how to shape-shift. But will Aster take him up on his offer, or will he figure out how to use his real talents to vanquish the beast and rescue his cousins?

            I really enjoyed the way the book handled the unnecessarily gendered expectations society often places on kids. There are a lot of stories about girls defying those rules to do “boy” things – whether that’s becoming a knight or a scientist or whatever – and I love those, of course. But a lot of those rules have already been at least cracked, even if not entirely broken; the same is not true for a lot of traditional masculine expectations. A girl can like soccer without being bullied or being assumed to be a lesbian (though more traditional relatives might complain if she doesn’t want to put on a dress for fancy occasions); the same is often not true for a boy who likes ballet or knitting. I appreciated that the book doesn’t say that Aster is gay or nonbinary – I know, an odd thing for me to say given that I’m usually all about the queer rep1, but stick with me!  He could be – no options are ruled out by anything in the text, which is also nice – but the book does not allow you to assume that a boy who has a “feminine” talent or favors "girly" colors has to be either not-cis or not-straight. He might just happen to like those things and not feel like suppressing it just to affirm his cis, straight status! There’s also a good twist with the monster, tying into some family history we learn at the start, which serves to illustrate the damage that can be done (and the toxic behaviors that can result) by forcing someone to act the way they are “supposed” to be instead of the way they actually are.

 

1. Which this book DOES have – Aster has a pair of uncles and a pair of aunts – alongside a good bit of racial and body-shape diversity as well.

 

Overall recommendation: Check this out if you are an adult who wants a quick dose of heartwarming magic, or have a kid in your life who could benefit from its “be yourself” (and let others be themselves!) theme.

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