Why I requested this book:
I have been in a huge middle grade mood this year
Witchcraft, paranormal and books involving mentors are all things that peaked my interest

Pros:
The writing style was easily consumable and has the right sorts of lessens for a middle grade audience.
The characters are enjoyable to follow throughout the story.

Cons:
More telling than showing is done for how the magic and setting in regards to world-building.
This was not the most unique of world’s that were built. Said magic and setting seemed to play a back-set to the forward drama.

Overall: Average in all magical aspects while excelling at character development.

My 9 year old daughter loved this book! She found it interesting and exciting. I heard all about it when we would sit down to dinner. Definitely a winner. Probably most appropriate for upper elementary and middle school students, but my 2nd grader, a strong reader, loved it as well!

I really loved this cute book! I love Halloween and autumn and it definitely could be read in this time because of the books atmosphere. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves middle grade and who loves the spooky season. I will definitely pick up more from this author. Thank you net galley and the publisher for the free e arc for my honest review

The story follows Abby (the main character) and Robby (her best friend – and geek) whose adventure is shared with a group of 6 girls who discover their ‘witchy skills’ on their 13th birthdays. Are they really all connected by the past? This book is a little spooky and covers tragedies and injustices, empowerment, hope over fear and empathy.

The story is set in Willow Cove – a small town close to Salem. It’s Halloween and trick or treating is in full swing. Abby and Robby go to explore the old haunted building ‘Whispering Hill’ where they encounter some witchcraft happening. The mysterious stranger they see there could hold a secret that could destroy them all!

Author Josh Roberts keeps the reader guessing and offers a few red herrings along the way. I was easily led to believing that a couple of the characters were not what they seemed. However, that turned out to be my over imaginative mind working overtime! My favourite character was Amethyst – the Goth. What a strong character and role model.

A must read – full of twists and turns; secrets and lies. It touches on the pain of sometimes being let down by people we know and believe in. Also how the cracks that appear with friendships can be healed. A much read for all who have an interest in magic and witchcraft.

The book was an interesting read! I had great time reading it!!! It was quick fun read! Great characters and very atmospheric!

There was not a dull moment in this book! I am sometimes hesitant to read and recommend middle grade books to my students because they can be too childish, but this had the perfect balance between magic, witches, and middle school drama!

At first, the cast of characters was difficult to keep track of, but once the story picked up I wanted to know everything about everyone. The creepy, atmospheric mood of the story made me feel like I was right in the story during Halloween (it's the middle of summer right now). Just the characters alone and their development throughout the story is enough reason to pick up this book, as you won't be disappointed.

3.75/5

I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.

When I requested this book, I was a little scared of it. I liked the cover, and the story sounded interesting based on the description. I was hoping for a scary story (of course written for the younger age group), but I was a little scared, too, because middle-grade stories are sometimes too childish for me.
When I started reading, I was a little disappointed. I was expecting more magic, a little more fear, and the book felt a little childish for me. Somehow the things didn't come together. Some parts were very difficult for me, too. I just can’t stand bullying, which is why I cancelled a lot of book series with a high school setting. This is just unbearable for me. I’ve never experienced bullying, in our schools (in Europe) the situation is far better, and for me, it’s just disgusting. But let’s get back to the story. The book was ok until 20%, I didn’t hate it either adored it. After that, the novel finally started to be more exciting. I enjoyed the book from this point until the end. The ending was predictable, it was ok, but I just wanted to finish it. Overall, the story was 4/5.
I really liked the structure of the world, it was Harry Potter mixed with Salem. The historical part was also interesting. The atmosphere of the book wasn't scary, but it had a dark mood, I really liked it, too.
The characters were ok. I hated the characters who were a bully, but the others were gone. I liked our main characters, especially Zeus and Piper.
On a negative side, it was unable to maintain my interest. I could put the book down at any moment and I didn’t want to pick it up again. That’s why it took me so long to read such a short book, and that's why I'm not going to go on with this series. There is no cliffhanger at the end, so in my head, the story is finished.
Overall, I got a cosy, moody book. I enjoyed it, but it didn’t have the extra in it, so I finished the series with that.

My review in Hungarian:

A recenziós példányt Netgalley-től kaptam. Ez nem befolyásolta a véleményem.

Amikor jelentkeztem a könyvre, kicsit féltem tőle. A borító rettentően tetszett, és a fülszöveg alapján is elég érdekesnek tűnt. Reméltem egy jó kis félelmetes történetet kapok (természetes fiatalabb korosztálynak írva), bár kicsit féltem, mivel a middle-grade történetek néha túl gyerekesek nekem.
Amikor elkezdtem olvasni, kicsit kiábrándultam. Több mágiát vártam, kicsivel több félelmet, és kicsit gyerekesnek is éreztem. Valahogy nem álltak össze a dolgok. Sőt, voltak részek, amik nagyon zavartak. Egyszerűen én nem tudom elviselni a bullyingot, ezért is hagytam abba sok könyvsorozatot, ami középiskolában játszódik. Egyszerűen elviselhetetlen, hogy pár ember csak mert ő úgy gondolja, hogy megteheti, így viselkedjen. Egyszerűen ez nekem sok. Én sosem tapasztaltam ilyesmit, nálunk nincs jelen ekkora mértékben az iskolában, és számomra ez gyomorforgató. De térjünk vissza a történetre. Olyan 20%-áig elvoltam a könyvvel, nem utáltam, kicsit gyerekesnek éreztem, de ekkor végre kezdett beindulni. Eléggé élveztem a könyvet innentől, egészen a végéig. Valahogy ott megcsattant az érdeklődésem, kiszámítható volt mi lesz a vége, és már vártam, hogy mikor lesz vége. Úgy összességében 4/5 volt a történet.
A világ felépítése nagyon tetszett. Harry Potter varázslói összekeverve egy kis Szálem-es boszorkányokkal. A történelmi szál is érdekes volt. A könyv hangulata igaz nem volt félelmetes, de sötét hangulat lenge körbe, az is nagyon tetszett.
Karakterek szintjén is okésnak mondanám a könyvet. Az a négy karakter, akinek az egész jelleme abból állt, hogy másokat bántottak, különösen zavart, de a többi karakter elment. Kedveltem a főbb szereplőinket, talán Zeus és Piper tetszett a legjobban.
Negatív pontnak tudom feljegyezni, hogy nem tudta az érdeklődésem fenntartani. Bármikor le tudtam tenni a könyvet, és nem hiányzott, hogy felvegyem. Ezért is tartott ilyen rövid könyvet több mint egy hétbe elolvasni. És ezért sem fogom folytatni a sorozatot. A lezárása elég kerek, persze már volt egy-két utalás, hogy mi várható a következő könyv(ek)ben, de az sem csigázott fel, szóval nekem itt lesz vége a történetnek.
Összességében egy hangulatos, laza könyvet kaptam. Élveztem, de nem volt meg benne az extra, ezért a sorozatot ezzel be is fejeztem.

My 9 year old daughter read this and thoroughly enjoyed it. A fast paced, magical book about a girl called Abby who finds out that she has magical powers on her 13th birthday during quite a traumatic event and that there are other like her- one of whom is her sworn enemy. A brilliant fantasy story, with a bit of Buddy the Vampire slayer about it, this was a great read that captivated.

This was such a fun and magical story!
In this book we read the story through two perspectives; Abby and Robby. In the beginning they are best friends, but they fight about something and aren’t talking anymore. We then read from Abby’s perspective how she is a witch and learns how to do magic. While from Robby’s POV we also learn about witches, but more about the bad witches in relation to the disappearance of his mom and stepmom. It was very interesting to read these perspectives at the same time, since in this way we do know more than both characters.
This book is very big on friendship relations, and not only between Abby and Robby. Since they stop talking, they both build up a new friend group, and it was very nice to see these friendships develop!
As I mentioned at some point Robby’s stepmom disappears, and I think that was done really weirdly. It was as if no one else noticed besides our main characters?! I also thought the plot was a bit predictable. But maybe that is because I’m not the target audience!
I definitely recommend this book for younger readers, and I’m fairly interested in what this author will write next!

This will be such a great addition to those students of mine who are always asking for witch/warlock stories but without all of the spookiness. I love how the story carries you through the town’s secrets and how Abby is having to uncover not only about the town, but figure out herself and where she belongs now in Willow Cove.

I received an e-arc from Owl Hollow Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Abby and Robby are best friends. On Halloween, they decide to check out Whispering Hill, an old mental hospital in their town. While there, they are caught by a woman named Joanna. Joanna chases Abby and Robby off the property only to find Abby can fly. Abby finds out later on that upon turning 13 (on Halloween), she became a witch. Five other girls in her class also become witches on their 13th birthdays. The catch is that they are all from the same bloodline. The six girls have to piece together who is telling the truth between their new history teacher, Miss Winters (who looks a lot like Joanna), and Robby's stepmom, Tina.

I really liked The Witches of Willow Cove. It was a quick and fast-paced read. I really loved the characterization of all of the characters. All of them grew tremendously throughout the novel and became better people. They learned more about each other and all seemed to become friends at the end even though Abby and Olivia hated each other throughout the novel. The only downside I had was that I wanted more at the end of the novel. I wanted to know more about how the six girls were going to learn about magic after the epilogue. I hope Josh Roberts decides to write a sequel because I will definitely read it!

I feel like this fell a little flat for me. I can honestly say it was a solid 3 stars, and it's all personal preference. I didn't much care for the writing style. I just couldn't stay interested in the book and kept putting the book down. The characters were just alright but didn't again capture my attention. I really wanted to love his book. I would say that this isn't a bad middle grade and would still recommend for the intended age group.

This middle grade title was a lot of fun to read. There are good friendships, first boyfriends/girlfriends, a lot of action, and an interesting mystery at the heart of the novel. There were pop culture references that children today should understand. I particularly liked the reasoning for why the villain got too involved in the lives of the main characters. The similarities to Harry Potter were pretty obvious, but at least it wasn’t on a grand scale. I think my students would enjoy this book very much.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

There definitely wasn't a dull moment in this story! Between the magic, middle school mayhem and disappearances, Abby is trying to figure out how to balance being a witch and "normal" middle school. It was so interesting watching the story develop between Abby, her best friend Robby, and several other big characters in the story. I love how developed each of the characters were, and the fact that so many little hints kept you guessing what would happen next. I loved the touches of history in the book as well.

I thought this was a fantastic, spooky, magical middle-grade book! I can't wait to share it with my students!

What do you get when you put together magic, witches, middle school friendships, and mysterious disappearances? The Witches Of Willow Cove! This book has spooky elements that will reel in readers such as potentially haunted institution, mysterious caves/secret passageways, a history of Witchcraft, and familial connections to this history all over town. The characters don’t let their age stop them from doing the research, putting the clues together and using teamwork to try to figure out what is going on, and you just can’t help but cheer them on along the way.

On Halloween night every thing changes for Abby. She and her best friend Robby sneak up to an abandoned property on Whispering Hill, but Abby is unaware that Robby is actually trying to understand his mother’s disappearance. When a mysterious woman sends stone chimeras after her, she saves her own life and the life of Robby by flying away on a broom. That evening sets in motion a chain of events that reveals secrets about Abby, her ancestry, and the history of the town. Can Abby figure out what happened to Robby’s mom? Can she embrace her new abilities and protect her friends?

‪I grew up watching Sabrina the Teenage Witch so I really loved this spooky, fast paced story! ‬The references to the Salem witch trials make this story that much more engaging. I also appreciated that like Sabrina, Abby has to try to balance being a witch while surviving middle school (high school in Sabrina’s case).

My sixth graders are always asking for spooky stories and I’m eager to recommend this one!

Thank you to Josh Roberts for sharing this book with #BookAllies in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and IBPA / Owl Hollow Press for the ARC.

Very enjoyable middle-grade adventure, never a dull moment. From the creepy, atmospheric opening to the solid ending, The Witches of Willow Cove delivered. The pacing throughout was excellent, the characters were well-developed and the storyline did not give anything away to quickly. A fun read, looking forward to a possible sequel. 5 stars

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I love the story. It's been a while since I read a full-length novel. Every chapter excites me to the point where I can't easily stop reading it. It's a good story that talks about friendship and the experiences of kids turning to teens. I think it would be a good read for readers of all ages.

Well, this was quite a fun middle grade read. Full of mystery, history, friendships, bullies, jealousy, rivalries and magic. As an adult I enjoyed it. The younger middle-grade me would have devoured it.

What the description doesn’t do justice to is the fact that this is an ensemble cast. While it is true that Abby Shepherd is the main character, it is also true that her best friend Robby – a nonmagical person – plays a significant role as well. Even then there are several others with large ‘screen time’ such as Amethyst, whose hair color matches her name, Zeus, Becca, and Piper just to name a few. The strength of the book lies with these characters and the different avenues they take to learn the truth about recent events and the town’s history. Doing so helps the plotting of the story continually move forward, but the variety of characters also help provide a realistic town and school setting. After all, this is the age where kids start ‘noticing’ each other.

It all starts on the night certain girls turn 13. That’s when their magical abilities begin to manifest themselves. Some of the magic they experience seems to be person-specific and other types of magic is general to all. While our new magic users are becoming adjusted to this rather huge change two seemingly unrelated individuals mysteriously disappear. There is too much coincidence going on and some of our cast is split on learning spells while others are researching the town’s history.

If there are any issues with the story it would be with how one of our main characters handled a disappearance of someone they knew. While the individual and their parent were upset I felt it was glossed over a bit to help ensure the main story line plot continued to move forward.

Toward the end, we get the hint that perhaps there are more sinister events coming their way, but that will be for a future book.

Rating: 4 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Owl Hollow Press for the reader copy and opportunity to provide an honest review.

Thank you for the author and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars

I really liked this book. It gave me major Harry Potter vibes, except for the school situation. In this book we follow Abby and Robby, two best friends, on their journey of magic and witchcraft. We get to read from Abby's perspective as well as from Robby's. I really liked both characters and I think I could even be friends with them in real life!

The beginning of the story was a bit slow in my opinion, but that's okay. The story is full of action and suspense that makes you want to keep reading. Especially at the end I could no longer put the story away. I just had to read on, because I absolutely had to know what was going to happen.

Some things were fairly predictable, but that didn't make it any less fun! This book is right up my alley, and I think my younger me would have really loved the book. All in all, 3 stars. You should definitely give this one a shot if you like stories with magic!