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In a world where evil witches and wizards are wreaking havoc, only the most evil witch in the world can right the wrongs of her peers...
Once upon a time, in a forest called Bright, Marily, a four-year-old girl, lived happily with her parents; a good witch called Goodypie and her husband, Mr. Goodweather.
All the creatures of the forest loved Goodypie because she could always ruin the evil potions of Meanloudmouth, a very bad witch.
One day, while Goodypie was boiling some plants and flowers in her big cooking pot, Marily noticed a little house appear in the pot. Suddenly, Marily fell into the pot and by the time she was rescued by her mother, Marily had changed into a mean-spirited and wicked person. Marily ran into the forest and away from home.
As her parents were trying desperately to find her, they discovered that their daughter had turned into the notorious Badfreaky, the evilest witch of them all, who could silence any enemy by turning them into stone.
Marily is only four years old when a curse originally meant for her mother is accidentally cast on her (when she tumbles into a boiling potion pot - don't worry; she doesn't get burned).
Running away from home, the spell ages Marily 20 years very rapidly, and pits her against the very witch who transformed her from a lovely young girl into the most evil witch in the world.
Along the way, we follow the life of Meanloudmouth, the witch responsible for Marily's curse and numerous other wrongs, which Marily (AKA Badfreaky after turning evil) must right before the end of the book.
Allow me to start by saying this is NOT a middle-grade fantasy meant for the lower age of Middle-Grade (usually 8-12 years old). It straddles the line between upper Middle-Grade and the lower YA (ages 12-18), with dark content reminiscent of classic Brother's Grimm tales. Parents are turned to stone, a bird is illustrated bleeding out upon a table at one point, and Badfreaky kills another character by shrinking them into non-existence. Parental judgement is advised.
With that in mind, Badfreaky - The Meanest Witch is a wonderfully modernized fairytale with classic morals and implications for today's young readers. Children learn about love, loss, not to take loved ones for granted, the consequences of one's actions, the responsibility to do what is right even if the outcome appears unfair, and more.
Many of the illustrations are lovely, but a few have a more intermediate illustration style. The bulky paragraphs may make this read unsuited for readers who do not retain details well, and there are several scenes which require the reader to literally re-write portions to understand what is being said (a pro for hands-on readers, a con for readers who are appalled at the idea of writing in a storybook).
It is evident throughout that Adamopoulis put a lot of thought into the readership for his story. There are one or two confusing points that resolve themselves by the end, and ultimately this is a happily-ever-after story with a potential for future works.
Lovers of Grimm's Fairytales and A Series of Unfortunate Events-style darkness may enjoy this book very much.
**Trigger warning: Death shown, animal violence and blood shown, child endangerment shown, child labor/kidnapping, runaway children**
Reviewed by
I am a USA Today Bestselling author and developmental editor with 10+ years of experience. I am a huge fan of Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, J.R.R. Tolkien, Clare B. Dunkle, and Timothy Zahn. I also enjoy indie works by Nicole Wells, Andrei Saygo, and Luke Courtney.
Synopsis
Once upon a time, in a forest called Bright, Marily, a four-year-old girl, lived happily with her parents; a good witch called Goodypie and her husband, Mr. Goodweather.
All the creatures of the forest loved Goodypie because she could always ruin the evil potions of Meanloudmouth, a very bad witch.
One day, while Goodypie was boiling some plants and flowers in her big cooking pot, Marily noticed a little house appear in the pot. Suddenly, Marily fell into the pot and by the time she was rescued by her mother, Marily had changed into a mean-spirited and wicked person. Marily ran into the forest and away from home.
As her parents were trying desperately to find her, they discovered that their daughter had turned into the notorious Badfreaky, the evilest witch of them all, who could silence any enemy by turning them into stone.
About the author
I am a teacher at a Primary School in Athens, Greece. I live here with my wife and my daughter Marily. I like sports, traveling and fairy tales. This book is the first of a series of books. I just published the second book in the series:'' Badfreaky, the cherry snake and the indecisive dragon". view profile
Published on April 10, 2021
20000 words
Genre: Middle Grade
Reviewed by
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