The Witch's Boy

By Michael Grubber

"Once upon a time, in a faraway country, there was a woman who lived by herself in the middle of the great forest." So begins the story of a woman who finds an ugly distorted baby in the woods and decides to raise him as her own, calling him Lump, for that was how he looked. While the woman is wise in the ways of magic, she knows little of being a mother, as she gives the bear Ysul to be Lump's nursmaid, and a djinn to be his tutor. As can be expected, all does not go well, and many misfortunes befall both the woman and the boy.

Because of his ugliness, Lump is cruelly treated, and harbors a self-loathing that even magic cannot cure. He begins wearing a mask to hide his face, and shuns the people who would have been friends. With clever ways of inserting old fairy tales into the workings of this grand fairy tale of the Witch's Boy, it is both well written, and heartfelt. Lump's journey into becoming a man is one no one will want to miss, as it is filled with heartache, sadness, magic, and in the end, a joy above all.

I recently read this book for the second time, and I just love it. The first time I read it, I was really quite depressed while reading it, pity for Lump mixed in with my disappointment in his choices. He was an ideal main character, and while he makes some very horrible decisions, he also turns into a character that everyone will love. This book starts rather happy, then turns darker and darker, only to have the sun shining at high noon at the very last page. I would reccomend this book to anyone who likes fairytales, though this one is completely original. You'll find the stories of Cinderella, Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretl, and even Rumplstilskin intertwined within the pages. It's fun to try and find them as you're reading. It's a fun coming of age book with a magical twist.