The Red Witch

"Rebecca Love finds herself strangely attracted to one of the pirates that roamed the shores of Salem Massachusetts three hundred years ago"--Cover.

From School Library Journal

Gr 10 Up-The ghost of a pirate, called out of the tree imprisoning him to answer a question on All Hallow's Eve, snatches young Wiccan Rebecca Love into the Salem of 300 years past. Rebecca must use her wits, courage, and understanding of the magical universe to reverse a centuries-old curse that links the fates of three families. Then, she must find her way home to the future. Devlin weaves elaborate Wiccan rituals and supernatural experiences throughout an already fantastical tale. Unfortunately, character development, while not the only element wanting, is the most prominent fault of the story. The author includes too many descriptions of her characters, and too few actions that would allow them to develop more naturally. In fact, the excessive descriptions are often saccharine. Rebecca Love is a lovely, intoxicating, enchanting, charming, graceful, and beautiful paper darling. Likewise, her older friend Peter is described frequently as wise, awe-inspiring, majestic, and intelligent, and he has second sight to top off the professorial perfection. The brash, bawdy, ghost pirate of serpentine grace speaks with an affected accent that reeks of children's breakfast-cereal commercials. The other characters fare no better. Even those with a high demand for books about Wiccans will want to pass on this one.-Trish Anderson, Pinkerton Elementary School, Coppell, TXCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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