The Gingerbread Witch

by Alexandra Overy

Overview

“A magical tale, brimming with heart." —Anne Ursu, National Book Award–long-listed author of The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy

Maud has grown up in a house made of gingerbread, wanting nothing more than to be a witch like Mother Agatha. But just like all of Agatha's gingerbread creations—from the magical house to the chocolate mousse squirrel—Maud will turn back into crumbs if anything ever happens to Agatha.
This seems unthinkable…until Hansel and Gretel, a pair of witch hunters, push Agatha into the cottage's oven.
To save herself and the other creations, Maud will have to go into the dangerous forest of the Shadelands to find the First Witch's spellbook. But with witch hunters on her trail and others interested in the book for their own means, can Maud bring back the only mother she's ever known…or will witch hunters capture her before she can save her gingerbread family?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781335453716
Publisher:	Inkyard Press
Publication date:	08/01/2023
Series:	The Gingerbread Witch , #1
Edition description:	First Time Trade
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	176,606
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Alexandra Overy grew up in London and moved to Los Angeles to pursue her undergraduate degree in history at UCLA, where she also completed her MFA in screenwriting, and stuck around for the weather and great ice cream. She loves writing in all formats, always centering on fierce women and morally gray characters, often with a bit of magic and murder. When she’s not writing, she can be found baking, fangirling over her favorite books, or cuddling her foster kittens.

Editorial Reviews

10/10/2022

After witch-hunting Wolves reduce her mentor to ash, a 12-year-old aspiring witch fashioned of enchanted gingerbread must find a way to restore things in an innovative “Hansel and Gretel” subversion from Overy (the These Feathered Flames series). To maintain the form given to her by Mother Agatha—as well as that of other confectionary creations, including Nuss, a squirrel made of mousse—Maud must retrieve the spell book of the First Witch, long hidden in ancient glade deep in the deadly Shadelands. Inadvertently joining a caravan of Wolves, including Hansel and Gretel, who claim responsibility for Agatha’s destruction, Maud must hide her true nature and her mission. As the journey takes them deeper into the Shadelands, she finds common ground with those who would destroy her, but newfound friendships may not be enough to overcome age-old enmity. Maud’s good nature and sense of loyalty makes her a memorable protagonist in this refreshing fairy tale twist that considers the witch’s point of view. Most characters read as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Patrice Caldwell, New Leaf Literary & Media. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"An enticing fable that celebrates unlikely friendships, unconventional families, and an uncommon hero trying to prove she’s made of more than she appears. The Gingerbread Witch is a magical tale, brimming with heart." —Anne Ursu, National Book Award Longlisted author of The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy


“A modern reimagining that reads like a well-told fairy-tale classic.” —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2022-06-22
After Mother Agatha, who raised her in a gingerbread house, is burned to ashes, 12-year-old Maud sets out through the dangerous Shadelands in search of a way to bring her back to life.

Overy’s new spin on fairy-tale favorites is a series opener that includes characters from "Hansel and Gretel" and "Little Red Riding Hood"—plus a three-legged wolf with violet fur aptly named Grim. Maud is not quite human but not fully witch either—she’s a creation of Mother Agatha, who quite literally made her from enchanted gingerbread. After Agatha is pushed into a fire by witch-hunting Wolves, Maud seeks to revive her from the ashes. Along the way, she encounters the Wolves and a mysterious witch named Vira and learns to trust her instincts. Overy’s story is well paced; the sense of urgency around saving Agatha keeps the pages turning. Maud’s sidekicks—Grim and two gingerbread-made creatures, Nuss the squirrel and Florian the vulture—are utterly charming and full of personality. While most of the plot threads are tied together at the end, a few details are frustratingly left unresolved, possibly leaving room for a sequel. Although made from gingerbread, Maud is described as having white skin.

A modern reimagining that reads like a well-told fairy-tale classic. (map) (Fantasy. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews