Sometimes, you might not feel confident, as if everyone wants you to fail. You think that there can be a better version of you. Whatever you do, whatever you say, you feel as if it will never meet the expectations of the people around you. You are constantly in fear of the day that a stereotype about you, becomes a fact.
Ned, the protagonist of The Witch’s Boy by Kelly Barnhill, is constantly being doubted by everyone around him. Everyone is talking about that day when he should have died, instead of his twin brother, Tam. Ned and Tam are similar in almost every way. But everyone can see that Tam is better, smarter, and faster than Ned. One day, the boys decide to build a raft in an attempt to reach the sea. But their handiwork does not hold up well to the violent waves of the great river. The raft soon breaks into pieces, and their father can only save one of the drowning twins. The father immediately grabs the boy closest to him, and pulls him out of the river. But soon, everyone noticed that he saves the wrong boy, Ned, not Tam. From that day on, Ned is constantly pressured by all the people who know that he will never be as good as his brother. He has to try to lift a huge burden off his chest, and escape the cloud of sorrow and regret.
Ned’s need to prove himself is relatable to almost every teenager. I believe that sometime in every teenager’s life, they have wanted to show others their capabilities. This is what makes the conflict so relatable to young readers like myself. This helps the readers connect to the characters in the book and better understand their emotions. When the villagers figured out that Ned is the one who survives, they become disappointed with the father’s mistake. The wrong boy, people said, “The wrong boy, the world said. Year after year after year. And Ned believes it”(16). The more pressure that people apply, the more Ned is going to want a way out. As a teenager, I can easily relate to Ned. This feeling of needing to prove something is a motivation that keeps people going. By adding this conflict to the story, it makes this book so much more enjoyable for readers of all ages, but especially teenagers.
Kelly Barnhill also includes very descriptive phrases and metaphors in the story. This makes reading the book a lot more fun and exciting. This is one of the main reasons why this book is a page-turner. Every phrase leads you to more, every metaphor makes you want the next. In the sentence, “Still, each day he bent under the weight of his guilt and his sadness, a great millstone around his neck”(15) she uses interesting metaphors like a great millstone or the weight of his guilt. Kelly Barnhill is able to show what an experienced writer she is by placing little gems like this throughout the book. While reading this book, the readers can easily create an image of what is happening in the book, which is an effective and easy way to make the plot a lot more intriguing.
The Witch’s Boy is filled with thrill, love, hope, and adventure, and this is the type of book that fantasy readers will love. The book is really exciting but still quite an easy read. In the book, Kelly Barnhill takes the readers on an emotional roller coaster non-stop throughout the story. Even though fantasy readers might like the plot more, any reader will like the interactions of the characters in the book.
Reading this book reminded me of another book by Kelly Barnhil, The Girl Who Drank The Moon. I thought of this book because just like The Witch’s Boy, the protagonist, Luna, is also trying to find her purpose in life. After I read both books, I was able to feel the connection between Luna, and Ned. Though they live in completely different worlds, the similar struggles they face challenge them to break out of their shells and stand up for themselves. Kelly Barnhill’s interesting writing style really shows in The Girl Who Drank The Moon, If a reader likes even one of her books, then they will like all of them. An online book review of The Girl Who Drank The Moon is linked here: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/the-girl-who-drank-the-moon
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