Do you believe in witches?

The Wildstorm Curse

Author: Eve Wersocki Morris @MzEvieMo

Front cover illustrator: Paola Escobar @paolaeeco8ar

Published by: Hodder Children’s Books @HachetteKids

Published on: 19th January 2023

Price: £7.99

ISBN: 978 1 444 96334 2

First line: Kallie Tamm was never meant to arrive at Wildstorm Theatre Camp in the dead of night.

Genre: Mystery, Adventure, Theatre

Age: 9+

What’s it all about? Kallie is a shy young girl with a thirst to write, especially for writing play scripts. So when she enters a playwriting competition to win a summer holiday at a theatre camp, she is hopeful that her dreams might come true. At Wildstorm Theatre Camp, Kallie makes friends, overcomes her shyness and battles a mysterious entity that is roaming through the village, the camp and the countryside. Can Kallie help her best friend’s family to put on a theatre production against the odds and battle the witchcraft that seems to have travelled through 400 years of time?

Why should I read it? I have to say, that initially, from reading the blurb, I wasn’t too hopeful that it was the type of book for me. I still think that the opening promises little. However, as I read through the story, the main character, Kallie, really came alive for me, and I was attuned to her hopes and thoughts. The story wasn’t too hung up on emotion and the adventure had twists and turns, ups and downs and plot intrigues that kept me reading. I enjoyed Kallie’s nervous nature at the beginning, when she stammers while talking to people, to her determination to confront people towards the end, for example when she jumps up to go and investigate Mr Mildew’s office for a missing manuscript. The magic and witchcraft is present, but isn’t stuffed down your throat. I like how the evil entity is kept slightly in the background throughout most of the story, and just appears by itself in its own chapters every now and again to keep you on your toes. A great read for fans of drama, history, witches and finding your confidence!