The Thickety: A Path Begins

The followers of the Path have left the sinful world behind to live in the isolated community of De'Noran, which is increasingly encroached upon by the Thickety, the domain of the forest demon Sordyr. Kara Westfall's mother was executed for the crime of witchcraft, and now her family ekes out a living under the burden of the community's suspicion. It falls to 12-year-old Kara to keep her sickly younger brother and dysfunctional father alive. She negotiates the treacherous road of a pariah, attempting to persuade a proto-Puritanical society that she is harmless, even while the dangerously addictive powers she has inherited from her mother well up within her. In this darkly imaginative debut, White creates a fantasy world with creatures that are anything but sweet--a cyclopean bird, a multi-mouthed horror--and, after a deceptively satisfying resolution, he unfurls a twist that will make readers want the next chapter of Kara's story immediately. White's prose is evocative without being dense, and Offermann's sharp-edged silhouettes (not all seen by PW) add an ominous note. Absolutely thrilling. Ages 8-12. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, Janklow & Nesbit. (May)

Gr 5-8--"There is no such thing as a good witch." These words, well known to all the villagers of De'Noran, haunt 12-year-old Kara Westfall. Ostracized and abused, she and her brother are the children of the last known witch, who was hanged on the edge of the Thickety when Kara was five. As the tangled branches of the dark, forbidden forest spread closer to the village, something strange and powerful awakens in Kara. Was her mother's magic truly evil? White's debut novel is darkly bewitching. The isolation of De'Noran and the fervor of its residents create a heady suspense, and White's well-crafted characters operate beautifully within the fantastical world he has created. Offerman's inky silhouettes perfectly complement the story. Readers will devour each twist and turn of the plot, right up to the startling conclusion.--Sara Saxton, Wasilla Public Library, Wasilla, AK