Review & Giveaway: WHITE WITCH POND by Jody Kihara

Cover: A pond at dusk. There is a mysterious shrouded woman in a boat. This creepy cover draws you in and sets the pace for the story.

First line: "Hurry up, Dev, it's getting dark. We have to get home."
Hmmm... Why in such a rush, Shaya? Are you scared of things that go bump in the night? Especially around spooky ponds? You should be...

Synopsis (courtesy of Goodreads): Shaya Solen’s walk home from school takes her past an eerie pond, where one day she finds an old bracelet made of raven feathers. Soon, strange events begin to unfold: a shadowy figure glimpsed across the water, ominous nightmares haunting Shaya, and rumors of a witch who once drowned in the pond. With the discovery of a strange family connection to the witch, Shaya is drawn into a mystery that must be solved before the approaching Halloween, which is the thirteenth anniversary of the witch’s death – and Shaya’s birthday.

Review: My favorite holiday of the year is Halloween. Call me crazy, but I just love all things spooky, creepy and scary. And today’s book pick, WHITE WITCH POND, is definitely a creepy, fun tale fitting of All Hallows Eve!

Shaya is a wise-beyond-her-years heroine who yanks you right into the story when she finds a bracelet made of feathers, hair and bone (not your everyday Claire’s accessory!). Soon after strange occurrences abound and Shaya can only figure they are linked to the bracelet...and the bracelet’s true owner...

Yay for the creep factor! Shaya becomes desparate to find the deeper meaning as the mystery of this treasure looms over her family, throwing their world upside down.

This is a middle grade novel that has a very fun and clever premise. Shaya is a very in-touch teenager who, even though only 12 years old, deftly leads the reader through this eerie tale with strength and courage. There is ultimately a mystery that has to be solved – with the anniversary of the witch’s death and Shaya’s 13th birthday – coming fast. I will admit that I wanted more from the development of the witch’s story, but even without that, WHITE WITCH POND was a refreshing and spooky Halloween read. It is geared toward middle grade, and while spooky, not so much that pre-teens couldn’t enjoy it, but probably not hefty enough for adult paranormal enthusiasts.

*4 Kindle hugs*

I look forward to future work from Jody Kihara. Thanks to her and Lightening Book Promotions for sponsoring an awesome Halloween blog tour!

To learn more about Jody, check out her website here. To pick up your own copy of WHITE WITCH POND, Amazon awaits you my dear! OR you can head on over to Jody’s facebook where she’s giving away 5 copies of the book!

Copy origin: Lightening Book Promotions

Check out these future stops on the blog tour!
• October 17th – Yara @ Once Upon A Twilight
• October 18th – Jennifer @ Can’t Put It Down
• October 19th – Cassandra @ Book & Movie Dimension
• October 20th – Kristin @ Kristin Can Read
• October 20th – Rachel @ Rachel’s Book Reviews
• October 21st – Beckie @ Bittersweet Enchantment
• October 22nd – Natalie @ Purple Jelly Bean Chair Reviews