Monday, July 06, 2009

The Witches of Dredmoore Hollow by Riford McKenzie

Elijah worries constantly and is known for his less than courageous nature. He suspects that his family's ancient farm, Dredmoore Hollow, is haunted, and lives in a state of constant fear. His worst fears are realized when his two creepy aunts appear at the Dredmore farm for a family visit. His mother and father mysteriously disappear the following day. Elijah has no choice but to accompany his aunts to their home in Moaning Marsh. While there, he can't help but notice that the only customers at his aunt's salon, Magic Snippers, seem almost bewitched and that the hired man has a werewolf as a pet. He comes to the realization that his aunts must be witches, and evil ones at that. But what do they want with Elijah?

Overall, the Witches of Dredmoore Hollow was a fun book to read, although it wasn't exactly a page-turner. Despite the fact that Elijah's aunts were supposed to be frightening, I didn't feel worried for Elijah's fate. I did like the characters of the always-worried Elijah and brave Dez, but they simply weren't enough to keep me interested. I wish the plot had been more complicated and faster-moving. On the positive side, I thought the book was well-written. I would recommend it to readers who are interested in witches or in the time frame of the early 1900's.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Chula Vista, CA USA