great fractured fairy-tale, especially because you only slowly realize that you are in the middle of a fractured fairy tale. Lump, the main character, is often very unlikable, but redeems himself in the end. ( )

I really enjoyed the audio version of this. The narrator, Denis O'Hare, did a wonderful job with the voices. Lump is a very unlikeable character for most of the book. After a while I became impatient wondering when things would turn around. Lump was abandoned as an infant and taken in by a witch. He leads a very unconventional childhood, and eventually brings hardship to his family. Folk and fairy tales are given a remix throughout the novel, and makes for some fun. ( )

Yet another recommendation from a fellow LTer, The Witch's Boy was every bit as delightful as I had hoped. It tells the story of Lump, a boy who was abandoned as a baby and raised by a witch, with the help of a bear-nursemaid. Gruber manages to tie in a number of classic fairytales, though his versions are somewhat different from those we all know. The story follows Lump through a charmed (if less than happy) childhood, through a disastrous adolescence, and ends with him as a young adult. Although this is definitely a fantasy novel, it's also very much a coming-of-age novel, in the best sense. Lump is screwed up, in a pretty serious way, and Gruber doesn't shrink from portraying him as a complete jerk. As a protagonist, he's not very likable for most of the book. The reader understands why he does the things he does, but can't help but want to smack him upside the head sometimes. Oftentimes, if the reader is me.

One of my biggest complaints about modern children's/ya literature is that it so often tries to paint the world as more kindly, or people as more benevolent than they are. In some books (such as Little Lord Fauntleroy, one of my all-time favorites) this makes sense in the context of the novel; in others (I'm blanking on an example right now), it doesn't, and just feels contrived. The Witch's Boy, on the other hand, painted the world as a diverse place; some of the people are horrible, while others are generous and loving. Kind of like the real world, eh? Since the book can be really sad, and some pretty awful things happen, I wouldn't recommend this for really little ones, but its ultimate resolutions make it highly recommendable for junior high readers (or adults, of course).

So good job, Mr. Gruber. You get a solid thumbs up from me, both for ingenuity with your plot, and for honesty in your portrayal of humanity. ( )

I've read thirty-two books so far this year. I would put it in the top 10.

I LOVE twists-on-classics even before Gregory Maguire came out with "Wicked." Angela Carter does some great short stories. Fables is a great graphic novel series. Post-Maguire, Jasper Fforde has done a couple of kick-ass series (Nursery Crimes and The Eyre Affair/Thursday Next) and Frank Beddor's "Looking Glass Wars."

My description: Goblin Lump is left as a baby in the hollow of a tree for a witch to find. His nurse is a bear, his tutor is a demon prince, and his mother's confidant is a cat. The witch can't bear to spend much time with him, but when she does, she spoils him and never lets on that he's anything but a beautiful boy. Once he grows and realizes the truth, he becomes sulky and selfish. He wastes all his mother's sacrifices and puts them all in danger. Growing up, he meets many different characters. The name is familiar to you and I, but the stories make it appear we've been lied to all these years. The biggest mystery is who is Lump. If we find out, he may perish.

I enjoyed the extras in the book: an interview with Gruber, his advice to writers, the background of the story, and his top ten "weird books" (which are most of my faves, anyways).

Awesome cover as well. :D ( )

An odd take on fairy tales. It mixes up Rumpelstiltskin, Cinderella, Snow White, and several other stories in a very clever way. Highly recommend if you liked Wicked or enjoy take offs of fairy fairy tales. ( )

A story that skirts around fairy stories and magically interweaves reality into the tale. Deft and amusing this is an entertaining story of an ugly child who is rescued by a witch and ends up learning about life the hard way.

I loved the story and wished it went on longer, this is an author I will read more of in the future, his modern-day detective stories are entertaining but his young adult fantasy is simply wonderful. It was a very satisfying read. ( )

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