What worked:
Ayda doesn’t have many friends, and her teacher has frequent
problems with her. Villagers accuse her mother of being a witch, so Ayda dreams
of fleeing to Witch Marsh. She’s chosen to sacrifice her life to protect all of
Zandia, but she doesn’t want to give her life for people who hate her. When an
entourage arrives to take her away, a Wilder named Sunny helps her escape. His
role is to lead Ayda to her destination, but he says he’ll take her to Witch
Marsh or to the Pit where she’ll be sacrificed. It’s up to her, but he warns
that Witch Marsh may not turn out as she expects.
Sunny is the most interesting character, and readers will
suspect he’s much older than he seems. He always seems to know about future
events, but he never tells Ayda what she should do. He pops up to offer
assistance and counsel and speaks to Ayda in her dreams, too. He performs nature
magic, repels witch spells, and Aden says he must be a wizard. Sunny always
wears a smile, and his confidence always makes Ayda want to trust him. Some of
his recommendations seem to put her life in danger, making Ayda seriously think
about what he says.
A witch named Dara tells Ayda that being a witch is about
power. “And power comes from being the one inflicting the pain, not being the
one receiving it.” Ayda’s major internal conflict is deciding whether she
should venture to Witch Marsh or follow Sunny’s idea and travel to the Pit. Readers
will think that it’s best if she does as Sunny says, but how can her sacrifice
at the Pit be the best decision? On the other hand, Ayda already displays tattoos
that identify her as a witch. So doesn’t it make sense that she should go to
the Witch Marsh, where she’ll be accepted by witches just like herself?
What didn’t work as well:
Ayda and Dara form a bond as events evolve, but it’s unexpected and
a little confusing. Dara spits threats and demonstrates how witches inflict
pain, but Ayda still feels a need to protect her. Ayda seems to care more for
Dara than the witch feels for her.
The final verdict:
The story presents many twists and turns, so young readers may be frequently
surprised. A case can be made that the book is a metaphorical look at God and
the Devil. Overall, I recommend you give this book a shot.
