Being A Witch: And Other Things I Didn’t Ask For, by Sarah Pascoe.

5.0 out of 5 stars A quirky, magical read.

Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2024

Sarah Pascoe’s, ‘Being A Witch: And Other Things I Did’nt Ask For’ is a fantastical tale which will fascinate and entertain YA readers as it explores the challenges of adolescence and offers escapism in the form of magical adventures with witches, time travel and a cat named Oscar.

Reya is 14 years old and living in foster care in London. She’s decided that she’d prefer to live alone and escape the system, just as she discovers that she has magical powers which allow her to hear the thoughts of others, including her cat, Oscar.

The author, a child psychologist, engages her readers as we follow Reya on her journey back in time to the Essex Witch Trials of the 16th century: not exactly the desired destination for a young emerging witch, like Reya.

This delightful tale will captivate YA readers with themes of the supernatural, providing a good blend of reality and fantasy but the overarching theme is clearly about friendship and being true to one’s self.

Being a Witch, and Other Things I Didn’t Ask For

by Sarah Pascoe