Green, whose lyrical narration was the hallmark of Hoffman's survival story Green Angel (2003), returns in an equally spellbinding tale that emphasizes themes of rebirth. A year after Green lost her family in the fiery destruction of an unnamed city, those living in a nearby village struggle to reinvent their lives. Some, rumored witches, choose to isolate themselves. Green, now almost 17, feels compelled to record their losses, but is also determined to discover the fates of two friends: Heather, a former schoolmate, and Diamond, the mute boy who stole her heart. Her quest takes her to an island of prisoners, where she discovers old acquaintances and strangers who have suffered as much as she. Banded together, they have the power to change the course of the future. Hoffman's sparse prose encapsulates the pain of grief and the resiliency of the human spirit, and suggests that love is a stronger force than tyranny. Haunting, philosophical, and filled with poetic imagery (“my beloved city is still in pieces, the buildings like silver stars—some fallen, some rising, some constant in the sky”) this book will leave an indelible mark. Ages 12-up. (Mar.)
A horrific explosion has destroyed Green's city, and she is left an orphan, depressed and grieving for what she misses. Her idyllic world is destroyed, but she gradually begins to employ her gardening skills to create lush surroundings for her solitary hut. Green feels the pain of total bereavement; family and friends have disappeared, along with the young man she loved. Her belief in the future is challenged at every turn. Green undertakes a quest to tell the stories of the Enchanted, witches who live outside her village. She seeks those who are imprisoned on a lonely island and finds strength during the journey in magical assistance, charms, and advice from the witches. The power of women who persevere is foremost in this lyrical novel of a brave teen battling evil. This haunting fable will appeal to mature teens with a bent for soul-searching. Reviewer: Judith A. Hayn
Green has the gifts of telling stories and of making things grow. After the Horde destroys the city and her parents and sister, Green at first goes into hiding, tattooing vines on her arms. But soon her neighbors are asking for help from her and soon she is writing their stories. Then she seeks out the women called the Enchanted of whom her neighbors tell mean stories. She wants to see if the mean stories are true but instead finds sorrowing women whose lives were shattered in the Hordes' destruction. Along the way she brings life and hope to those she meets. She looks for the meaning of love and how to get one's heart's desire. She also hunts for her own true love but does not know where to find him. In the end, of course, she does find answers and her love, making her world a better place as she goes. I found this to be an enchanting story, told in a quiet and lyrical voice, with lots of gentle messages. Reviewer: Sarah Maury Swan
Children's Literature - Sarah Maury Swan
Green Witch continues the story begun in Green Angel (Scholastic, 2003/VOYA April 2003) of remarkable Green, a teenage girl who, after losing her family in a terrible tragedy, is able to find the inner strength to carry on. Green is alone again because Diamond, the boy she loves, has gone to search for his family. Green's village is reviving—the destroyed city is slowly being rebuilt; hope is struggling to survive, even though the Horde still wants to destroy what they consider a sinful civilization. Although Green is considered a valuable member of the community due to her marvelous gardening skills, she is unhappy and longs for Diamond. Thirteen-year-old Troy wants to find his sister, so he and Green set off to find their missing people. Green Witch is divided into five parts: "Stone Witch," "Sky Witch," "Rose Witch," "River Witch," and "Green Witch." Like Green, these women have walked through pain and anguish and emerged changed, yet strong. In each chapter, Green gains wisdom and strength from these women, enabling her to continue her quest to find her one true love. Hoffman's magical realism shines strongly in this book, which is beautifully written with perfectly chosen words. This small yet strongly affecting volume offers profound thoughts on life, love, and loss. Like Green Angel, Green Witch can be read as a parable for our times; some scenes are evocative of the 9/11 tragedy, and the Horde members are religious zealots. This excellent novel should especially appeal to female readers. Reviewer: Rachelle Bilz
Gr 9–11—Green, 17, who first appeared in Hoffman's Green Angel(Scholastic, 2003), continues in the wake of her family's and town's decimation by a group known as the Horde, who despise modern invention, the future, and any type of growth. Green, called so due to her ability to make things grow, has shown inner growth from the time of being isolated and brutalized, both by the events brought on by the Horde and at her own hand, to the present when she is now reconnecting with other survivors in the town. "Loss does different things to different people…I have planted a garden, reached out to my neighbors, begun to write down my story." And so she does, going on a soul-searching quest for answers about the nature of life, love, and the future. Four of the neighbors she speaks to are said to be witches, but they are the sages of the story who impart wisdom and gifts unto Green that serve her well on her quest. With the help she gains from their counsel, she sets off in an attempt to free prisoners from the Horde's prison, and also to test the waters of her own strength and capacity for love. Hoffman's spare language leads to a story sounding as if it were being told by a sage. It is a language and voice promising more stories from Green, more growth to be seen within herself and within the hearts and spirits of the people. If this makes for a Green Witch, readers will find her a welcome witch indeed.—Tracy Weiskind, Chicago Public Library
Also trancelike and infused with magical realism, this belated sequel to Green Angel (2003) brings Hoffman's tale of recovery from utter inner and outer devastation to a tidy close. A year after the destruction of her equally adored city and family by the Luddite, book-burning Horde, Green leaves her wildly luxuriant gardens to receive wisdom and talismans from four women rumored to be witches and then to free her beloved Diamond and others being held captive in an island prison. Her present-tense narration and intense inner focus combine with the plot's many folkloric and ritualistic elements to create a tale that is short on action but long on emotional depth and metaphoric resonance. In the end the Horde's armies are conveniently destroyed by a single massive explosion, but it's Green's healing as she celebrates her 18th birthday amid a new, extended family that brings her a truer, deeper peace. Just the thing for readers eager to be captured by a tale of sundered hearts rendered in lyrical prose. (Fantasy. YA)
