The Witching Stone by Danny Weston ( Amazon.com )

uclanpublishing, 2020

ISBN-13: 13579108642

Available: Paperback

The Witching Stone by Danny Weston is an enjoyable read for young readers who appreciate coming-of-age stories with a touch of mystery and horror. Danny Weston is the pseudonym for Phillip Caveney, who has written many thrillers for adults, children and teenagers, some of which have won prizes.

Teenager Alfie Travers has just been dumped by his longtime girlfriend. Alfie agrees to accompany his father on a job in a small English village, but is prepared to be bored out of his gourd. Killing time in the church graveyard, he sees a large stone marking the grave of the alleged witch Meg Shelton, who died in 1705. Mia, a goth teen, challenges him to summon the witch by walking counterclockwise around the stone three times, while intoning “I don’t believe in witches!”

Of course, Meg apparates before Alfie. She claims she’s not a witch and that her infant son was taken from her. Meg threatens to kill everyone Alfie loves if he doesn’t find the grave of her son.

Alfie and Mia search for clues. Meg, impatient for progress, shows her anger by turning the village’s milk sour, putting toads in muesli, and blowing up computers. Alfie and Mia’s search takes them to library archives, the ruins of Meg’s cottage and a viscount’s estate with an impenetrable maze of yews. Was Meg a witch? How did she die? What happened to her son?

The plot is straightforward and easy to follow. The narrative is simple and direct. There are only a few punctuation errors. Recommended for ages 10-14.

Contains: discussion of teenage pregnancy

Reviewed by Robert D. Yee