Kiki's Delivery Service meets Over the Garden Wall in this darkly whimsical YA fantasy debut about a young witch trying to free an Appalachian town from an evil magician's curse.
Foxfire, a small town "in the heart of a valley, at the base of a mountain" used to be accessible only "by an old swinging bridge." When the town fell on hard times, "a salesman wearing a slick, striped suit" and calling himself Earl took advantage of the townspeople's desperation. Earl offered shady deals--"Fair weather in exchange for your ability to see the color blue. A full head of hair for the lyrics to your favorite song."--until folks ran him out of town. Earl "escaped into the hills," where he grew more powerful and monstrous. He destroyed the bridge and trapped the residents of Foxfire, cursing the land. Years later, someone in Foxfire gets a message out: "We're cursed. Send help!" Traveling teen witch-in-training Verity Vox receives the note. She and her shape-shifting familiar, Jack, head off on broomstick to "break ourselves a curse." But Verity's powers are tested in Foxfire as she searches for the source of Earl's power.
Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire combines elements of fantasy, folk horror, and historical fiction with rich characterization, commentary on poverty and exploitation, and a subtle yet sweet queer romance. Author Don Martin's exceptional prose is by turns cozy ("the smell of sweet rolls wafting from a nearby oven") and sinister ("the voice sounded like bones, like acid breaking down a corpse.") This atmospheric and heartfelt story of community and coming-of-age is sure to bewitch readers. --Alanna Felton, freelance reviewer