Review: Witches of Brooklyn: What the Hex?!

Effie is settling into her new life in with her aunts in this sequel to Witches of Brooklyn. 

Witches of Brooklyn: What the Hex?!
By Sophie Escabasse
September 2021, RH Graphic Kids
Grades 4-8

It’s after Christmas and Effie’s aunts are bringing her into their close circle of witch friends. New to magic and just learning how to use and control her abilities, Effie is wowed by all these people who are immersed in a magical life. But in a meeting of a group of witches, one witch brings up odd happenings in her neighborhood of Park Slope. Freak accidents keep occurring at a specific intersection. Effie and her aunts will investigate.

Meanwhile, back at school, Effie is bothered by her best friend Berrit who ignored her all vacation. And now that school started again, a new girl seems to occupy all of Berrit’s time, making Effie very jealous. When the group of friends goes out and they all pass the mysterious intersection, the odd supernatural thing strikes and Berrit is its latest victim. Will Effie and her aunts be able to solve the mystery and stop whatever is going on? Will Effie make up with Berrit?

The rich colors make the artwork really pop out. The characters often fill the panels and yet the artist still adds much detail to the background, giving readers a strong sense of the setting. As in the first volume, Brooklyn and its neighborhoods are as much characters as Effie and her friends. 

The dynamic between Effie and her friends is easily relatable. Young readers will enjoy the mix of reality and supernatural with the quirky humor and build-up of suspense. A must for anyone who has read the first volume and even those who have not.

Filed under: Graphic Novels, Reviews