Draft:The Witch Boy
| |
| Author | Lee Knox Ostertag |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Lee Knox Ostertag |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Graphix |
| No. of books | 3 |
The Witch Boy is a graphic novel fantasy trilogy by Lee Knox Ostertag. The series consists of The Witch Boy, The Hidden Witch, and The Midwinter Witch, published by Graphix from 2017 to 2019. The series follows Aster, a boy who violates his society’s gender norms to practice witchcraft.
Plot
[edit]The Witch Boy
[edit]Aster is a young boy in a society where men have the ability to shapeshift while women can perform witchcraft. He desires to be a witch instead of a shapeshifter, however his parents and community refuse, telling him of a great-uncle that attempted to learn witchcraft with disastrous results. After a mysterious beast begins abducting boys in Aster's community, he and his new friend Charlie, a girl from outside the community without magic abilities, resolve to use witchcraft to save them.[1][2][3]
The Hidden Witch
[edit]Aster, now openly practicing witchcraft, is tasked by her grandmother to help her brother Mikasi. Meanwhile, Charlie attempts to befriend Ariel, a new girl at her school and a foster child, who turns out to be a witch.[2][4]
The Midwinter Witch
[edit]Aster participates in a witchcraft competition at the local Midwinter Festival, but his parents fear that his extended family will not accept him. Ariel, now living with Aster's family, is confronted with a woman who claims to be related to her.[5]
Reception
[edit]Kirkus Reviews gave starred reviews to the first two books, and additionally positively reviewed The Midwinter Witch, praising the art and worldbuilding and remarking on the diverse cast, with Aster, Charlie, and Ariel being biracial, Black, and Latina respectively, and Charlie having two fathers.[1][4][5] For The Hidden Witch, the reviewer also praised the complex depiction of bullying, with Ariel both bullying and being bullied.[4]
School Library Journal gave The Witch Boy a starred review and included it on a list of the Top 10 Graphic Novels of 2018.[6][7] It also reviewed the sequels[8][9]
Publisher Weekly, reviewing the first book, stated that the "family-centered narrative is warm and wholesome", though they criticized Aster's internal conflict as predictable and too similar to existing stories about gender non-conformance.[3]
The Witch Boy won the 2018 Cybils Award for Graphic Novel, with The Hidden Witch being a finalist for the 2019 edition of the award.[10][11] The Witch Boy also won the 2018 Prism Award for Best Comic from a Mainstream Publisher.[12] Additionally, all three books were included in the list of Great Graphic Novels for Teens by the American Library Association.[13][14][15]
Film adaption
[edit]In 2021, Netflix announced it would be creating an animated musical film based on The Witch Boy, to be directed by Minkyu Lee, director of Adam and Dog, and with music from HAIM.[16][17][18]
References
[edit]- 1 2 THE WITCH BOY | Kirkus Reviews.
- 1 2 Kaplan, Avery (2019-10-31). "Queerness in Comics: THE WITCH BOY and THE HIDDEN WITCH". The Beat. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- 1 2 "The Witch Boy". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- 1 2 3 THE HIDDEN WITCH | Kirkus Reviews.
- 1 2 THE MIDWINTER WITCH | Kirkus Reviews.
- ↑ Keller, Esther. "Review: The Witch Boy". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ "Top 10 Graphic Novels | 2018". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ "The Hidden Witch". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ "The Midwinter Witch". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ "2018 Cybils Winners". www.cybils.com. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
- ↑ "2019 Cybils Finalists". www.cybils.com. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
- ↑ MacDonald, Heidi (2018-07-25). "2018 Prism Award Winners: Ostertag, Deliquanti and more". The Beat. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ "2018 Great Graphic Novels for Teens | Young Adult Library Services Association". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
- ↑ "2019 Great Graphic Novels for Teens | Young Adult Library Services Association". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
- ↑ "2020 Great Graphic Novels for Teens | Young Adult Library Services Association". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
- ↑ Kaplan, Avery (2021-01-28). "THE WITCH BOY animated musical headed to Netflix". The Beat. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ Giardina, Carolyn (2021-01-28). "Netflix Sets Animated 'The Witch Boy' With Original Music by Haim". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
- ↑ Rosario, Alexandra Del (2021-01-28). "'The Witch Boy': Netflix To Release Animated Musical From Oscar-Nominated Director Minkyu Lee". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-08-11.