Exploring Themes of Identity and Inclusion in The Witch Boy

"The Witch Boy" is a captivating and thought-provoking book written by Molly Knox Ostertag. This graphic novel tells the story of a young boy named Aster who lives in a magical community where boys are expected to become shapeshifters and girls are supposed to become witches. However, Aster has an unusual talent – he has a knack for witchcraft, an ability typically associated with girls. The book explores themes of gender identity, self-discovery, and acceptance. Aster struggles with societal expectations and gender stereotypes as he yearns to embrace his true self and cultivate his magical abilities. Despite facing opposition from his family and community, Aster continues to practice witchcraft in secret, guided by his grandmother's teachings and the spirits of the forest.

Despite facing opposition from his family and community, Aster continues to practice witchcraft in secret, guided by his grandmother's teachings and the spirits of the forest. As the story unfolds, Aster embarks on a dangerous journey to help save his family from a mysterious and powerful curse. Along the way, he meets a diverse cast of characters, including a non-binary shapeshifter named Charlie and a transfeminine guide named Ariel, who challenge traditional gender roles and offer Aster support and understanding.

Secrets of the Silent Witch

Monica Everett, the Silent Witch, is the only mage in the world who can use unchanted magecraft, a true hero who singlehandedly defeated a legendary black dragon. However, this young genius is actually…super-duper shy! That’s right: She learned to cast spells silently just to avoid speaking in public, and despite her power, she has zero self-confidence. Now Monica has been tasked with secretly guarding the second prince. Can she keep it together as she faces both the evil forces targeting the prince and the terrors of social interaction?

Associated Names
Silent Witch

Genre
Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, School Life, Shoujo, Tragedy

Translation Group
Official Yen Press

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Comments 14

A rather okay to decent read. (Up to Vol 4 read)
7.4 / 10 on a non-IGN Scale. The characters feel like characters, even if stereotypical with some red herrings thrown in. It is a decently written story so far, though it seems like there are a few too many side-plots and assorted “could go real bad” relationships getting introduced. The MC has put all her points into actual social anxiety, and it is highly likely that “bad stuff, but good end” will happen a lot due to that “tragedy” tag for the LN being mostly correct.

Monica is a very endearing protagonist, and her characterization as “beyond socially inept” perfectly justifies the “Oblivious MC” thing so many novels do these days with romance plots. She’s earnest, talented, and oh so very flawed, but she grows through the series in to a new person. No plot points are far fetched, and the supporting cast of characters is pleasantly varied and distinct. If you don’t need fantasy bombast to hold you attention, and aren’t annoyed by glaring flaws that don’t really go away, Absolutely give this one a read.

In complete difference to most comments here I really like this. The story is about an MC who got abused as a child and sufferes under severe social anxiety. The story revolves around how she is forced on a mission and slowly gets better by meeting friendly people who help her out and care for her so she gains some trust back. Somehow most comments didn’t get that.
The writing is well done, the story is slice of life. Nothing special but some neat ideas and well executed.

mediocre at best, the cliché are so overused that its boring at best. There is some boring buildup for the prince “the puppet”, the characters are all cardboard cuts without any real development. The Romance tag is a foreshadowing of the prince and the witch. The prince as of Ln 3 more or less says that the Silent witch is his first love, even if he basically only saw her 3 times, but her magic while fighting the black dragon and the 24 Wyverns was so great that he wants to see more of it and if he becomes King he can order her/him (yeah he dosnt knows if the witch is male or female at the same time he says its his first love. ) to spend time with him/her. Politics, magic all get mixed up and thrown around for the fight of the throne and the Duke what “controls” the puppet. The puppet (Prince) wants his own life blah blah blah. You get told that there is the first prince and the second prince (Puppet) faction and get told that the first prince doesn’t even wants the throne (?) so much outside interference from other kingdoms that you really wonder what the 7 Sages do all day beside lazing around. There are so many holes in this thing that you might get serious anger mngt. issues if you think to much about it.

The name of the Silent Witch is known to the public and it’s a female name, Monica Everett, also the 2nd prince has a “crush” on her because her deeds were that impressive and the 2nd Prince always was interested in magic but was forbidden from studying it. Granted, there seems(!) to be no real reason for his evil grandfather, who is the bad guy of the story, to actually forbid it – as of now. The sentence with the “he doesn’t know wether she is male or female” was an error. The author got a bit irritated because of the Witch of Thorns who is actually a guy but calls himself witch, anyway. I guess the author wanted to play a bit with the genders since it’s popular but only “explained” such unnecessary stuff in a sentence and just tumbled. And there are several errors like this showing how poorly LN’s are edited in Japan (and even after translation, this is not just here but happens very often and I agree it is annoying, one should expect that such things are fixed for the commercial LN version and you rarely see such errors in ordinary novels). For example another mistake was that in Vol. 3 Monica supposedly could only use two spells at a time while in Vol. 2 there was a dialogue where she clearly stated she can chant and keep up 10 spells at once. So up to the end of Vol. 3 there is still lots of room for speculation why the 2nd prince’s grandfather wants to conquer certain countries or if the assassination attempts of those countries are just a reaction to that threat or if they bear ill will, anyway. There is some foreshadowing that the puppet prince really has no choice for whatever reason and has to do whatever his grandfather says, since his star can’t be read for ten years, already. Maybe something like a curse was put on him? He was a weak “useless” child who couldn’t do anything but transformed into a model athlete, fighter and so on during that time. The seven sages specialize in different kinds of magecraft, not all are fighters. One is a star reader, one specializes in making magic artifacts and so on. The one’s who can fight, along with the dragon knights, are busy protecting cities and killing monsters. They are not spies. The country is officially at peace with the neighboring places, after all. Who is fighting is doing it in secret, many noble factions against others and the same seems to count for the other countries as well.

Oh, and as addition, I don’t think there ever will be any romance.
In Vol. 1 and 2 my bet still was on Cyril and not on Prince Felix. But when Monica and Felix became a bit closer (sleeping half naked in the same bed in Vol. 3) it only left the Prince as option but the Prince is a sl*t who sleeps around with wh*res so my bet is on the “siblings in spirit”-route. Also the prince is partly an as*hole who toys with / teases Monica. Also I doubt the series will be long enough to completely heal her social anxiety so she won’t be able to have a real romance in the first place.

Monica Everett, the Silent Witch, is the only mage in the world who can use unchanted magecraft, a true hero who singlehandedly defeated a legendary black dragon. However, this young genius is actually…super-duper shy! That’s right: She learned to cast spells silently just to avoid speaking in public, and despite her power, she has zero self-confidence. Now Monica has been tasked with secretly guarding the second prince. Can she keep it together as she faces both the evil forces targeting the prince and the terrors of social interaction?

"The Witch Boy" offers a fresh perspective on the importance of being true to oneself. It encourages readers to break free from societal expectations and embrace their unique abilities and identity. Ostertag's stunning illustrations bring the story to life, depicting the magical world of the characters and effectively capturing the emotional struggles faced by Aster. Overall, "The Witch Boy" is a beautifully written and visually striking book that tackles important themes of identity and acceptance. It serves as a powerful reminder that everyone deserves the freedom to be themselves, regardless of societal norms or expectations. It is a must-read for individuals of all ages and a valuable addition to any bookshelf or curriculum..

Reviews for "The Witch Boy: Lessons on Acceptance and Understanding"

1. Sarah - 1 star

I found "The Witch Boy Book" to be incredibly disappointing. The story felt unimaginative and lacked originality, as it followed the tired trope of a young boy breaking gender norms in a magical world. The characters were one-dimensional, and I struggled to connect with any of them. The plot was predictable, making it hard to stay engaged throughout the book. Overall, I felt let down by this novel, and I would not recommend it to anyone looking for a captivating read.

2. John - 2 stars

"The Witch Boy Book" had potential, but it failed to deliver in many ways. While the concept of a boy practicing witchcraft was interesting, the execution fell flat. The writing lacked depth and emotion, leaving me feeling disconnected from the characters and their struggles. The pacing was uneven, with some parts dragging on while others felt rushed. Additionally, the world-building was underdeveloped, leaving many unanswered questions. Overall, I was left unsatisfied by this book and would not read it again.

3. Emily - 3 stars

"The Witch Boy Book" had moments of intrigue, but it ultimately fell short for me. The theme of challenging gender norms was well-intentioned, but I felt it was handled in a superficial manner. The dialogue felt forced and lacked authenticity, making it hard for me to fully invest in the story. I also found some plot points to be overly predictable, taking away from the overall enjoyment of the book. While it had its moments, I wouldn't consider it a must-read in the fantasy genre.

4. David - 2 stars

I struggled to connect with "The Witch Boy Book" due to its lackluster character development. The protagonist, in particular, lacked depth and came across as whiny and unrelatable. The supporting characters were equally underdeveloped, making it hard to care about their fates. Moreover, the plot felt disjointed and scattered, making it difficult to follow along. While the illustrations were visually pleasing, they couldn't salvage the overall mediocrity of the book. Unfortunately, this one was a miss for me.

The Witch Boy: Finding Strength in Being Different