Not Just a Witch

I’ll admit, I approached *Not Just a Witch* expecting something sweet but forgettable—another quirky kids’ book with a witch who learns to embrace her sparkly destiny. Instead, I got a story that’s *funny* in the way Roald Dahl is funny: dark around the edges, unafraid to let its villains be truly awful, and packed with moments that made me snort-laugh on my commute. Prunella Scales’ narration is the secret weapon here. She doesn’t just *read* the book; she *performs* it, with a theatrical flair that never tips into overacting. Her Heckie has the weary patience of someone who’s seen too much nonsense, and her Mr. Knapsack? Oh, he’s *delicious*—all silky vowels and false concern, the kind of voice that makes your skin crawl in the best way. The pacing is where this audiobook really shines. At 3.5 hours, there’s no fat on the story. Ibbotson’s plot moves like a runaway broomstick, but she still takes time to let the oddball friendships breathe (the dynamic between Heckie and the boy, Daniel, is particularly lovely—no insta-bonding here, just slow, grudging respect). My only critique? The ending wraps up *almost* too neatly. After such a sharply observed story, the final act’s moral clarity feels a touch abrupt, like Ibbotson suddenly remembered this was meant for children. And while Scales’ narration is stellar, her wizard voices occasionally blur together in crowded scenes. But these are quibbles. What sticks with me is the way the book balances its chaos—how it manages to be both a laugh-out-loud farce and a quiet manifesto for doing good, even when the world’s determined to be rotten. If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at a saccharine kids’ tale, this is the antidote." "tags": [ "witty children's fantasy audiobook