Gray Locke: The Witch of Clover Hill

by C.A. Chicoine

" . . . when we dance . . . amidst the twirling turmoil, sometimes we trip and fall." In The Witch of Clover Hill, there's a great deal brewing in the witch's cauldron. Gray Locke's ten-year-old imagination shines through as he goes about trying to demystify luck, ghosts, and witches. The story begins at his home in Marlborough, Massachusetts. There, he shows his friends, Doug and Kevin, a four-leaf clover that he found. That sparks a competition between Gray and Doug over who can gain the most luck, using such charms as a stray eye-lash, rabbit's foot, lucky penny, and lucky mibs. Then the story takes a turn when the boys meet the new kid, Mandy. Can they all be friends? When Mandy introduces her best friend, P.J., to the group, that question is put to the test. Then P.J. and the gang stumbled upon an old Ouija board game, and she convinces the others that they need the assistance of a witch to help make contact with someone from Gray's past. While the witch's cauldron is brewing with lucky charms and Ouija boards, Gray's aunt brings him a gift. And that gift opened up an entire new universe for Gray. Using his spaceship of the imagination-Mox-he becomes an intergalactic ranger and soars off to compete in a championship Super Shooter tournament. But he soon discovers that he got a little more than he bargained for. In order for him to win the tournament, he has to face witches, monkey-boys, rats, a worm, and a host of other entities. Using his imagination and intuition, Gray finds creative solutions to the challenges that lie ahead of him, both in the universe of his imagination and in the real world. "So, we pick ourselves back up and continue to dance."

228 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 2010

About the author

C.A. Chicoine realized his gift for writing stories at the age of ten when, after sharing what he wrote in his journal for English class, he was told that he had quite the imagination. He had to write one entry each week. So he filled it with original short stories, news articles, and jokes that he had heard or read. By age fourteen, he had expanded his repertoire to include poetry and lyrics. He wrote articles and poetry for his high school newspaper and wrote articles before becoming editor of his college newspaper.

Since then, he has created websites, blogs and Internet forums that espoused his varied interests, including local history, wildlife, fan-fiction, art, and music. This not only gave him a medium to which to express and share his ideas with others, but it also helped him to hone in on his creative ability and begin to develop a distinct identity.

His most recent project has been the launch of the Gray Locke series in 2008. This book series invites the reader to glimpse into the life and times of this original character from childhood through to adulthood. And as the character grows and develops, so too does the reading level. Gray Locke is a fictional character of the late twentieth and early twenty-first century who-through his trials and tribulations-unravels the mysteries of the world around him, and discovers his place in this universe.

C.A. Chicoine resides in Massachusetts where he spends his time writing books, poetry, lyrics and music.

Reviews

[Melanie Coombes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gray Locke, The Witch of Clover Hill begins in Marlborough, Mass. The main character, Gray is often found in the company of his two close friends, Kevin and Doug. They go off in search of good luck charms, only to ponder if they really do bring you luck, or is it just a myth? The story takes turn, when the boys meet Mandy and her close friend, P.J. An old Ouija board is discovered at Gray's home and P.J. takes a big interest in finding a witch to help them contact a spirit close to Gray. But does P.J. have any right to do this, and how many people will she upset in her quest for fun?
Around the same time, Gray's aunt stops by with a wonderful gift for Gray that opens up an entire new universe for him. Seems like this was gift that found it's way into Gray's life just when he may have needed it most. At this point in the story, get ready for some mystical adventures packed full of imagination and intuition.
I had so much fun reading this story. This YA novel would be a fantastic read for boys and girls ages 9 and up. The story is approximately 199 pages long. It was really refreshing to see these kids using their imagination to find their place in the world. (I think a lot of that is missing in today's society.) Kids and adults will also enjoy the positive messages sporadically found throughout the book. For example, "You can't go through life worrying about what other people think," said Priscilla. "It's best to be with the ones who know and accept you for who you are." Later on, regarding the topic of good luck charms and our belief in their special powers, Gray tells his friends, "It's sort of like a motivational tool...you're given a good luck charm as a token to help motivate and inspire you to focus on only the good thoughts to help you through the day."
I believe this is the 2nd book in the Gray Locke series, but it can definitely be read as a stand alone novel. I recommend this book and am looking forward to reading more about Gray in future stories. I received this book as part of the goodreads giveaway program. Thanks for a really fun, engaging plot!

[Terre Britton · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his novel "Gray Locke: the Witch of Clover Hill," C.A. Chicoine introduces us to unique, complex, and inspiring characters. This novel reads like a chapter from a longer coming-of-age story of a kind-hearted, soul-searching youth named Gray and his adventures with his friends.

Donning his "coat-of-many-pockets," Gray travels through space, time, and fantastic scenarios in his spaceship named Mox, fueled by his imagination, vivid dreams, and knowledge from an imagined Encyclopedia Galactica, to make sense of his relationships and personal losses and discoveries.

Chicoine’s juvenile fiction is steeped in youthful Stand-By-Me-esque banter, revealing insights on kindness, respect, gratitude, friendship, and karma. All these qualities inwardly reinforce Gray's innate humility as well as outwardly reflect a deeper understanding of honor, which is bound to have a positive impact on today’s youth.

[Angi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book from the Goodreads First Reads program. Thank you!

I do not believe some of the words, nor verbiage used by the characters, were of 9-12 year old level. There were also multiple misspellings and grammatical errors. I was surprised at how many sentences began with "And." I did read the entire book, but it was not a page-turner that I couldn't wait to read. It jumped around with too many ideas incorporated for one story.

On a positive note, I do see where the author was headed for kids to learn moral lessons. It is refreshing to read about kids using their imagination.

[Stacie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute easy read! Would recommend it to a younger generation like my neice or nephew! Had a little Harry Potter feel to it! Liked that the auther used a little history, landmarks, real games in the story!