Mari the Unwonderful Witch

by Asako Yuzuki, Ecre Karadag (Translator)

Mari is an eleven-year-old witch who loves her life. Indeed, what's not to love about spending time with her amazing mothers, hanging out with her clever friends, eating delicious food and experimenting with fashion?

But, if you ask any of the other witches in town, Mari loves her life a little too much. After all, a wonderful witch puts the needs of others before herself. Magic should be used to help humans - not (for example . . .) creating giant donuts for you and your classmates to scoff.

But Mari doesn't care what other people think of her - and when disaster strikes her town, she'll need to convince the other witches to have the courage to break free, too, and be just as wildly unwonderful as she is.

A charming, cosy and thought-provoking tale about an UN-wonderfully unconventional little witch, perfect for anyone who likes an enchanting adventure with just a hint of mischief!

Genres: Childrens, Fantasy

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 25, 2023

About the author

Asako Yuzuki (柚木 麻子, Yuzuki Asako) is a Japanese writer. She won the All Yomimono Prize for New Writers and the Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize. Asako has been nominated multiple times for the Naoki Prize, and her novels have been adapted for television, radio, and film.

Reviews

[Cups and Thoughts]

THANK YOU penguin for the surprise bookmail of this gorgeous shiny cutie book 💖💓💝

this gave me huuuge kiki’s delivery service vibes and there is a lot to love about this cutie book!! 💓 the gorgeous illustrations, the cute characters, the heartwarming story and all the mentions of delicious pastries and food 🤤🍰🧁 the cover is very telling of the story. it’s sweet and a whole lot of fun :’) there are also poignant and relatable moments within the book, mainly touching on self-identity, burnout, youth, and friendship 🫶🏼 honestly i was smiling and admiring the beautiful illustrations throughout the whole book. it’s short and lovely and such a sweet time overall 💓💝💖💫⭐️✨

[evelyn]

this is a very sweet, all-encompassing novel about a society where witches and humans peacefully co-exist, so long as witches prove to be wonderful. enter mari, the unwonderful witch who loves using her powers for herself and not always for the good of others!

it’s been a really long time since i read a children’s book, and i really enjoyed spending time in mari’s world. in true Asako Yuzuki fashion, we get a myriad of descriptions of food and characters who are inadvertently and authentically themselves. this is a gorgeous and quaint town full of magic, trans and queer representation that does not feel like a tick box exercise, and an ensemble cast of characters that show how vital community and acceptance really is.

with Japanese literature having such a boom in general fiction, i’m so pleased to see a translated kids’ title hitting our shelves. Ecre Karadag did a fantastic job at creating this immersive and fantastical story; from capturing the dialogue of the older generation vs the younger characters to creating vivid scenes i could see playing out in my mind through rich descriptions.

I really recommend this book to anyone looking to escape to a magical and cosy land full of funny witches!

[Hannah (the.baristas.books)]

Firstly, thank you so much to Penguin for gifting me a bookseller proof copy.

Did I love an unconventional children's story featuring queer characters and a key message of authenticity? Yes, absolutely!

Did I spot some references to food being enjoyed guilt-free and women existing away from the gaze and expectations of men? Again, yes, absolutely!

It may have been the translation but, for me, there was something in the reading that wasn't as smooth as her novels for grown ups.

That said, I thoroughly wish that Mari is a resounding success for Yuzuki.

[Lottie]

A very sweet story with an important message about allowing children to grow up into who they want to be.

[Carolyn]

Review to come!