Lilla the Accidental Witch

by Eleanor Crewes

Magic is tough. Family is tougher. Boys are a complete mystery. Follow Lilla as she stumbles her way through each of them in Eleanor Crewes's debut middle-grade graphic novel.
Thirteen-year-old Lilla feels she is a bit different. She's quiet and shy and sometimes feels uncomfortable in the company of boys. She'd much rather spend time by herself drawing and daydreaming. This summer, while staying with her aunt in rural Italy, Lilla discovers a book of magic which reveals that she is a witch with special powers, the magic of 'Strega'.
But unbeknownst to her, an ancient witch, Stregamama, threatens to ruin more than just her summer. Lilla is soon faced with a choice that could change her life forever.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, LGBT, Fantasy, Fiction, Magic, Comics

240 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2021

About the author

Eleanor Crewes is a graphic novelist who specialises in queer autofiction. Her debut graphic novel, The Times I Knew I Was Gay, was published in the UK by Virago and in the US by Scribner in 2020, and was featured in O, The Oprah Magazine, The Washington Post and The Guardian. Her second graphic novel Lilla the Accidental Witch was published by Little, Brown Young Readers in 2021. She lives in London with her partner T and enjoys cooking her mother's Italian recipes.

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eleanor Crewes' children's fantasy goes down a little more smoothly for me than her graphic memoir, The Times I Knew I Was Gay. It's a pretty standard tale about a 13-year-old discovering a family secret regarding witchcraft, but the Italian setting is refreshing, the seduction of evil is effectively creepy, and Lilla's adolescent turmoil is handled well.

I look forward to seeing what Crewes does next.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

compared to the times i knew i was gay, the art here is much more polished and put together - though i'm realizing perhaps i'm just not a fan of crewes' art style.

i LOVE a good witchy magical girl story, and i find a lot of joy in MG & YA graphic novels, but it was difficult for me to find the magic in this book. only around the halfway point does it really pick up and start to come together.

13 year-old lilla, visiting family in italy over the summer, is suddenly faced with the fact that she's a witch. at the same time she's dealing with compulsory heterosexuality and a serious case of gender envy. she eventually learns that harnessing your power means being true to yourself - all of yourself, even the parts that are hard to confront. her angst and confusion are palpable.

there's an intense climactic supernatural fight scene that i think may be the highlight of the book. i love the meaningful and transformative use of color in this part! the ending of the book has kiki's delivery service vibes, and i was glad to see everything wrapped up neatly and sweetly.

i didn't love this, but i loved its intention and i loved the talking cat!

[Mary Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This lil gem of a book is witchy, gay, and it takes place in Italy? I feel like my mind has been read, and the story I never knew I wanted but at the same time absolutely needed has been handed to me. Catch me pushing this galley on all of my coworkers.

[Eva B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute! Loved the talking cat :)

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lilla comes from a long line of witches, but she doesn't' know this. She only knows that she is enjoying going to her grandmother's house in Italy, every year, and is happy to be back. Her grandmother decides it is time to get her into the family business, and so gives her a magical book that teachers her the ways of the witch. She doesn't know where the book came from but enjoys learning all the spells she can do.

And, there is an evil witch, possessed by a demon that wants Lilla for her own.

And her sister keeps trying to set her up with a boy, while she would rather draw and learn more magic.

Cute story, wonderful characters and how important it is to be true to yourself.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet graphic novel about growing into yourself and coming out. Plus a sweet talking cat!

[Courtenay · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I wasn't a fan of the art, didn't quite get the family relationships (why the mother was only in the first scene dropping off the protagonist to go with her older sister to Italy), and the "big reveal" that she was gay? That felt totally out of left field and completely unnecessary. Or maybe I wasn't reading it carefully enough. I admit I took a very long nap half-way through... Maybe it put a spell on me or something... Not my favorite.

[PErvOL Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5⭐

No Elenaor umie wprowadzać w swoje historie coś uniwersalnego i bardzo elastycznego, co nakreśla to, co na nią się składa

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Little, Brown and Company for an ARC to review!

Can I squeal over something if I’m in my 30s? Lilla is 13, spending a summer with her aunt in Italy. And she finds out she is a witch.

Cue some familiar fantasy tropes here: a talking familiar who is a cat, a ghost nonna who helps the family from beyond the grave, and a grimoire.

What I think Crewes REALLY nails here is the 13-year-old confusion. Being 13 is tough. And not being sure of your sexuality just compounds on that. And I love how the villain of the book really takes advantage of that angst and confusion to manipulate Lilla. I mean, not LOVE, but as a plot point I felt like it made total sense.

Definitely a graphic novel to grab and read over and over!

[A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid middle grade graphic novel pick for kids on the younger side of Snapdragon and Beetle & the Hollowbones, although less subtle than either of those. Witchcraft + coming out.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Little Brown Books for Young Readers for sharing this fantasy graphic novel with the LitReviewCrew.
3 things about this book:
1-becoming a witch
2-Being yourself
3-unputdownable

[Gv · Rating 2 out of 5]

It saddens me to not give it more stars, because it was touching, and sweet. I just could not care about anything or anyone in it, except maybe the cat and wish I could get the time I spent reading it back:
- pretty classic story of coming of age
- ending/resolution did not feel satisfying
- the characters never felt "real", like they were just playing parts: the part of the awkward teenager, the part of the cool lesbian, the part of the evil witch....
- I personally did not really like the graphic style much and often found myself struggling to differentiate between some of the characters
I don't know anything about the author, but, to me, this read as the first graphic novel of a very young adult/teenager tackling a "serious subject" without much depth at all, even though I feel bad for not being more positive about it because... it is sweet and harmless and well-meaning and good at heart, just not a great book or story.

[Kim Tyo-Dickerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Becoming who we are is never easy. Thirteen-year-old Lilla finds answers to many of her questions about herself during a trip to Northern Italy to visit her aunt who has secrets of her own about who she is and what magical legacies Lilla's family possesses. Sweet faces and a pastel palette nonetheless evoke the right amount of dark forces at play in Lilla's acceptance of her identities within a supportive, loving circle of family, including members in the spirit world, and village friends. Recommended for readers ages 10 and up, with special appeal to anyone who has been forced to dance with someone they don't want to dance with.

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

While spending the summer with her Aunt and sister in Italy thirteen year old Lilla discovers that she's a witch and struggles with what it means to be normal.


I liked the execution of this one a lot, it did a good job showing Lilla discovering both her powers and the fact that she's gay. I thought it would be too similar to The Okay Witch based on the premise but both are different enough to be enjoyed. A good recommendation for someone who likes queer lit or someone interested in books featuring witches.

[Hannah Showalter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was sooooo cute!! The artwork was beautiful and I loved the lesbian witch, orange cat owner representation.

[Liz H]

beautiful, glowing watercolors.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely middle grade comic about a young girl discovering her family's magical legacy and coming to terms with her own sexuality while staying with an aunt in rural Italy. Also: Morrigan is the best cat.

[Chelsey Hostetler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lilla has always known she's different and when she goes to stay with her aunt in Italy for the summer, she finds she really IS different. She's a witch! As Lilla explores her new powers and fights against evil, she discovers more about herself and accepts herself, making this coming out and coming of age comic full of love amazing illustrations and plenty of magic!!

**Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review**

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, short graphic novel about a young teen who discovers she is both a witch and a lesbian while visiting her aunt in Italy. It includes a talking cat!

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I liked the beginning of the book, I felt the ending was rushed.

[criavolver · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kiddo and I didn’t want to finish it. We didn’t want the story to end. I hope the author comes out with more adventures for Lilla!

[Bee 🐝 · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow. yes. need to buy. queer, witchy, italy?? stunning. a great book to start off this spooky season.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I literally just finished reading this and I wanted it to be fresh in my mind. If I could describe this book in a word it would be 'soft'. The setting, the characters, the art, all felt so gentle and so well interwove. I know this is based on the author's experiences with her family and her trips to Italy, and you could absolutely feel that on every page. I loved the family relationships, especially Lilla and her aunt. It felt so authentic, and it was nice to read about such a supportive, loving environment, even if they only see each other for two months out of the year. It's the kind of book that just makes you feel good. I also love Eleanor Crewes's drawings, especially how she draws people and animals. She has such a unique style, and she's good at making family members look similar to each other even in a more abstract, cartoony style.

Morrigan as a character was so flippin cute oh my goodness. I love to see familiars in books, and I loved Lilla and Morrigan's non-verbal interactions as he's teaching her the witch stuff- pointing at stuff in the book, shaking his head, etc. That was so endearing and quirky, and I love that Lilla doesn't even question how the cat is doing this, she just goes along with it. I feel like that seems pretty authentic to someone her age- taking weird stuff like that in stride, because you're so ready and open to accepting how magical hte world can be.
I think the explorations of Lilla's identities were also done well, and I liked that she's figuring those things out separately but they also interact. The way she deals with her complicated feelings felt so real and I liked her interactions with Ludo especially. She's not used to seeing someone out as gay and just living life normally, and she's not sure how to handle that information.

I wasn't a big fan of the ending. I didn't like the time jump, I wish we had seen, like, the next day. I felt that instead of skipping ahead to Lilla already knowing her powers and hearing everything through narration, I would've liked to see some ending closure, especially with Lilla and Ludo. I think a final scene between them after Lilla's kind of come out at the party could be good. I feel like Ludo was integral in LIlla's journey to figuring out her identity, and after the party we just don't ever see her again. That should have been wrapped up more. Same goes for Lilla and her sister. I felt like their relationship was tense at first, and we saw her sister realizing things throughout the book and defending Lilla more, like telling her she doesn't need to dance with Gio.

All in all, such a sweet, soft little story with beautiful art, I just wish the ending was a little different.

[cuir_Bookseeker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deeply wholesome and chaotic graphic novel about a young coming-of-age witch trying to understand magic and her sexuality all at once!

Lilla is 13 and just traveled to Italy with her big sister to stay over at her aunt's house. Things get spooky and crazy when Lilla finds a witchy book, gains a new (talking) cat friend, and is suddenly met with strange characters that...want her soul?! A super adorable coming-of-age queer book focused on witchcraft, self-acceptance, and family!

I loved this graphic novel and wow it was so perfect for the spooky season as I love witchy cozy gay books. The story was so fun as it centered around a silly family, and the queer themes were so REALISTIC that I both laughed and teared up at them.

The queer rep was so good! Lilla is a lesbian! I loved reading about her coming to terms with and understanding herself and her identity. Especially how that was tied to her progress as a witch. The witchy parts of the story were BOMB, super fun and whimsical but also quite dark. The book is set in Italy so the mixture of culture, folklore, witchcraft, family, and queerness was 10/10!

The gay panic was so funny, that hot biker chick was EVERYTHING! EVEN I GOT NERVOUS!

[Caroline Phipps · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ehhh….
This one was not for me so much. The plot was mid at best and I only liked the art maybe half the time. Others may love this style but I just didn’t :(
My main issue was that these characters are so flat. Like I don’t really know anything about any of them, not even the main character. And her family obviously doesn’t know her well at all either. I thought it was super weird that they kept pressuring her to like Gio when she obviously hasn’t showed any interest and feels uncomfortable whenever they do so.
I love the idea about a little gay witch and her coming to terms with her identity. But this graphic novel fell so short. Her identity felt like an afterthought, and her aunt literally did nothing to help train her and knew she was doing everything by herself and then was shocked she’d been preyed upon by stregamamma? And both her AND her mom have witch blood and just didn’t think to tell her? That’s like not preparing someone and having the talk about periods so when it happens it freaks you out. Maybe a weird comparison but same idea. They could have told her and she would have been so much better prepared.

[Black Flamed Candle Books 🕯️📚 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahhh this graphic novel was so good! I picked it up, thinking I’d would be a solid 3/5 stars, as the audience seemed targeted towards middle grade; but I loved that it transformed into a queer graphic novel! I love witchy books as a witch myself, who practices witchcraft, but fun graphic novels like this are so enjoyable especially when it’s diverse and inclusive. At first, I thought Lilla might be ace as I projected a little bit onto her character after I read the blurb where she ‘feels uncomfortable in the company of boys’, regardless I’m super happy and proud of her character for accepting who she is both as a witch and with her sexual orientation/identity. As part of the LGBTQIA+ community myself, I was absolutely gleaming with joy when the book revealed her identity, I had speculated after her heavy romantic dislike for Gio and the way she acted around Ludo. It was great to see inclusive diversity from different cultural and spiritual backgrounds, sexual orientations and identities all incorporated cohesively as one lovely story.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute typical ish graphic novel, although the ending was pretty open ended and I hope there are more!

Lilla and her sister travel to Italy to stay with their aunt Zia (who is a witch!) Once Lilla gets there the evil spirit servant dogs of Stregamama try to lure Lilla to live with them in their kingdom of Fae (which is just what the evil spirit dogs told her in order for Stregamama to use her "pure in heart" body to stay "alive"). Lilla is feeling confused and pressured about being gay and at the height of the drama she's at a dance and yells out that she doesn't want to dance with girls! Embarrassed, she runs home to get the contract from Stregamama and heads for the forest, to enter the land of Fae. Thankfully Zia comes to help just at the exact right time and helps Lilla see she can stay on earth with her family and will be loved and appreciated for exactly who she is.

I look forward to more graphic novels about how Lilla figures out how to be a witch!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
Lilla and her older sister visit their aunt in Italy. On the trip Lilla discovers that she has magical powers, some cats can talk, and the stories of powerful Stregamama aren't just stories. She also acknowledges truths about her self and identity that help her become more confident and accepting.

This had a tight plot, was not too long, and had interesting dilemmas like new powers and potential crushes. I liked the relationships between Lilla and older sister Dani and their aunt too.

Grades 3-6

https://catalog.starklibrary.org/iii/...

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

We got this in at work and I decided to read it because it looked cute. Not gonna do a formal review because I read it more so I could better recommend it to customers, but the story itself was definitely great. The overall message to kids reading it is to be yourself and love yourself and don’t be afraid to be different - be who you are and embrace who you are. It also featured a wlw relationship, which is great representation for kids exploring their sexuality at that age - which the main character also did throughout the story.

The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was the illustration style. Other than that, I really enjoyed this and highly recommend it.

[Chris Meichtry · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I can see the value of the struggling-with-her-sexuality-but-not-quite-realizing-it and the learning-to-be-true-to-yourself aspects of the story for those who may be going through the same kind of thing, it felt forced to me. I went into this thinking it could be an interesting adolescent witchcraft story but as the book went on, that almost felt like an afterthought rather than the main plot. Which is fine; it just didn't suit me.

My main issue was Lilla herself. I found her incredibly whiny and annoying and, at times, downright insufferable. Ludo and Morrigan (who I imagined being voice by Bill Hader for some reason) are the stars here.