What do you think?
Sang Spell
Josh is hitchhiking his way from Massachusetts to Dallas and a new life he didn't ask for and doesn't want, when he is beaten, robbed, and abandoned beside a remote mountain road. He awakes in a strange, primitive village called Canara, seemingly hidden from the modern world, with no cars or telephones or electricity.
But are the people of Canara Josh's rescuers or his jailers? As he slowly heals from his injuries and the tragedy he has been running away from, Josh begins to realize that Canara is far stranger than just an isolated community passed over by time. How can hills and trees shift in place, and even buildings appear and then vanish? Why can't he escape from Canara? And does he really want to?
But are the people of Canara Josh's rescuers or his jailers? As he slowly heals from his injuries and the tragedy he has been running away from, Josh begins to realize that Canara is far stranger than just an isolated community passed over by time. How can hills and trees shift in place, and even buildings appear and then vanish? Why can't he escape from Canara? And does he really want to?
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
About the author
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
212 books1,047 followersPhyllis Reynolds Naylor was born in Anderson, Indiana, US on January 4, 1933.
Her family were strongly religious with conservative, midwestern values and most of her childhood was spent moving a lot due to her father's occupation as a salesman.
Though she grew up during the Depression and her family did not have a lot of money, Naylor stated that she never felt poor because her family owned good books. Her parents enjoyed reading stories to the children--her father would imitate the characters in Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer--and her mother read to them every evening, "almost until we were old enough to go out on dates, though we never would have admitted this to anyone."
By the time Phyllis reached fifth grade, writing books was her favorite hobby and she would rush home from school each day to write down whatever plot had been forming in her head - at sixteen her first story was published in a local church magazine.
Phyllis has written over 80 books for children and young people. One of these books, "Shiloh," was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1992, was named a Notable Children's Book by the American Library Association and was also Young Adult Choice by the International Reading Association.
Naylor gets her ideas from things that happen to her or from things she has read. "Shiloh" was inspired by a little abused dog she and her husband found. The little dog haunted her so much that she had to write a story about him to get it out of her mind.
Her family were strongly religious with conservative, midwestern values and most of her childhood was spent moving a lot due to her father's occupation as a salesman.
Though she grew up during the Depression and her family did not have a lot of money, Naylor stated that she never felt poor because her family owned good books. Her parents enjoyed reading stories to the children--her father would imitate the characters in Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer--and her mother read to them every evening, "almost until we were old enough to go out on dates, though we never would have admitted this to anyone."
By the time Phyllis reached fifth grade, writing books was her favorite hobby and she would rush home from school each day to write down whatever plot had been forming in her head - at sixteen her first story was published in a local church magazine.
Phyllis has written over 80 books for children and young people. One of these books, "Shiloh," was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1992, was named a Notable Children's Book by the American Library Association and was also Young Adult Choice by the International Reading Association.
Naylor gets her ideas from things that happen to her or from things she has read. "Shiloh" was inspired by a little abused dog she and her husband found. The little dog haunted her so much that she had to write a story about him to get it out of her mind.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
February 17, 2012
I read this about 10 years ago and I still think about it! So unique and unusual with an eerie backwoods setting. One of my all time favorites.
April 23, 2010
I wasn't sure what to think about this book from the back cover, but I knew I loved Jade Green, so I picked up the book.
I fell in love with the book, sometimes feeling like I was reading too many layers down, other times feeling like I wasn't nearly close enough to really understanding the true meaning behind the book.
I found myself wanting to visit Canara, then fearing that I would get trapped there. But, we are all in Canara already, aren't we? Maybe a slightly more mundane version, but life is always shifting and moving, disappearing and reappearing. Its a frustratingly wonderful place.
I fell in love with the book, sometimes feeling like I was reading too many layers down, other times feeling like I wasn't nearly close enough to really understanding the true meaning behind the book.
I found myself wanting to visit Canara, then fearing that I would get trapped there. But, we are all in Canara already, aren't we? Maybe a slightly more mundane version, but life is always shifting and moving, disappearing and reappearing. Its a frustratingly wonderful place.
Read
October 30, 2017"Sang Spell"is a story that draws you immediately with its figurative language. In the beginning of the book you meet the main character, Josh, who is hitchhiking his was to Dallas from Massachusetts,to start his new life with his aunt. On his way there he had things happen to him that were imaginable. He was beaten, misguided, robbed, but eventually taken care of. It was almost like a movie. This book was very interesting in my opinion. It was very quick to the point, hooking me into the story. The first sentences of chapter one are "On a night even demons howl for their mothers, Josh stood on the edge of the highway, thumbing a ride." This was interesting to me because it made me curious as to why it started out like that. was he hurt? was he alone? i had no idea, but i had found out. his mother was included in a car crash, with himself in the back. josh didn't know what to do, besides call his aunt. a few days went buy and his aunt was welcoming him to her home but she would notcome and get him all the way from dallas. Josh recieved a planeticket and made his way to the airport. On his way here he was robbed. As he got to the airport he made it safely to his aunts house where he was depressed, by the voice of his aunt, as it sounded so much like his mothers. One big fear that carried josh was music in the car because seconds before his mother died in the impact of the crash they were blasting there favorite radio station 101.5. This book is really a very detailed book. Filled with vivid imagery and figurative language conveying a well thought out novel.
June 28, 2009
This was a very good book combining survival and fantasy, but I dropped it down a star;supposedly there was a lesson about identity in it, but to me it was sort of contrived. I am not a huge fantasy fan, so perhaps the way it was done is typical and it just didn't suit my tastes.
A HS junior suddenly loses his mother in a car accident (his father has already died), and he is now an orphan. The plan is for him to travel to Texas to live with his aunt until he's 18. Of course he doesn't want to leave Boston and his normal life there, even though he realizes that events have just altered his normal life dramatically. Instead of backpacking with a friend for a few weeks, and then flying to Texas, he decides to hike his way to Texas.
That's when the trouble begins, as no one will miss him for 3 weeks. He ends up in a sort of Brigadoon world populated by descendants of the Melungeons, an historically factual group of people who have early 16th century Portuguese origins. They tell him he can leave anytime, but also keep him hostage, and he discovers that their world is shape shifting, and he can't really find his way back. The lesson they keep telling him is that he has to go back to go forward.
I think in the end the lesson was about conquering fear, but to me the kid conquered his fear a whole bunch of times throughout and it was only at the end when he delayed his latest escape attempt to save the lives of two of his 'captors' that he was released. That's the part I didn't get because I couldn't see any part of his character that had morphed so negatively after his mom's death that he had to somehow reclaim his goodness.
Nevertheless, if you discount the lesson that's supposed to be learned, it was a really good fantasy tale,and kept me turning pages.
A HS junior suddenly loses his mother in a car accident (his father has already died), and he is now an orphan. The plan is for him to travel to Texas to live with his aunt until he's 18. Of course he doesn't want to leave Boston and his normal life there, even though he realizes that events have just altered his normal life dramatically. Instead of backpacking with a friend for a few weeks, and then flying to Texas, he decides to hike his way to Texas.
That's when the trouble begins, as no one will miss him for 3 weeks. He ends up in a sort of Brigadoon world populated by descendants of the Melungeons, an historically factual group of people who have early 16th century Portuguese origins. They tell him he can leave anytime, but also keep him hostage, and he discovers that their world is shape shifting, and he can't really find his way back. The lesson they keep telling him is that he has to go back to go forward.
I think in the end the lesson was about conquering fear, but to me the kid conquered his fear a whole bunch of times throughout and it was only at the end when he delayed his latest escape attempt to save the lives of two of his 'captors' that he was released. That's the part I didn't get because I couldn't see any part of his character that had morphed so negatively after his mom's death that he had to somehow reclaim his goodness.
Nevertheless, if you discount the lesson that's supposed to be learned, it was a really good fantasy tale,and kept me turning pages.
February 15, 2008
This book was very mystrious and weird. I didn't really get the end of the book. I got the overall point but not the reason it ended like that. I didn't think it was a very good book. But others may think different.
July 1, 2009
I didn't really enjoy this book until I was just about past the halfway mark. I liked the characters, and the main characters relationships with them, but some of them seemed a lot more believable then others. The end was pretty confusing also.
May 8, 2014
At first I thought it was boring but after the first few pages it ended up getting pretty good.
November 7, 2022
I read this book when I was like, ten for school. There are lots of negative reviews (from suspiciously old people) talking about how the ending is bad or whatever, but it's a pretty decent book for kids and I'd be happy to hand it over as a recommendation to anyone in the 10-15 range, elementary/middle school magical realism at it's finest
And hey, if you really wanted to dive into the theming of this book. The main character is someone who's stuck between two points in his life, old life/new life. His old life is gone because his mother got turned into a sculpture of blood and steel, and since he can't bring himself to take the easy steps towards his new life, he prolongs the transition as long as possible through hitchhiking.
The majority of the book takes place with him stuck in the transitory place of wherever-it's-called, constantly shifting and never bound to material reality. His life takes this form as well, he's stuck working the farm, but he's not able to decide anything, and always half-assing attempts to leave.
The ending is not about what's-his-name making up for some sin, as one commenter guessed, but decisively choosing to seek the future instead of wallowing in his transition.
That's probably what happened, no way I'm reading it again though
And hey, if you really wanted to dive into the theming of this book. The main character is someone who's stuck between two points in his life, old life/new life. His old life is gone because his mother got turned into a sculpture of blood and steel, and since he can't bring himself to take the easy steps towards his new life, he prolongs the transition as long as possible through hitchhiking.
The majority of the book takes place with him stuck in the transitory place of wherever-it's-called, constantly shifting and never bound to material reality. His life takes this form as well, he's stuck working the farm, but he's not able to decide anything, and always half-assing attempts to leave.
The ending is not about what's-his-name making up for some sin, as one commenter guessed, but decisively choosing to seek the future instead of wallowing in his transition.
That's probably what happened, no way I'm reading it again though
January 13, 2026
The story was very confusing overall. We don't get much information on what's keeping him in Canara other than his theories. Same at the end, there isn't much on how he can leave other than an "I can/must blah blah blah."(not actually a quote from the book). In my opinion, trying to plot the events is very hard, like a roller coaster that gets stuck going up to the top. Most of the book is uneventful, and there doesn't seem to be a true falling action where the conflict is resolved.
Also, the sudden "tradition", which is skinny dipping in a river with the single people in the village, is misplaced in my opinion. I know it's a fantasy novel, but it's a little far-fetched with the disappearing buildings on the solstices with no form of explanation whatsoever on how this happens.
The magical plant, Sang, also doesn't have much description other than how it looks and that it can be brewed into tea. There is no description of why the Chinese come to Canara to trade for Sang, which also indicates the lack of description in the use of Sang.
Also, the sudden "tradition", which is skinny dipping in a river with the single people in the village, is misplaced in my opinion. I know it's a fantasy novel, but it's a little far-fetched with the disappearing buildings on the solstices with no form of explanation whatsoever on how this happens.
The magical plant, Sang, also doesn't have much description other than how it looks and that it can be brewed into tea. There is no description of why the Chinese come to Canara to trade for Sang, which also indicates the lack of description in the use of Sang.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to Read
January 21, 2020This was a pretty interesting book. I was not expecting the first part of the book to start off strong. It didn't have a not boring moment in it. The middle of it was the most interesting part. I didn't have a favorite part in the book. My favorite character was Old Sly. When the main character wakes up and doesn't know where they are at and his to wonder through out the city. The author's writing type was one that always kept you on your feet. The pace had a nice flow. The connections in the beginning was like a real world life situation. Anyone who like fiction, would like to read this.
September 20, 2020
Maybe I need someone to explain this book to me. I did not understand it at all. I thought the idea of a village hidden away from society and having no modern technology sounded interesting (almost like a time portal), as well as getting introduced to a new culture I'd never heard of. I just did not get the ending at all.
February 27, 2023
This book was not as good as I have heard from others. This book was a fun mystery book full of twists and turns.I was not very impressed with how they told the stores and introduced most of the characters in this book it wasn't exciting. I think they could have added more twists to the mystery of josh and his companions. I gave this a 2 star review I would read if there was a second book.
November 21, 2024
I loved this book in middle school! It's still good now, but it's obviously for a tween/teenage audience. The premise is interesting and entertaining, but I think some of the character motivations/thoughts/feelings are surface level. I think it would do well to dig deeper and slow down the pace to allow for more details and complex emotions.
May 29, 2020
Hitchhiking, Josh ends up in a village that seems to be not of this world. The characters were interesting and the plot line was different, but somehow I didn't connect with the story. It is a fantastical coming of age story, but it all seemed pointless! And I was not a fan of the ending.
May 27, 2021
What if you began a book that no matter how quickly you read or how much story was given to you, you never actually went anywhere? Sure it was interesting. But 170~ pages of a journey that moves, but doesn't, isn't the kind of book I like to pick up and read.
May 6, 2022
I read this book in 6th grade and I still think about it. I re-read it again in my early twenties and the story was still interesting and eerie. If that doesn’t deserve a 5 star rating I don’t know what does.
July 10, 2018
A good mystery. I'm glad I read it.
November 25, 2018
~2.5 stars.
September 12, 2019
This book absolutely blew me away, it’s complex, mysterious, suspenseful, and an all around amazing story! It in fact got me into reading!
May 7, 2021
Nostalgic to reread this book, but it's obviously not the greatest thing ever. Cool concept like Brigadoon though
August 10, 2021
What an interesting book. I couldn’t put it down just because it was such a different storyline. Quick easy read.
January 7, 2022
Took a different spin than I was expecting. Wasn’t a terrible book, but more on the fiction side. The story is ok, absolutely hated the ending though.
January 13, 2023
It was an odd, eerie book that will definitely stick with me for some time. Quick read.
December 25, 2024
Very odd book
October 15, 2025
3.75 ⭐ even though I was promised a spooky page turner by 17 magazine on the cover of this and didn't get that I still enjoyed my time reading this.
October 5, 2026
Excellent book. Great mystery and historical referencing about people that arrived in North America before Columbus and the other European nations.
October 4, 2026
I think overall it was a good book. Nothing crazy happened and many parts were often boring but my rating includes a high increase because of the ending. The ending made the story even though it took a while to get going. So overall I think it was good but will not be rereading!
August 8, 2025
3.5
I liked this a lot and the author is a favorite, but I couldn't get into the 'mystery' of it... even as fiction. Yes, Appalachia and its lore are magical, but... I dunno.
People still called 'melungeons' exist today, and this is about those that are hidden in the hills, which the book then hinted in the historically-based afterward that they don't exist anymore? (c. 1998)
Maybe it's meant more like "don't exist in this ethereal way but still are scattered genealogically in Appalachia" ? I mean, I know this was a fictional story peppered with a real type of people, but... \0/ just hits the wrong way, I guess.
I liked this a lot and the author is a favorite, but I couldn't get into the 'mystery' of it... even as fiction. Yes, Appalachia and its lore are magical, but... I dunno.
People still called 'melungeons' exist today, and this is about those that are hidden in the hills, which the book then hinted in the historically-based afterward that they don't exist anymore? (c. 1998)
Maybe it's meant more like "don't exist in this ethereal way but still are scattered genealogically in Appalachia" ? I mean, I know this was a fictional story peppered with a real type of people, but... \0/ just hits the wrong way, I guess.
Read
February 27, 2017DNF at page 94.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews