Witch High

WITCH HIGH is a fun anthology that takes place at Salem Township Public High School #4, aka Witch High. Using the theme of the high school, each story weaves another piece of the fabric that is the history behind the school. The stories all reveal that even those with magical powers suffer the same struggles in high school as the non-magical kids. There are bullies, there is heartbreak, there are cliques, and so much more. Containing fourteen different stories, each author takes on a different idea and uses their imagination to create unique situations for their characters. Not reading much paranormal fiction personally, I will admit that none of the authors were known to me. But that did not hinder my enjoyment of the stories. As with most anthologies, I found that some of the stories spoke to me more than some of the others, but overall, they were all a treat to enjoy. Pick up WITCH HIGH and you will find out what happens when a fire elemental likes someone who is interested in them back...sparks really do fly! Discover the creative punishment that is inflicted on a student who wreaks havoc on the school and has to pay back the guidance counselor in full. And see what sort of hidden magic a girl with seemingly no magical ability at all can grow. These are just three of the wonderful stories included in the book. I'd wave my wand over everyone and make them read this book as well, but alas, I truly have no special abilities. At least, none of mine have manifested yet! Reviewed by: Jaglvr

Life at Salem Township Public High School #4, also known as Witch High, can be very interesting. With fourteen different tales based both on the students and faculty its something different every day. There are the popular kids, cheerleaders, nerds, outcasts and bad boys each with a different magical adventure. All fourteen authors were new to me and I found a few that I liked enough to look into their backlist. One of my favorite stories was the quick read Temporal Management by Laura Resnick about a teen that needs to learn a thing or two about time management. I recommend this one to all teen paranormal readers.

I found that a few of the stories early on in the book were a little awkward, simplistic or predictable. They were definitely still enjoyable, and I'd say that overall the book has a higher success rate than many anthologies. Later, however, the stories are consistently excellent and I could hardly put the book down. Sarah Zettel's "A Family Thing" is a gorgeous examination of witches past and present and where their power really comes from. Debra Dixon's "Coyote Run" is a slightly dark and definitely fascinating tale of gaining a familiar. Esther Friesner's "You Got Served"--about a harried cafeteria worker in a high school full of witches--is silly, but in a gorgeous way that transcends the jokes it could have been reduced to. Bill McCay's "Remedial Magic", about a girl who cares about nothing more than helping her sick mother, made me cry buckets (I still tear up just thinking about it). Pauline Alama's "Homecoming Crone" is both pure unabashed wish-fulfillment fun, and an elegant tale of the nature of magic and friendship. Overall, this is a wonderful read for teens or adults--fun, touching, and delightful. I did, however, notice some minor inconsistencies that tended to pull me out of the stories a little. In theory these stories all took place at the same location, but some of the school administrators were different (despite references to one or another of them having been there forever), the level of the world's awareness of magic seemed to change, and some other details were different too (one story mentioned that every witch eventually gets a familiar, but you really don't see familiars in the other stories). If you aren't a detail-freak, however, this probably won't bother you much.

The premise of this well written fantasy anthology is looking into the lives of the students attending a very special school: Salem Township Public High School #4, better known by those familiar with the curriculum as Witch High. The back cover says it all as "Harry Potter and his friends would feel at home" at Witch High. The authors seem to have fun in spite of the somewhat limitations of topic, age and "locale". The fourteen contributions are all well written with the student talent being magic rather than science or math. Whether it is the cheerleaders using magic to prevent their pyramid from tumbling ("A Perfect Ten" by Christina F. York), the irony of the "Late Bloomer" by Karen Fox who would rather die than attend the school or Josie supervising the school cafeteria ("You Got Served" by Esther M. Friesner), the compilation is a fun lighthearted look at high school through a magical Potter like lens. Harriet Klausner