Castle Hangnail Paperback – March 15, 2016

Castle Hangnail is unbelievably charming and one of the first reads of the year to make it to my ‘to buy’ list. To be fair, there are a few issues, but any book I finish and immediately start reading is a solid five-star read.Castle Hangnail is in need of a master or mistress. No matter if it is an Evil Sorceress, Loathsome Hag, Vampire Lord or an ordinary Mad Scientist, the Board of Magic cannot let a magical building stay untended. The castle’s Minions have been doing the best they can, but they’ve just received notice that there will be no more extensions, so they need a master, fast. When twelve year-old Molly shows up at the door claiming to be a Wicked Witch, it seems miraculous. To take ownership, Molly has Tasks to complete, including acts of Smiting and Blighting, and winning the hearts and minds of the townsfolk, “however you like,” said Majordomo. “The old Vampire Lord like to keep the hearts in jars in the basement, but he was rather old-fashioned. You could just grind them all underfoot and demand tribute if you like.”Ahh, the characters. Although there are humans in the village, Castle Hangnail is strictly inhabited by the magical, along with three ravens and a roost of bats. There’s the very conservative butler guardian Majordomo, an ancient and sewn-together type of man creature who has been with the Castle as long as it has been in existence; the ghostly suit of armor, Edward (of the rusty knees); the Minotaur, Cook, who has an antipathy against the letter ‘Q’ ever since her husband ran off with an encyclopedia saleswoman; Pins, the tailor and burlap doll and his sidekick goldfish; and Serenissima, the steamy offspring of a djinn and a mermaid.“Pins lived in a small room over the laundry with a talking goldfish. The goldfish was intensely nuerotic and convinced that she was always sickening for something. Pins took very tender care of the fish and was currently knitting her a very small waterproof scarf.”Vernon is also an artist, and one of the delights with the print edition is illustrations throughout the text, the small bats in the corner by the page numbers, and the curious way the page background turns black with white text when we come to a night scene. It also gives a hint into Molly’s ethnicity, described as “a plump girl with a round face, a stubborn chin, and frizzy brown hair. She was wearing black boots with metal caps on the end.” The illustration looks pleasantly multi-ethnic, with a wide nose and shaded skin. Interestingly, the one human we get to know and like the best is a middle-aged black woman with grey hair. Always a pleasure to find inclusive young adult that does not assume white as the character norm.“‘I didn’t used to be able to make my clothes invisible too. That was awkward.’‘That was my pastry,’ said Majordomo.She swallowed and grinned at him. ‘That’s how you know I’m a Wicked Witch.’Pastry-theft was not on the same level as lightning, but it would have to do for now.”Plotting moves quickly, and while some of it is predictable–Molly will, after all, have to own up to her deception–completing the tasks takes magic, mundane problem- solving, kindness and ultimately, teamwork. There’s a great balance between self-reliance and teamwork. Its very much geared to the late grade school/early teen years in how development of confidence and consequence is dealt with. It reminds me of the slightly older-geared Year of the Griffin, a perennial favorite and re-read, and of The Ship Who Circumnavigated… by Valente, without the ornate imagery.One of the interesting things about this story is that the reader is flipped back and forth between Molly’s and Majordomo’s perspective. It’s curious, and definitely two sides of the life spectrum; the pre-teen finding her confidence and the very, very old person confronting a new way of thinking about his world.I’m not entirely sure Molly is truly on the ‘wicked’ side of the scale. One of my problems with the story is that it never really confronts that fact that Molly would be considered ‘wicked’ by many for her deceptions, but instead has to ‘prove’ herself in other ways. I think the implied message is that one can still be a good person and not be entirely full of sweetness, sparkles and pink bows, and that even occasional naughtiness can be appreciated. It’s a great message in the land of Barbie and the enduring fascination with pink Princesses of all brands. It’s also a good message for all of us older people that have learned to behave. Highly recommended, and definitely gift-worthy.

I have always enjoyed the way that Terry Pratchett books can be enjoyed on many levels. On the surface, they are... cute. There's no other way to describe it. But dig just a tiny bit deeper and there is a world of intelligent commentary -- not HIDDEN from the mid-grade reader, just not bludgeoning them with "morality" or "ethics".Vernon has accomplished the same trick with Castle Hangnail. On the first-level, it's a story about a little witch, a little castle, a little list of tasks to be accomplished. Molly is short and maybe a little pudgy, with fuzzy brown hair and brown eyes and decided opinions about gardening, food, and not wanting to be the Good Twin. She wants to be a Wicked Witch, but not an EVIL Witch, and she has a kind streak a mile wide, which is not at all the same thing as being Nice, or even Good. I feel like it's a loving nod at who Granny Weatherwax might have started out as, without being tediously derivative. Molly is herself.I just handed this book to my 12 year old, who squealed and said, "YAY NEW URSULA." I'll append his review, but so far he has forgotten he has an open bag of Cheezits by his hand -- too busy reading.On another level, Molly has a lot of grown-up problems. She is battling to be recognized as competent at her job, because she doesn't look like what people expect. She has impostor syndrome, and is pretty sure she is not qualified, even though she is managing all her tasks competently. And then there is the abusive friendship she has been in, where someone older and more powerful than she is has made her feel weak and powerless, and somehow to blame for that. I'm not saying a 12 year old will say, "hey, I'm in an abusive friendship", but I hope that sometime in their lives they will think of Molly saying "no!" and firmly stopping someone from making her feel bad. That would be a beautiful outcome.I loved Molly, of course, in her kindness and flailing and willingness to really work at a problem. I also loved the Majordomo who has his own relationship traumas and angers to overcome. The supporting cast was all lovely and warm and individual, even Dragon the Donkey and the non-speaking characters. It was very much a story about community and mutuality.The writing was wry and funny without being inaccessible for moderate readers. The illustrations, as one expects, are charming and just faintly creepy. The book as a whole is just.... lovely, and it makes me happy to have read it and happy to give it to my kids.Read if: You like spunky, practical heroines. You are not on a medical regimen that prevents giggling.Skip if: You are allergic to girl power or the thought that 12 year olds can change small parts of the world.Also read: The Tiffany Aching books in the Discworld series.

One reason for getting this book in physical format was the promise of those rich illustrations. Right from the start I was not disappointed. The writing is strong enough for anyone to picture the characters and the settings, even so.This is a wittily humorous, warm and rich story, with dawning realisation that some friends aren’t friends at all. Molly discovers she is not as weak a witch as she thinks it is. Her minions discover that powerful evil lords are not necessarily who they want to serve. But that all comes from Molly doing her best to fulfil the tasks she has to do so that the Magic Board approves her as the Controller of Castle Hangnail.I love the development of this story from the accidental achievement of tasks to the more deliberate, and desperately needed, magical abilities. It’s a true MG book, given that it deals with a twelve-year-old coming to terms with new responsibilities and building friendships along the way. It’s also refreshingly different, and reminds me that you don’t have to be sophisticated and clever to be a good read.I enjoyed it so much I’ve given it five stars. The book’s staying on my shelf, too, as I know I’ll want to reread it next Halloween!

Read to my 9 year old as a bedtime story.

Ive been working my way through ursula Vernon's books and I have to say it's been a real pleasure. We live in a topsy turvy world where covid locks us away and Russian leaders wage cruel war on its neighbours. It's just nice to have somewhere to go to, to escape life's tribulations for a while and be entertained to boot. The protaganists are always so cool, kind hearted and caring but take no prisoners either. They're tough but vulnerable! Sometimes scared and self doubting but they always come through with good humour. one finds themselves chuckling their way through each books pages. It's just really nice to get a break from our insane world and be able to vanish for a while in to characters and stories that are just plain good hearted and imaginative as well as being, at times, dark and scary (you've got to be scared a little bit, it's more fun)! I highly recommend ursula vernon and t.kingfishers books if you're looking to zone out for a while.

This is an extremely well written book with excellent characters, a full plot, and a pace that keeps the reader interested. I read to my daughter almost every night, and this is the first book that I have read to her that I genuinely enjoyed. Well done Ursula Vernon! Keep them coming.

Ursula Vernon has a delightful style reminiscent of Terry Pratchett's YA offerings, born out of her immense affection for gardening, ecology, and fantasy. Castle Hangnail is suitable for all ages and will resonate with young and old readers alike.