Her most recent books include The Treasures of Weatherby, The Bronze Pen, William S. and the Great Escape, and William’s Midsummer Dreams. Brandon= Jessicas best friend, that goes to a different school. The writing is good, the characters are well developed, but the story is quite disturbing. Upon rerereading with the perspective of a mother of a child with Aspergers, I think Jessica could be seen as struggling with issues stemming from autism spectrum disorder, in addition to other stresses. When Jessica finds herself contemplating Mrs. Fortune's murder, she realizes she is in danger of going too far, and decides to exorcise Worm herself in order to break his hold over her. Jessica lives with her mum but is usually left alone as her mum must work or goes on dates. When he changes, it is a frightening change, the thing that makes it truly eerie is the subtly of it. As Worm grows to adulthood, Jessica becomes convinced that he is a witch's cat and is telling her to do terrible things. And all the evilness was actually coming from Jessica all along. She is almost without conscience, lying, manipulative, and destructive. or worse. "Belief in mysteries—all manner of mysteries—is the only lasting luxury in life.". He will certainly murder me in my sleep. The book has often been banned[5] from school libraries in the United States because of its focus on the subject of witchcraft, the description of visions or nightmares Jessica experiences, and its protagonist's disturbing inner monologues with Worm/herself. The witches say that placing a bandage on the forehead with seven leaves of wormwood on a Sunday afternoon lying in a meadow will reveal images of love, betrayals, deception or congratulations. I picked this up because I loved The Egypt Game as a kid, I haven't read anything else by Zilpha Keatley Snyder and I have thing for 1970s Newbery Honor books. Juni 2000. This article is within the scope of WikiProject Novels, an attempt to build a comprehensive and detailed guide to novels, novellas, novelettes and short stories on Wikipedia. Visit her at ZKSnyder.com. This is an awesome children's horror story, which is really and truly frightening and psychological. Just masterful. And dragons, of course. ), A cat on the cover, of course I'm going to read it. But that's part of what makes her so compelling: the reader is rooting for her to bett. Although she feels compelled to care for the cat, she finds it gross and. Her most recent books include The Treasures of Weatherby, The Bronze Pen, William S. and the Great Escape, and William’s Midsummer Dreams. I really like this. He’s cast a spell on her, but to whom can she turn? I really like how Snyder portrayed Jessica's mom. This turned out to be a children’s book. In fact, this book is transitional to the young adult category which can visit more controversial subject matter. Jessica's basically left to fend for herself, and she does the best she can. The main characters of this fiction, fantasy story are , . flag. After a while, she starts becoming paranoid of the cat, mostly because of all the books on witchcraft she has been reading. The big reason we care about Jessica at all is her home life. However, you must be careful because not all images will be positive. Like the Salem witch trials themselves, Jessica may very well be making up these voices to excuse her actions. The only reason this book is in the children's section is that the main character is 12 years old. There is nothing pandering or condescending here; no cheap jump scares or pools of slime or any of the tropes used by adults humoring childrens' requests … Maybe, it was my first encounter with an anti hero of sorts. I mean, witches AND a cat. Jessica comes to believe that Worm is possessed by a group of witches that includes Mrs. Fortune. Jessica, suspecting that Worm is possessed by an evil spirit that is controlling her, sets out to save both herself and her pet. We’d love your help. The children who are her protagonists and secondary characters all ring true, even when there is a mist of exciting magic or supernatural about their adventures. This is about REAL WITCHES" (1). 4.2 • 9 Ratings; $8.99; $8.99; Publisher Description. Refresh and try again. Jessica's victims include her former best friend Brandon and her childish and emotionally distant divorced mother. I found it painful and fascinating back when I was in 5th grade. The witches of Worm. A reclusive elderly neighbor, Mrs. Fortune, helps her to wean and raise him. I don’t want to call it young Adult, as it was closer to say, late elementary to middle school level, at least by my standards. At least Worm is some company for her in the apartment block, since she has elderly neighbours and a mostly absent mother trying to pick up a new husband, and she has quarrelled over a stupid matter, as teens do, with her friend Brandon. I rolled my eyes in boredom as I read on and on about the obvious story of a girl with an only parent, struggling to live her adolescent life. [s]. A cat on the cover, of course I'm going to read it. I picked this up because I loved The Egypt Game as a kid, I haven't read anything else by Zilpha Keatley Snyder and I have thing for 1970s Newbery Honor books. "[3] She lives in Mill Valley, California. Around 600 BBY, a Jedi Knight named Allya arrived on the wilderness planet Jessica’s never liked them. Zilpha Keatley Snyder is the author of The Egypt Game, The Headless Cupid, and The Witches of Worm, all Newbery Honor Books. Although she nurses this cat from an abandoned newborn, she is so mean to it. Named “Worm.” The blurb on the back promised a creepy, atmospheric, Goosebumps-esque read: “Cats. Recently she has been ostracised from her closest friends, as they have developed new friendships. Jessica never liked them. Visit her at ZKSnyder.com. I think I read this when I was little, the first chapter seemed vaguely familiar. This is probably the first sto. When he changes, it is a frightening change, the thing that makes it truly eerie is the subtly of it. The Witches of Worm. by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. Snyder's writing really crackles, pulling you into this really riveting, strange, and slightly surreal story. It didn't scare me as badly this time (thank goodness; last time I had to sleep with the lights on and locked my cat out of my room for two days), but it still is an incredibly creepy novel. TOTALLY creepy. Jessica wishes she’d never brought Worm home with her, because now he’s making her do terrible things. One evening she finds an abandoned newborn kitten. Welcome back. I just remember shutting the book to find my parents. I don't know. The Witches of Worm is about a girl named Jessica who finds a strange, hairless kitten she names Worm. The main character shares my name (how very 1970s) and the central storyline is about an ugly, evil cat she sort of accidentally adopts. Cats. I liked it though. [1] It received the Newbery Honor citation in 1973.[2]. Zilpha Keatley Snyder. It concerns Jessica, a lonely and angry girl who finds a blind, nearly hairless newborn kitten, and ends up raising it with the help of her catlady neighbor. For me, one of the most interesting aspects of the book is the main character, Jessica. The witches of the worm Zilpha Keatley Snyder March 1986 The protagonist Jessica, finds a blind, almost hairless cat that she names Worm. I remember seeing this book everywhere when I was a kid, with hundreds of different covers, but I finally decided to give it a go when I saw it on the Bookmobile. I first read this book back in elementary school. share. Spoiler. ), I picked up a copy of this book for my daughter at a thrift store and ended up reading it because I was looking for a quick read. Misses Fortune= a old lady that loves cats. In a very childish way, this made me really connect with Jessica, as I also have a sort of ugly, definitely evil cat who I occasionally resent and despise and I'm pretty certain he's got a demonic posses. Because of her noticeable lack of any kind of parenting? Especially not a skinny, ugly kitten that looks like a worm. The first edition of the novel was published in June 1st 1972, and was written by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. This is an awesome children's horror story, which is really and truly frightening and psychological. She's not an entirely likable protagonist, in that she does some backhanded things and isn't altogether honest with her friends, her family, or even herself. Joy= Jessicas older sister who Anyone else agree? Evil (or at least psychologically damaged) little girl (age 12) done here so well it sends chills down my spine. This is probably the first story I ever read that toed the line between some thing magical and strange happenings, and the first time I, as a reader, questioned the main character's sanity. It's chilling when you realize that Worm isn't a demon - but Jessica definitely is a witch...a witch who will stop at nothing to get what she wants. This is a chilling story for older children and young adults, about a lonely teenaged girl, Jessica and the kitten she raises without wanting it, called Worm (you can tell she didn't like cats). Wow! The Witches of Worm Quotes Showing 1-5 of 5 “Belief in mysteries, any manner of mysteries, is the only lasting luxury in life.” ― Zilpha Keatley Snyder, The Witches of Worm tags: beleiving, mysteries I don't think Worm was anything other than an ordinary cat who Jessica was using. To see what your friends thought of this book, I too felt like Jessica was dealing with an untreated mental illness. i read this as a kid and should reread it as an adult. . It concerns Jessica, a lonely and angry girl who finds a blind, nearly hairless newborn kitten, and ends up raising it with the help of her catlady neighbor. The story follows Jessica, a little girl whose cat, Worm, compels her to wreak havoc on her neighbors. Free download or read online The Witches of Worm pdf (ePUB) book. Zilpha Keatley Snyder is always good, even though sometimes the language is a little dated. . She then hears a voice and is coerced into doing things such as lying and breaking things. Jessica wishes she’d never brought Worm home with her, because now he’s making her do terrible things. It didn't scare me as badly this time (thank goodness; last time I had to sleep with the lights on and locked my cat out of my room for two days), but it still is an incredibly creepy novel. 1 Star - I hated it 2 Stars - I didn't like it 3 Stars - It was OK 4 Stars - I liked it 5 Stars - I loved it. The book remains ambiguous as to how much is supernatural and how much is psychological. Worm, the possessed cat, makes for both an object of sympathy and a terrifying villain. Start by marking “The Witches of Worm” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Share your thoughts Complete your review. [it turns out that the real demons are inside you. No_Favorite. The main character shares my name (how very 1970s) and the central storyline is about an ugly, evil cat she sort of accidentally adopts. For a children's book, Witches of Worm takes a very mature approach to responsibility. In a very childish way, this made me really connect with Jessica, as I also have a sort of ugly, definitely evil cat who I occasionally resent and despise and I'm pretty certain he's got a demonic possession, too. In a starred review Kirkus Reviews wrote "There's some danger that adults will be as spooked by Jessica as she is by Worm's evil eye, but the cat's bewitchment proves a perfect medium for a sensitive, sympathetic probing of a disturbed child's fears and anger -- and for a story that economically, seemingly effortlessly, captures the elusive eeriness of the supernatural. Fantastic book, in part because it lets its child protagonist do and contemplate some genuinely awful things. She doesn't like cats, but feels a certain obligation to help it. She also thinks that the cat is being possesed by a group of witches, hence the name. Probably because I've never won any) The Witches of Worm a long ass time ago. The witches or oracles use wormwood oil to have higher clairvoyance. As time goes on, Jessica believes that the cat is possesing her into doing mean things (ex.Washing her her mother's dry-clean dress.) Zilpha Keatley Snyder is the author of The Egypt Game, The Headless Cupid, and The Witches of Worm, all Newbery Honor Books. Jessica lives with her mum but is usually left alone as her mum must work or goes on dates. Jessica, whose mother Joy is frequently absent, finds herself the unwilling adoptive mother of an ugly kitten named Worm in this third Newbery-Honor book from the prolific Zilpha Keatley Snyder. For the first time she speaks from the point of … This isn’t a condemnation on the book or the story, it was good. Get this from a library! EMBED (for wordpress.com hosted blogs and archive.org item tags) Want more? “The Witches of Worm” is one of Mrs. Snyder's most haunt ing stories and one of her deepest probes. An awesomely creepy book from Snyder, who I love for her unique treatment of the supernatural; always leaving it realistic, ambigious, and not always totally evil. The book manages to create suspense and mystery where there isn't any, by sucking us in to Jessica's paranoia. When the main character finds him, he is so pathetic, that you feel sorry for him, even as the main character is annoyed at all the extra work she has taken on to keep him alive. One evening she finds an abandoned newborn kitten. Worm. 'The Witches of Worm' is no exception. I'm not sure how many stars to give this book. I do remember being honestly and deliciously frightened by this book as a child, so be careful who you give it to. by Yearling. (In this book, Joy, the mom, often refers to her daughter as "Jessie Baby," not, "Jessie, baby, . Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. February 1st 1986 Chapter 1: A Note About Witches. When the main character finds him, he is so pathetic, that you feel sorry for him, even as the main character is annoyed at all the extra work she has taken on to keep him alive.