The Black Witch

Last updated
The Black Witch
The Black Witch.jpg
Book cover
AuthorLaurie Forest
LanguageEnglish
SeriesThe Black Witch Chronicles
Genre Fantasy
Young adult fiction
Publisher Harlequin Teen
Publication date
2017
Publication placeUnited States
Pages608
ISBN 978-0-373-21231-6
Followed byThe Iron Flower 

The Black Witch is a 2017 young adult fantasy novel by Laurie Forest. The novel faced intense backlash on social media prior to its release due to accusations of bigoted content. Later media coverage suggested that these criticisms were misguided and failed to understand the book's context. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Plot

Elloren is a 17-year-old girl who lives in the land of Gardneria, a diverse yet stratified society of different magical races (such as selkies, fae, and wolfmen). Many citizens of Gardneria, including Elloren, harbor prejudices about other races. Elloren's grandmother Carnissa, known as the Black Witch, was a powerful mage and military leader; however, Elloren herself appears to lack magical powers. [1] [4] [5]

When Elloren leaves for college at the magical and multicultural Verpax University, she makes friends with classmates of different races and begins to question her own prejudices and beliefs about the society of her birth. At the end of the novel, she joins the growing rebellion against the government of Gardneria. [1] [4] [5]

Reception

Advance reviews

The first reviews of The Black Witch before its publication were positive. [1] Kirkus Reviews gave the book a starred review, describing it as "a massive page-turner that leaves readers longing for more." [4] Another starred review in Publishers Weekly called the book an "intoxicating tale of rebellion and star-crossed romance" that "argues passionately against fascism and xenophobia." [5]

Social media reception

In March 2017, a book blogger published a roughly 9,000-word advance review of The Black Witch, calling it "the most dangerous, offensive book I have ever read". The review's author claimed that the novel included multiple forms of bigotry, including racism, ableism, and homophobia. [1]

Much of the review consisted of quotations from the book's prejudiced characters, including the narrator Elloren. In one example, Elloren criticizes another magical race as "hopelessly mixed" and "not a pure race like us" because "they're more accepting of intermarriage". [1] [6] She also reacts negatively when her gay brother comes out to her. [6]

The accusations spread widely on social media platforms such as Twitter and Tumblr, and The Black Witch quickly became subject to review bombing, receiving hundreds of negative reviews on Goodreads. [1] [7] The backlash was based almost entirely on the initial review, with most Goodreads reviewers admitting that they had not read the book themselves and did not plan to. [1] [2] Many of those criticizing the book mistakenly believed that Forest herself shared the viewpoints of her prejudiced characters. [8]

The Black Witch's publisher, Harlequin Teen, received a slate of emails demanding the book's cancellation. Critics such as writer L.L. McKinney argued that Forest, as a white author, lacked the ability to convincingly write "an examination of racism in an attempt to dismantle it". At the height of the backlash, Forest was baselessly accused of being a Nazi sympathizer, while those who objected to this rhetoric were accused of being bigots themselves. [1]

Responses to backlash

During the controversy, dozens of The Black Witch's critics wrote to Kirkus Reviews, demanding that the book's starred review be retracted. [1] In response, Kirkus published an essay by editor Vicky Smith defending the initial review. Smith claimed that Elloren undergoes a "monumental change" throughout the course of the novel, comparing her to former white supremacists such as Derek Black who were raised in a bigoted environment. Smith also argued that Elloren's slow pace of transformation was realistic and made narrative sense for the first entry in a multi-book series. [6]

Despite the protests, The Black Witch was published on schedule in May 2017, reaching number 1 in Amazon's "Teen & Young Adult Wizards Fantasy" book category. [1] [9] Most reviewers after the book's release agreed that it took a firm stance against prejudice, and that Elloren's change during the story was realistic. [1]

Forest later called the debate about her book "a worthwhile discussion," adding: "I think there is a need for diversity in all phases of publishing, and it’s exciting to see that happening. The Black Witch explores what it’s like to grow up in a closed-minded culture, and its message is that people who may have been raised with prejudiced views can change for the better. But it takes time and education." [1]

Media coverage

The social media controversy surrounding The Black Witch was extensively covered in Kat Rosenfield's Vulture article "The Toxic Drama on YA Twitter." Rosenfield connected the incident to "a growing dysfunction" in young adult book publishing, with an online atmosphere of constant harassment, threats, and fears of voicing one's opinion. She interviewed a number of writers and publishing professionals concerned that outrages on social media would have a chilling effect on the industry, including which topics authors would choose to write about. [1]

Rosenfield's reporting on the incident became a matter of controversy itself. After declining Rosenfield's request for comment, the author of the initial review claimed on Twitter that she had been "scared" by their interaction, causing rumors to spread about Rosenfield's behavior. Multiple authors warned their followers not to speak to Rosenfield about the article, and nearly all of her sources requested anonymity, afraid of the personal and professional repercussions. [1] Author Roxane Gay also faced backlash on Twitter after retweeting Rosenfield's article, with commenters accusing Gay of entering a debate beyond her purview. [10]

An editorial for The Globe and Mail by librarian Shannon Ozirny argued that Rosenfield's reporting did not give a full picture of the climate in young adult publishing, since it was "framed and executed as an exposé rather than a discussion." Ozirny claimed that Rosenfield's article only touched on "far larger debates" about issues such as book censorship, herd mentality on social media, and the most effective ways to protest potentially harmful works. [10]

In a 2019 Reason article, journalist Jesse Singal linked the uproar over The Black Witch to more recent controversies in young adult fiction, such as Blood Heir and A Place for Wolves , in which the author decided to cancel or postpone the book's publication. He called Rosenfield's interview subjects "prescient," writing: "In 2019, books are not only getting excoriated by online critics who haven't read them—they're getting unpublished entirely." [11]

Series

The Black Witch is the first novel in Forest's five-part series The Black Witch Chronicles. The other books in the series are:

Forest has also written two prequels to The Black Witch: Wandfasted (2017) and Light Mage (2018). [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Donnelly</span> American writer of young adult fiction

Jennifer Donnelly is an American writer best known for the young adult historical novel A Northern Light.

<i>Throne of Glass</i> Young adult high fantasy novel series by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass is a high fantasy young adult novel series by American author Sarah J. Maas, beginning with the entry of the same name, released on August 2, 2012. The story follows the journey of Celaena Sardothien, a teenage assassin in a corrupt kingdom with a tyrannical ruler, the King of Adarlan. As the tale progresses, Celaena forms unexpected bonds and uncovers a conspiracy amidst her adventures. The series concluded with the eighth book in October 2018.

<i>Half Bad</i> 2014 young adult novel by Sally Green

Half Bad is a 2014 young adult fantasy novel written by English author Sally Green that won the 2015 Waterstones Teen Book Prize and was shortlisted for the 2015 Branford Boase Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainbow Rowell</span> American writer

Rainbow Rowell is an American author known for young adult and adult contemporary novels. Her young adult novels Eleanor & Park (2012), Fangirl (2013), and Carry On (2015) have been subjects of critical acclaim.

<i>Akata Witch</i> 2011 fantasy novel by Nnedi Okorafor

Akata Witch is a 2011 fantasy novel written by Nigerian-American author Nnedi Okorafor. It was nominated for the Andre Norton Award and it is the first novel in the Nsibidi Scripts Series, where it is followed by two sequels Akata Warrior and Akata Woman published in 2017 and 2022 respectively.

<i>Mira, Mirror</i> 2004 young adult fantasy novel by Mette Ivie Harrison

Mira, Mirror is a 2004 young adult fantasy novel written by Mette Ivie Harrison. The story of the novel is told from the viewpoint of the magic mirror from the fairy tale "Snow White". "Mira" is a main character.

Courtney Summers is a Canadian writer of young adult fiction. Her most famous known works are Cracked Up to Be (2008), This Is Not a Test (2012), All the Rage (2015), and Sadie (2018).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">V. E. Schwab</span> American writer (born 1987)

Victoria Elizabeth Schwab is an American writer. She is known for the 2013 novel Vicious, the Shades of Magic series, and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, which was nominated for the 2020 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel. She publishes children's and young adult fiction books under the name Victoria Schwab. She is the creator of the supernatural teen drama series First Kill, based on her short story of the same name originally published in the 2020 anthology Vampires Never Get Old: Tales With Fresh Bite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kwame Alexander</span> American writer of poetry and childrens fiction (born 1968)

Kwame Alexander is an American writer of poetry and children's fiction.

Amie Kaufman is an Australian author. She has authored New York Times bestselling and internationally bestselling science fiction and fantasy for young adults. She is known for the Starbound Trilogy and Unearthed, which she co-authored with Meagan Spooner; for her series The Illuminae Files, co-authored with Jay Kristoff; and for her solo series, Elementals. Her books have been published in over 35 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Becky Albertalli</span> American author (born 1982)

Rebecca Albertalli is an American author of young adult fiction and former psychologist. She is known for her 2015 debut novel, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, which was adapted into the 2018 film Love, Simon and inspired the spin-off television series Love, Victor. Albertalli has subsequently published seven additional novel-length works of young adult fiction, along with 2020's novella Love, Creekwood, from which Albertalli has donated all proceeds to The Trevor Project.

<i>The Hate U Give</i> 2017 young adult novel by Angie Thomas

The Hate U Give is a 2017 young adult novel by Angie Thomas. It is Thomas's debut novel, expanded from a short story she wrote in college in reaction to the police shooting of Oscar Grant. The book is narrated by Starr Carter, a 16-year-old African-American girl from a poor neighborhood who attends an elite private school in a predominantly white, affluent part of the city. Starr becomes entangled in a national news story after she witnesses a white police officer shoot and kill her childhood friend, Khalil. She speaks up about the shooting in increasingly public ways, and social tensions culminate in a riot after a grand jury decides not to indict the police officer for the shooting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angie Thomas</span> American author (born 1988)

Angie Thomas is an American young adult author, best known for writing The Hate U Give (2017). Her second young adult novel, On the Come Up, was released on February 25, 2019.

Anna-Marie McLemore is a Mexican-American author of young adult fiction magical realism, best known for their Stonewall Honor-winning novel When the Moon Was Ours, Wild Beauty, and The Weight of Feathers.

Rin Chupeco is a Chinese Filipino writer of young adult fiction, best known for their books The Bone Witch, The Girl from the Well, and The Never-Tilting World series.

<i>Blood Heir</i> 2019 novel by Amélie Wen Zhao

Blood Heir is the 2019 young adult fantasy debut novel by Amélie Wen Zhao. The novel follows Anastacya Mikhailov, a princess with the magical ability to control blood who searches for her father's killer after being framed for his murder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justina Ireland</span> American science-fiction writer

Justina Ireland is an American science fiction and fantasy author of young adult fiction and former editor-in-chief of the FIYAH Literary Magazine. She received the 2018 World Fantasy Award for Non-Professional Work. Her New York Times bestselling novel Dread Nation won the 2019 Locus Award, and was nominated for the Andre Norton, Bram Stoker, and Lodestar Awards.

Kathryn Rosenfield is an American culture writer, columnist and novelist.

Nina LaCour is an American author, primarily known for writing young adult literature with queer, romantic story lines. Her novel We Are Okay won the Printz Award in 2017.

<i>A Place for Wolves</i> Cancelled young adult novel by Kosoko Jackson

A Place for Wolves is a young adult novel by Kosoko Jackson. Although the novel was scheduled to be published by Sourcebooks in 2019, it was canceled by Jackson soon before release when it faced backlash on social media for perceived insensitivities in its depiction of the Kosovo War. Media coverage examined the controversy through the frame of cancel culture.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Rosenfield, Kat (August 7, 2017). "The Toxic Drama on YA Twitter". Vulture . Archived from the original on December 23, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  2. 1 2 "YA Books Are Targeted In Intense Social Media Callouts, Rosenfield Says". NPR . August 12, 2017. Archived from the original on November 28, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  3. ↑ Hoggatt, Aja (January 31, 2019). "An Author Canceled Her Own YA Novel Over Accusations of Racism. But Is It Really Anti-Black?". Slate . Archived from the original on November 11, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 "THE BLACK WITCH | Kirkus Reviews". Kirkus Reviews . Archived from the original on December 23, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 "The Black Witch". Publishers Weekly . Archived from the original on December 23, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 Smith, Vicky (April 11, 2017). "On Disagreement". Kirkus Reviews . Archived from the original on December 25, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  7. ↑ Alter, Alexandra (December 24, 2017). "In an Era of Online Outrage, Do Sensitivity Readers Result in Better Books, or Censorship?" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  8. ↑ Waldman, Katy (March 21, 2019). "In Y.A., Where Is the Line Between Criticism and Cancel Culture?" . The New Yorker . Archived from the original on December 21, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  9. ↑ Graham, Ruth (May 1, 2019). "A YA Novel Scrapped Because of Sensitivity Concerns Is Getting Published Anyway". Slate . Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  10. 1 2 Ozirny, Shannon (August 11, 2017). "Not just kids' stuff: Kat Rosenfield, The Black Witch, and the controversy that gripped 'YA Twitter'". The Globe and Mail . Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  11. ↑ Singal, Jesse (June 2019). "Teen Fiction Twitter Is Eating Its Young". Reason . Archived from the original on December 2, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  12. ↑ "The Black Witch Chronicles Series by Laurie Forest". Goodreads . Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.