Magic in this world is a curious blend of Christianity and more so-called occult beliefs. Real-world ailments are induced by magical means. Graves are also looted and corpses dismembered. The presentation felt accurate to me but sensitive readers or those unaware of historical fact might find that those aspects disturbing. For some young readers this could be confusing, but others might find this a mirror of real life.Ĭharacters die and previous deaths are also discussed, including death by lynching. Some things Hoodoo does are barely a blip on the radar, while others have devastating, life-changing results. Hoodoo keeps important information from the grown-ups he otherwise trusts, in retaliation for them not telling him about how his father died.Ĭonsequences are all over the spectrum. Stealing also occurs and is discussed as wrong, but doesn’t really have any negative results.

Not profusely but he curses several times during the book. Parents may wish to take note of several aspects. I find it challenging to classify MG horror since it’s so much less scary, but my sense is that this would mainly fall into horror, with aspects of historical and fantastical fiction that make it a good entry point for readers of those genres. Lives are in danger, people are possessed, cemeteries are dug up. Astral projection occurs a few times, and messages and items are sent from beyond the grave. The magical elements are not simply magical realism – spells have effects (although not flashy ones) and the existence and efficacy of hoodoo are generally accepted in the town. How do you classify it? Hoodoo is decidedly set in the past, and some elements are very evocative of the time and place. Which makes it memorable and interesting, but also a bit challenging to discuss. It’s embarrassing enough to not be able to do a simple spell when your name is Hoodoo, but it could be downright dangerous when the Stranger comes to town looking for a boy with that name.

In small-town 1930s Alabama, Hoodoo Hatcher is an unmagical twelve year old born into a folk magic family. Clarion books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, New York, 2015.

Hoodoo by Ronald L. Smith