The Thickety: The Whispering Trees by J. A. White, Andrea Offermann (Illustrated by)

Kara and her brother have been run out of the village that they lived in because Kara has magic.  Magic means she's a witch and witches are evil.  They won't believe that Kara is different.

Katherine Tegen Books and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published March 10th and is the second book in this series.  The first was a good read and so is this one.  I'm fascinated to see what comes next.

Kara and her brother Taff have hidden in the woods to get away from the villagers.  The woods aren't safe either, but they are better than being killed by people they know.  There are mysterious creatures, vicious plants, animals and plants both with blight and the humans within are the most danger.  Kara can talk to animals, so she uses that skill to try to move them through the Thickety.

The first human they run into is Mary Kettle.  She's an awful witch from years ago who's used in stories to make children scared.  She also tells them the stories are true.  She's not the best choice to go through the woods with, but she knows the way.

This story is a blend of truth and lies.  You never know who's telling them the truth and who's supporting the evil wizard.  Sometimes they are doing both things.  The monsters discussed in this story could give you nightmares.  I found this to be a pretty intense story that kept me glued to  the book waiting to see what happens next.

The outcome at the end was totally unexpected to me.  There is one final betrayal that lets an evil into the world that had been contained for years.  The good news is that this means there will be another book to continue the series.  Someone will have to contain that evil again.  I wonder what part Kara will play in that story...