SuitabookPlain Kate
Erin Bow
- Reading
- If the threat of witch-hunting or the loss of Kate’s father feels intense, pause to check in and let the reader choose whether to continue. You could also read together and talk through the bargain as it unfolds.
- Themes
- Fear and scapegoating: In a village facing hardship, some townspeople blame Kate and call her a witch. The book’s stance on this remains unclear.
- A costly promise: A stranger offers Kate escape and her heart’s wish in exchange for her shadow; she later realises she cannot remain shadowless indefinitely. The bargain is presented as consequential and the stranger’s intentions as troubling, but its full resolution is not given.
- Worth knowing
- These elements give the fantasy a threatening tone.