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  • Hoodoo
    Hoodoo
    Hoodoo
    Ebook222 pages3 hours

    Hoodoo

    By Ronald L. Smith

    3.5/5

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    Hoodoo

    "I loved this book. Told by a narrator you won't soon forget, it is filled with myth and legend, danger and bravery. Hoodoo is pure folk magic."—Keith Donohue, New York Times bestselling author

     


    Twelve-year-old Hoodoo Hatcher was born into a family with a rich tradition of practicing folk magic: hoodoo, as most people call it. But even though his name is Hoodoo, he can't seem to cast a simple spell. Then a mysterious man called the Stranger comes to town, and Hoodoo starts dreaming of the dead rising from their graves. Even worse, he soon learns the Stranger is looking for a boy. Not just any boy. A boy named Hoodoo. The entire town is at risk from the Stranger's black magic, and only Hoodoo can defeat him. He'll just need to learn how to conjure first. Set amid the swamps, red soil, and sweltering heat of small-town Alabama in the 1930s, Hoodoo is infused with a big dose of creepiness leavened with gentle humor.


     


    "What a splendid novel. Reader, be prepared to have your foundations shaken: this is a world that is deeper, more wondrous, more spiritually charged than you may have ever imagined."—Gary D. Schmidt, two-time Newbery Honor medalist and author of The Wednesday Wars

     


    "The authenticity of Hoodoo's voice and this distinctive mashup of genres make Smith one to watch. Seekers of the scary and 'something different' need look no further."—Kirkus Reviews

    "The chilling supernatural Southern Gothic plot action is enhanced by atmospheric description of rural life in Depression-era Alabama . . . Readers will particularly enjoy Hoodoo's authentic and engaging narrative voice."—School Library Journa

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    About this ebook

    "I loved this book. Told by a narrator you won't soon forget, it is filled with myth and legend, danger and bravery. Hoodoo is pure folk magic."—Keith Donohue, New York Times bestselling author

     


    Twelve-year-old Hoodoo Hatcher was born into a family with a rich tradition of practicing folk magic: hoodoo, as most people call it. But even though his name is Hoodoo, he can't seem to cast a simple spell. Then a mysterious man called the Stranger comes to town, and Hoodoo starts dreaming of the dead rising from their graves. Even worse, he soon learns the Stranger is looking for a boy. Not just any boy. A boy named Hoodoo. The entire town is at risk from the Stranger's black magic, and only Hoodoo can defeat him. He'll just need to learn how to conjure first. Set amid the swamps, red soil, and sweltering heat of small-town Alabama in the 1930s, Hoodoo is infused with a big dose of creepiness leavened with gentle humor.


     


    "What a splendid novel. Reader, be prepared to have your foundations shaken: this is a world that is deeper, more wondrous, more spiritually charged than you may have ever imagined."—Gary D. Schmidt, two-time Newbery Honor medalist and author of The Wednesday Wars

     


    "The authenticity of Hoodoo's voice and this distinctive mashup of genres make Smith one to watch. Seekers of the scary and 'something different' need look no further."—Kirkus Reviews

    "The chilling supernatural Southern Gothic plot action is enhanced by atmospheric description of rural life in Depression-era Alabama . . . Readers will particularly enjoy Hoodoo's authentic and engaging narrative voice."—School Library Journa
    Author

    Ronald L. Smith

    Ronald L. Smith is the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award–winning author of several novels for young readers, including Hoodoo, The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away, Gloom Town, Project Mercury, and the Black Panther: The Young Prince series. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland. To learn more, visit strangeblackflowers.com.

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    Reviews

    3.5/5

    44 ratings9 reviews

    What our readers think

    Readers find this title intense and well-written, keeping them at the edge of their seat. Some heavy topics may make readers uncomfortable, but the story is compelling and engaging.

    • 4/5

      Aug 27, 2024

      This was intense for a “middle grades” book, but wow! It was good. A lot of heavy topics that might make people feel uncomfortable—especially since, I’ve heard, there are no trigger warnings—but it was a very well written story that kept me at the edge of my seat!
    • 1/5

      Nov 30, 2020

      I like graphic novels......an de I wish this was one I don't like chapter books or novels sooooo...I don't like this book .
    • 3/5

      Jul 30, 2020

      Read for Battle of the Books. An interesting supernatural story about hoodoo in a small town in the early-mid 1900s. I liked that it was a different subject/genre than I usually read, but some of the writing was a little stilted and hard to get into. Overall it was a really powerful story that I enjoyed, and am eager to hear what my students think.
    • 3/5

      Apr 14, 2022

      An interesting, somewhat creepy story about a boy called Hoodoo and his sudden haunting. I like the cadence of the language, the very specific sort of magic, and the unexpected help he continually finds.
    • 4/5

      Aug 5, 2020

      Great writing, and an amazing sense of place. It's a twisty blend of magic, family, and history that reads quickly and packs emotional punches as well as oodles of building creepiness. It will be a perfect summer read for a lot of our kids, I think.
    • 4/5

      Oct 20, 2021

      Hoodoo is the name of a twelve year old boy living in Alabama in the 1930's. It's also the word for the African folk magic his family practices, though Hoodoo has yet to discover any talent for hoodoo himself until he visits a fortuneteller at the fair. When her prophecies begin appearing, Hoodoo is terrified to realize that it's all leading up to him having to fight the demonic stranger the old woman warned him about.
      A spooky story of demons and ghosts set among African-Americans in the South. Running a close second to that main plot is all the Southern food and the cooking and eating of it.
    • 4/5

      Feb 6, 2019

      I am ranking this book as if I am a Middle School Student. This is not the type of book I normally read, but I believe that Middle School Children, especially boys and reluctant readers would really get into this story.

      Set in Alabama during the 1930s, Hoodoo tells the story of twelve-year-old Hoodoo Hatcher, who is born into a family with a rich tradition of practicing folk magic, or Hoodoo, as most people call it. He was named Hoodoo because he had a birthmark and when he was born, his grandmother said that he had Hoodoo in him. Even though his name is Hoodoo, he can’t seem to cast a simple spell. Hoodoo lives with his Grandmother, Mama Francis, as both his parents are dead. His Aunt Jelly also helps to take care of him. Bunny is his girlfriend, althought they do not call each other boyfriend and girlfriend. When a mysterious man called the Stranger shows up in town Hoodoo starts having dreams of a dead man rising from the grave. Even worse, he soon learns the Stranger is looking for a boy. Not just any boy. A boy named Hoodoo. He meets a fortune teller at the fair who tells him that he needs to save his family. He begins to investigate Hoodoo and steals some potions and things from the local store. The book ends in a huge showdown with the demon that Hoodoo wins due to his bravery.

      HOODOO is an engrossing and eerie middle grade novel. It's atmospheric and character-based without ever being slow. It is a fun book for kids who like scary stories. It really is an interesting story that is slightly creepy at times.

      I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
    • 3/5

      Oct 2, 2015

      Hoodoo’s premise is a fun one with ancient magic, mysterious people, and a young boy that has to save his family from evil. It seemed like a book that I would love, and don’t get me wrong I did enjoy it, but not as much as I thought I would.

      Hoodoo is a young boy whose family does Hoodoo (a play in Voodoo, I think) and there is a stranger in town looking for him and he is not sure why. Once he finds out, he learns that it is up to him to dispel evil and the stranger. Hoodoo was likeable enough but I never felt fully connected to him as a character – it felt like he just kept telling me things. For example, many times throughout the story, especially in the beginning he stops the story and says some like ‘BLANK is BLANK, if you didn’t know’. It is great that he is in essence defining things for younger readers but for me this really broke up the story and it kept me feeling detached from him as a character, like I wasn’t experiencing with him but watching from afar… (Hopefully that makes sense).

      Overall the plot was a good one, there was just enough action to keep a reader engaged and there was mystery and a few scary bits. I think younger readers will enjoy this book for all its spooky fun.
    • 4/5

      Aug 17, 2015

      Hoodoo is similar to voodoo, in case you didn't know. In this story Hoodoo is also the name of the main character, as well as folk magic. While it's true my attention wasn't grabbed and held on to, I did find this book entertaining and the story fun. It's a fun look into superstition and folk magic, with likeable characters.

    Read anytime, anywhere with Everand

    Discover 1.5M+ audiobooks and ebooks on the go, from bestsellers to hidden gems.

    8x App of the Day in 2025
    10M+ downloads

    Frequently asked questions

    From $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.