06.07.07
The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney
Tom Ward, seventh son of a seventh son, is apprenticed to the Spook, whose job is to defend the living against ghosts, ghasts, boggarts, and witches. When Mother Malkin escapes her confinement while Spook is away, Tom is forced to use his wits and help his new friend Alice to fight the evil witch.
Trish AHS said,
June 14, 2007 at 1:02 pm
If you like Harry Potter, you will really enjoy The Last Apprentice. Revenge of the Witch is one book in the series by Joseph Delaney. I can’t wait to read the next book.
Ruben Vhs said,
October 30, 2007 at 12:42 pm
1. In what ways do you think Thomas changes from the beginning to the end of the story?
Thomas Ward changes in many ways from the beginning of the book to the end. First, he becomes more mature and aware of what is happening around him. At the beginning of the book he used to imagine thi;ngs(ghasts) that weren’t really there, but with help from the Spook he learns how to know the difference bgetween imagination and reality. Also, he learns that to; be able to survive he has to be respectful to what the adults tell him. For example, at first he used to failed many tasks that were given to him by the Spook and landed himself into trouble, but he learned that he
had to pay attention to everything he is being told because it could help him in the future.
2. Mam said, “I married your dad because he was a seventh son. And I bore him six sons so that I could have you. Seven times seven, you are, and you have the gift.” Is our fate decided before our birth?
3. What do you think the future holds for Thomas?
I think in the future Thomas will learn many things that will help him become the Spook. Also, I think that if he stays positive, he will achieve many great things.
If you like books that have to do with fantasy and mistery, then this is the right book for you. It is a really good book.
Lauren VHS =] said,
November 1, 2007 at 1:19 pm
I think this book is very exciting, and i can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
I think that Thomas will become a very important person, and a great Spook, even possibly before he finishes his trainning with Mr. Gregory. I feel that his future is very bright. Yes there will be hardships and dangerous times, but I think that Thomas will be able to overcome them with triumph.
Melissa VHS said,
November 5, 2007 at 8:57 am
This was an excellent book and I could never seem to put it down. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
From Beginning to end I think Thomas became more sure of himself. I has a lot more confidence and belief in himself and that it going to help him a lot in beoming the next Spook.
I blieve that in this case Thomas’ fate was decided at his birth. Not all births are on purpose and not all of them are so parents can have “the perfect” kid but in this case Thomas was definitely born to be the seventh son of a seventh so to go on and become a Spook.
I think Thomas’ future is very bright. He is going to most definitely become the next great Spook and this may happen even before all his training is up.
Courtney VHS said,
November 6, 2007 at 5:38 pm
In what ways do you think Thomas changes from the beginning to the end of the story?
I dont think that Thomas changed throughout the story. He was pretty much dumb throughout the whole thing and the only reason he didnt die or anything is that things happened to just fall into his lap. like out of nowhere he knew what to do. Which was stupid. They could’ve made it better if he failed or it was harder for him to achieve it.
Victoria VHS said,
November 6, 2007 at 5:38 pm
Thomas’s future will probably end with him as the spook.
i enjoyed Revenge of the Witch because I enjoy fantasy and this book goes right up my alley. Tom is really clueless and acts like you normal boy. It was a really easy read and I managed to read it in about 1 1/2 hours.
If anything, Tom needs to learn to LISTEN to Mr. Gregory especially when he says don’t trust girls with pointy shoes. Tom does trust a girl with pointy shoes and lets a powerful witch (Mother Malken) loose because he doesn’t listen.
Melissa 2 VHS said,
November 6, 2007 at 5:41 pm
3. What do you think the future holds for Thomas?
I believe that once he matured and gain more common sense, he would in the end become a spook. Though i do not entirely believe this would happen since he seems, to me, not the sharpest tool in the tool box. The only reason i do believe he would become a spook is because in the story Delaney wrote that he remember about the iron and salt when he faced Mother Malkin. The fact that he remembers that and started realizing things a bit more is the reason why i think he can become a spook
Bridgett VHS said,
November 8, 2007 at 1:53 pm
1. In what ways do you think Thomas changes from the beginning to the end of the story?
I think that Thomas changes in many ways. First of all, he sarts think about life in a new way He also begins to think more deeply in about wiches, ghost and other creaters. Thomas starts listening more to his heart and gut to tell him what he should do.
2. Mam said, “I married your dad because he was a seventh son. And I bore him six sons so that I could have you. Seven times seven, you are, and you have the gift.” Is our fate decided before our birth?
Yes,I do believe that our fate is decided before we are born. But it is up to us if we make it come true.
3. What do you think the future holds for Thomas?
I think that Thomas will be greater then all the other Spooks when his apprentice time is up. I also belive that he will make many more mistakes. I also believe that something big happens between Thomas and Alice that Thomas’ mother could already see.
Elizabeth VHS said,
November 27, 2007 at 4:00 pm
I give this book a 8 out of 10 because the beginning was a little slow, but the end and middle were a nice, quick speed.
In what ways do you think Thomas changes from the beginning to the end of the story?
I think Thomas changes by how much maturity he has. Granted, he doesn’t increase that much, but he does mature…for one thing, he learns not to trust pointy shoe girls.
What do you think the future holds for Thomas?
I think that, if he doesn’t die, he will be the next Spook and that there are dark challenges ahead.
Anne RHS said,
February 22, 2008 at 11:17 am
I loved this book and I am not usually a fantasy fan; however, this book was simple and yet fun. The characters are so real. I think it is more intricate than it appears at first. I will read the next two in the series!
Josie said,
February 22, 2008 at 12:29 pm
The book cover itself makes it look corny and sortof dunb, but it’s really a great book. I’ve already read the next two in the series. Read it yourself and see.
ashleyshsdoerr1 said,
February 26, 2008 at 9:57 am
Thomas has changed very much since the beginning of the story. In the beginning of the story Thomas was scared. Has very paranoyed. He could barely go to sleep the first night on the job. Towards the end of the story you could see that Thomas has become a much braver person. He dealt with witches and bogarts all on his own. He even took on Madam Melkevin on his own without the help of the Spook. This witch was one of the worst witches of them all.
KyleSHSdoerr1 said,
February 26, 2008 at 10:01 am
Question #1: In what ways do you think Thomas changes from the begining to the end of the story?
Response:
In the begining of the story Thomas was a scared farm boy with alot of fear. For example when the ghasts of hangman’s hill started to creek loudly he got extremely scared and he thought he was going insane. Later on however, he learns to block out his fear especial when he fought Mother Malkin both times. But the greatest example was when he finaly made the decision to take Alice to her aunt instead of puting her in a hole. This I think shows maturity and confidence that he never had before.
ChrisSHSDoerr1 said,
February 26, 2008 at 10:02 am
Question 1:In what ways do you think Thomas willchange from the beginning to the end of the story?
In the beginning of the book Thomas was very scared of things but as he went through the book he became alot braver. Another thing is Thomas didn’t know about any paranormal things like ghosts, boggarts or witches but now he knows about all of things and how to deal with them. Also Thomas starts going with his gut and instinct towards the end of the book.He also starts to pay attention to anything he hears because it could help in the future.
Anderson Yeh said,
February 27, 2008 at 7:42 pm
1. In what ways do you think Thomas changes from the beginning to the end of the story?
I believe that Tom becomes more mature about his job and he decides to take it seriously. For example, in the beginning, Tom was a little skeptical about the job because everyone was afraid of spooks and the spooks were always alone except if they had apprentices. His mam wasn’t surprised because she believed that he was if not going to be very important to the country because he is the seventh son of the seventh son. But Tom’s brother, John, was a little freaked out by his job and treated him very harshly when Tom returned home after the first month and in the end his sister Ellie wasn’t afraid of Tom but the evil things that would follow Tom wherever he went and if he went home then that would endanger their new baby that they had a little while ago. Also in the beginning he thought that the ghasts were evil but when the Spook tells him the true reality about the ghasts he is not afraid of them anymore. Also in the beginning, he was always failing at the tasks the Spook gave him, but with practice and intensive lessons, he was able to master them. The Spook also gave him lectures about the different types of boggarts and the different types of witches there are, also how to bind them and other ways to confine them so they wouldn’t harm anyone more innocent villagers. So in all Tom has matured a lot in this book from beginning to end and he is taking the job a lot more seriously now and he also knows that his job protects the country and I believe that’s where he gets his determination to do his job one hundred and ten percent.
Jake EJSHS said,
March 8, 2008 at 5:45 pm
2. Mam said, “I married your dad because he was a seventh son. And I bore him six sons so that I could have you. Seven times seven, you are, and you have the gift.” Is our fate decided before our birth?
The age-old question is posed yet again. Is there such a thing as fate and destiny or can we chose for ourselves what becomes of us? Are our movements and actions scripted or are we free to improvise the show that makes up our lives? Allow me to qualify on this topic. In the Revenge of the Witch the only reason Mam married Thomas’ father was because he was a seventh son. And the only reason Thomas’ older brothers exist is so that he could be the seventh son of a seventh son. Perhaps if Mam went through so much trouble to have Thomas, then his destiny was set for him ahead of time. However who’s to say that Thomas couldn’t choose for himself his profession. Mr. Gregory himself said that Thomas could decide whether or not he wanted to carry on his training after one month on page 122. Plans are always made; some are intended, while others are made subconsciously. As for the one for whom the destiny is contrived, they are more than free to make their own decisions in their own life.
I’m in full agreement with Melissa 2 VHS when she says that Thomas will become the next Spook. I also agree with what she said about Thomas and his less than average level of common sense. Evidence of this can be found throughout the story. For example, on page 100 he was warned about pointy-shoed girls and not to trust them. Instead he did just the opposite and found himself in a whole mess of trouble. Thomas could have saved himself plenty of trouble if he just used his head.
Kaitlinshsdoerr4 said,
March 17, 2008 at 8:07 pm
1.In what ways do you think Thomas changes from the beginning to the end of the story?
In the beginning Thomas was afraid to face his fears (hangman’s hill) at the end Thomas was able to face any fear and witch even though it scared him.
2.Mam said, “I married your dad because he was a seventh son. And I bore him six sons so that I could have you. Seven times seven, you are, and you have the gift.” Is our fate decided before our birth?
Yes, back then your parents decided what you were going to do before you are born. Thomas’s mother and father wrote to the spook and told him that he was to be an apprentice before he was born.
What do you think the future holds for Thomas?
I think that Thomas will become the best spook in town and will eventually have to face Alice in the future.
Alexm EJSHS said,
March 18, 2008 at 4:27 pm
#3. What do you think the future holds for Thomas?
I agree with Melissa 2 VHS in that, in the continuation of the series, Thomas will most likely become the new Spook. Evidence of this is given many times in this book, protruding most in Thomas’ battle with the witch, where he shows many qualities that resemble the current Spook’s. Like Jake EJSHS points out, Thomas still has a lot to learn when it comes to following Mr. Gregory’s advice, especially when he clarifies the need to not trust girls with pointy shoes. In another note, through the books title, I would surely come to see that Thomas will be replacing Mr. Gregory, or else end the line of work altogether. I would surely suggest this book to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy, as well as the darker side of a seemingly magical world.
ChrisEHS said,
March 18, 2008 at 10:26 pm
The question of if our fate is pre-determined is one that has been one that has haunted humanity for as long as (wo)man has traversed the surface of the earth, and there is no real answer. Yet in the case of Thomas Ward there were some aspects of his life and destiny laid out for him, but these were only possible because of others choices, like his mother seeking his father out due to his lineage. Also the Spook constantly arouses this question putting it in Thomas’ mind of how ghosts and witches end up, “was it of their own hand.” Many things are constructed before we are born, plans, dreams, schemes and choices made. But in Thomas’ story it is simply choices, choices define what you are and how you choose to carry out your existence given circumstances presented by outside forces, wheter they be divine or terrestrial. These things show that Fate, Destiny, Karma, whatevers are all the creation of people’s choices made through life and their way of establishing their time while they dwell among the living.
Elaborating on the reply from Melissa and Jake I believe that Thomas will continue to grow and advance as the apprentice of the Spook until he has taken over for his predecessor. Also I believe that Thomas will be haunted and presented with the demons that follow Gregory, as was discussed in the house where he resided. Every Spook must face their past at one point or another.
Charley EJSHS said,
March 19, 2008 at 3:49 pm
1. In what ways do you think Thomas has changed from the beginning to the end of the story?
Thomas faces many challenges in the story that cause him to change. For one Thomas becomes significantly braver. He learns to take notes and to follow instructions from the Spook regardless of how absurd the instructions may be. He also learned to appreciate the granted things in life such as family due to his absence from his home. He had the courage to face Mother Malkin even though the Spook was not there to bail him out if the act of facing her were to turn for the worst. He also followed his notes by remembering the salt and iron to get the spirit out of the Snout, which he would not have done unless his common sense had developed somewhat.
I also agree with Anderson Yeh that he was afraid of the ghasts in the beginning of the story. Thomas thought that they had malicious intent. This thought was to changed when he took up the job with the Spook and the Spook explained that ghasts were just the spirits not moved on.
Matthew EJSHS said,
March 19, 2008 at 3:57 pm
3. What do you think the future holds for Thomas?
I think that Thomas is going to become the next Spook, because he showed advances in his studies in the job. An example would be his lessons on witches, that prepared him for his struggle against Mother Malkin. The Spook seems to have a liking towards Thomas as well, and continues to teach him, despite Thomas’ ignorance. He also learns from his mistakes, such as giving the cakes to Mother Malkin in the pit.
I agree with Ruben, because Thomas continues to perservere. An example is when Thomas went into the Haunted house and walked into the basement at midnight, despite his fear.
Mattm EJSHS said,
March 19, 2008 at 8:49 pm
2. Mam said, “I married your dad because he was a seventh son. And I bore him six sons so that I could have you. Seven times seven, you are, and you have the gift.” Is our fate decided before our birth?
No, I do not believe that faate is decided by birth. It can be decided by the type of person you are and what you wish to do with your life. You may be destined to do something great but if you’re lazy destiny means nothing if you are not willing to actually fufill it. On the other hand you could be destined for nothing but with the right determination you could make something great out of yourself and your life. I do believe in some destiny but not to the extent that it controls every step and movement.
I agree with bridget VHS that Tom changes from the beginning to end that he does start to see things in a different light and begins to not fear the creatures that he faces in the story. He tends to be a liitle low on the common sense level as he doesn’t listen to his master and doesn’t do what he believed his master would do.
Dennis EJSHS said,
March 19, 2008 at 9:28 pm
1. In what ways do you think Thomas changes from the beginning to the end of the story?
Thomas undergoes many changes. One change is that his bravery increases drastically. In the early parts of the story he was afraid of weak ghasts, but eventually he gains the courage to fight Mother Malkin, twice. Also, at first he thinks the Spook’s rules are a little strict and unnecessary. During the story he learns that he needs to listen to the people around him, in particular the Spook. Thomas also becomes more aware of his family and how dangerous the world can be. At first he doesn’t seem very sure that he wants to be the next Spook, but he realizes how essential the Spook is. Even his mother tells him that the world is growing darker.
I agree with what ChrisSHSDoerr1 said about the way Thomas gets much more intelligent. He did not know a thing about ghosts, ghasts, or boggarts until he became the apprentice. However, the Spook teaches him about how to properly dispatch these evils as the story continues.
Tyler EJSHS said,
March 20, 2008 at 6:34 pm
1. In what ways do you think Thomas changes from the beginning to the end of the story?
Thomas has changed in many ways from beginning to end of the story. First, in the beginning of the story he was afraid to go to hangman’s hill and to spend the night alone in a house. In the middle and end of the story he gets braver because he faced two witches and a horrible creature all by himself. Another way that he has changed from the beginning of the story to the end is that he has come to respect a spooks job. In the beginning of the story he hated the spooks job, because it seemed very depressing and a very lonely job. At the end of the story when he got a little more taste of the action he came to respect the spooks job in that he was saving the county from witches, boggarts, ghosts, and other creatures.
I agree with Charley EJSHS when he says that Tom has began to appreciate his family.
Colton EJSHS said,
March 24, 2008 at 5:35 pm
2. Mam said, “I married your dad because he was a seventh son. And I bore him six sons so that I could have you. Seven times seven, you are, and you have the gift.” Is our fate decided before our birth?
In the story fate seems to have an influence on Thomas, but only if he makes certain choices. His encounter with the pointy shoed girl and his likelihood of becoming a spook are both support that destiny is pulling on Thomas.
In concurrence with Chris I also assume that Thomas will be the next spook, but not before he faces his past.
ty said,
March 28, 2008 at 11:52 am
this book was really good. tom learns from his mistakes and has to uses his wits to save his life.
brittshsdoerr6 said,
April 28, 2008 at 8:01 am
1. In what ways do you think Thomas changes from the beginning to the end of the story?
In the beginning of the story Tom was verry scared and frightend he also was not so sure he wanted to become a spook like he was entended to do. through out the book though he gradualy became more and more confident in him self and more understandding to what a spook actually does and why he does it. he realizes that it is important to do what is intended to do it do it right so no one else is hurt along the way. he becomes stronger to because he can now safely go up to the spook with out cowering down and face all of these things he thought he might never in counter.
Tony EJSHS said,
May 20, 2008 at 9:25 pm
2. Mam said, “I married your dad because he was a seventh son. And i bore him six sons so that i could have you. Seven times seven, you are, and you have the gift.” Is our fate decided before our birth?
I don’t think that fate is decided before birth. i think that choices we make throughout our lives and it isn’t our fate to chose what we do. but i also think that in this book fate partially what compels toms decisions but the book is fiction. you can choose not to do anything if you don’t want to.