The Near Witch by V.E. Schwab
Published 12th March 2019 by Titan Books (first published 2nd August 2011)
Star Rating - ****
Goodreads Challenge - 15/50
I was gifted a finished copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis (from Goodreads)
Brand new edition of Victoria Schwab’s long out-of-print, stunning debut
All-new deluxe edition of an out-of-print gem, containing in-universe short story “The Ash-Born Boy” and a never-before-seen introduction from V.E. Schwab.
The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.
If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.
There are no strangers in the town of Near.
These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.
But when an actual stranger, a boy who seems to fade like smoke, appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.
The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion.
As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.
All-new deluxe edition of an out-of-print gem, containing in-universe short story “The Ash-Born Boy” and a never-before-seen introduction from V.E. Schwab.
The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.
If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.
There are no strangers in the town of Near.
These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.
But when an actual stranger, a boy who seems to fade like smoke, appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.
The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion.
As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.
My Thoughts
I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this one from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I've never read any V.E. Schwab, despite owning several of her books and I thought what better place to start then at the beginning. This book is actually Schwab's debut novel that has been republished. I have read a few reviews from people who have read Schwab's work already saying you can tell this is a debut novel however, having never read any of her other work I had nothing to compare this to which I think was the best way to go.
I actually really enjoyed this one. I loved the writing style it was very lyrical and whimsical, reading very much like a fairytale which is how this story is premised. It was super atmospheric too. The setting really helped with this and I think the author did a great job at building this world and provoking the feelings of eeriness and spookiness. It was a compelling read and there was lots of mystery throughout the story and I loved watching it unfold as we made our way though the book.
I quite enjoyed our main characters too. I thought Lexi was a strong and independent character although she did come across a little bit reckless at times. However, her main motivation for her actions was to protect the people she cared about which was nice. I also thought Cole was quite an interesting character. He was very mysterious and I really enjoyed the inclusion of the short story about Cole at the end of this new edition as I liked learning more about his back story. There was also a romance in this book and although it was quite sweet it was very much insta-love which isn't my favourite. However, back when this was first published I can imagine this trope wasn't as over done as it is today.
Overall I really enjoyed this one. I loved the writing style and this has made me really excited to get into some more of V.E Schwab's work. It was a really mysterious and atmospheric read that I would recommend you pick up.
I actually really enjoyed this one. I loved the writing style it was very lyrical and whimsical, reading very much like a fairytale which is how this story is premised. It was super atmospheric too. The setting really helped with this and I think the author did a great job at building this world and provoking the feelings of eeriness and spookiness. It was a compelling read and there was lots of mystery throughout the story and I loved watching it unfold as we made our way though the book.
I quite enjoyed our main characters too. I thought Lexi was a strong and independent character although she did come across a little bit reckless at times. However, her main motivation for her actions was to protect the people she cared about which was nice. I also thought Cole was quite an interesting character. He was very mysterious and I really enjoyed the inclusion of the short story about Cole at the end of this new edition as I liked learning more about his back story. There was also a romance in this book and although it was quite sweet it was very much insta-love which isn't my favourite. However, back when this was first published I can imagine this trope wasn't as over done as it is today.
Overall I really enjoyed this one. I loved the writing style and this has made me really excited to get into some more of V.E Schwab's work. It was a really mysterious and atmospheric read that I would recommend you pick up.
Overall Rating
