The Near Witch
The Near Witch, Book #1
By Victoria Schwab
ISBN# 9781423137870
Author’s Website: http://www.victoriaschwab.com/
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Valerie
Synopsis:
“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. ”
“And 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. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.
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.
Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab’s debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won’t soon forget. (Goodreads)
Review:
I read this for the first time about a year ago. I thought it was okay. A year later, I reread it and totally became obsessed with it. Basically, The Near Witch isn’t a book that you like immediately. It takes time and patience. Read it again during some other time, and I guarantee you’ll at least tolerate it. Trust me on this one, you won’t be disappointed.
There’s something about fairy tales that makes everyone happy. Yes, they may be childish, but hey, that’s why I read them! However, The Near Witch is a fairy tale that’s brought to a whole new level. (Yes, I do know I’m being extremely superficial right now…) It’s basically a creepy reincarnated witch meets kick butt heroine meets mysterious awesome guy meets a gorgeous story meets a whole lot of fantasy type of story. If you think about it, you don’t really get those types of books a lot. In other words, GO READ IT NOW. Yes, I mean now!
Lexi is strong and lethal and clever and simply one of those few kick butt heroines. Her father was a hunter, so he taught her the skill of being strong. Well, he also taught her how to track, but that’s not nearly as important. I love how Lexi never forgets about her father, but she isn’t bogged down by sadness either. She’s strong and balanced. She’s one of the characters that never annoy me at all, which is really impressive! In other words, she is a MONSTER but in a good way. She’s stubborn and determined, which is incredible!
One thing you should keep in mind is that while The Near Witch is in first-person, it’s the type of first-person that makes you think it’s in third-person. In other words, the wording is your present day wording. It feels timeless and a bit older, but it is so worth it. In my opinion, the writing style totally brings out the beauty of the fairy tale. You see, in other books, the author’s way too caught up in the action to focus on the finer parts of the story, the writing. However, Victoria Schwab actually handles the book like a pro (or a boss) and makes The Near Witch a masterpiece. It’s stunningly strong and delicate at the same time.
You know, some of the best books make you feel conflicted because you love it in spite of some issues it may have. The Near Witch may or may not be one of those books. That’s because you won’t know until you pick it up and start reading it! (See what I did there?) You know, if you’re still reading this review, you might want to stop… so you can read The Near Witch!
