Published: August 2'd 2011
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Page Count: Hardback, 288
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal
Find the Author: Website, Good Reads, Twitter, Blog
Buy This Book: Amazon
, The Book DepositoryThe 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. - Good Reads
I totally and completely hands down respect Victoria Schwab's ability to set an atmosphere. She writes beautifully. And the moor setting felt very haunting and... windy. There were very slow moments in the book where I kept putting it down, yet other moments where I couldn't put it down at all and had to know what was going to happen next.
I really admired the main character Lexi. She was a girl full of purpose and good intentions. She fights for what she believes in. And I admired her love for her parents, especially her close relationship with her Father - I found it to be sweet and it was obvious he influenced her a lot.
The love story was good, a little quick, but it still had my heart going pitter-patter in all the right places.
But somehow this book just didn't do it for me. And I can't put my finger on what it was exactly. It might just be my mood at the moment... I'd definitely still recommend this book to read, because I know many people who did really like it. I just might recommend checking it out from the library before buying it.
I really admired the main character Lexi. She was a girl full of purpose and good intentions. She fights for what she believes in. And I admired her love for her parents, especially her close relationship with her Father - I found it to be sweet and it was obvious he influenced her a lot.
The love story was good, a little quick, but it still had my heart going pitter-patter in all the right places.
But somehow this book just didn't do it for me. And I can't put my finger on what it was exactly. It might just be my mood at the moment... I'd definitely still recommend this book to read, because I know many people who did really like it. I just might recommend checking it out from the library before buying it.
It's hard to pinpoint why we connect more with some books than others, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteJust out of curiosity, what was your take on the love interest?
I've heard the setting in this one is amazing and the town of Near is it's own character, I always like stories with that kind of rich atmosphere! I've read a couple books lately where I finished and just wasn't in love with them, it happens sometimes. It's always interesting to me too how the books I've read before affect my feelings toward the one I'm currently reading. Thanks for your honesty Liza!
ReplyDeleteI've heard some really good things about this book and I respect it more for being a standalone instead of in a series. Shame you couldn't really get into it.
ReplyDeleteI loved this book! It reminded me of Hocus Pocus!!!
ReplyDelete@BJ Sometimes it is! I really don't know why I didn't like it exactly! There were so many great things I can point out about it, yet somehow it just didn't do it for like I thought it would. :/ The love interest was intriuging. I was fawning over him a whole lot, but he had the mysterious bad boy thing I like a lot. Maybe the love story part fell a little short for me...
ReplyDelete@Jenny It is a very impressive setting and I can definitely agree with the town being almost its own character. Yeah, my mood can affect how I feel about a book - sometimes a testy heroine can push my buttons whereas other times I'd put up with her just fine. Ah, well!
@Lan I totally agree with you on that, Lan! I remember thinking... "wow, there are no games here, this is a full book and it ends and at the end!" It honestly feels like I haven't read one in FOREVER! I do love series, but sometimes it's nice to read a book and BE DONE! :)
@Bookish Brunette I can see that! I loooove Hocus Pocus! I remember going to the cinema to see it with my parents when it came out! :) One of my favourite movie experiences actually!
Thank you all for commenting! <3
@BJ wasn't fawning over him* <--
ReplyDeleteSo many people are talking about this book- I loved your review- it was the first one that actually made me want to read it
ReplyDelete@alana They are! :) Thank you! Definitely try it out for yourself! Thanks for taking the time to stop by and read my review! <3
ReplyDeleteHappens to me all the time...that I just cannot say what exactly it was that didn't do it for me. No worries on that account :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your review.
_yay_ @ BookthatThing
It's funny, before the book was published, I heard so many good things about it. But now that the book is released, I hear some less-awesome things about it now. Nobody has said it was bad, but the reviews certainly aren't as glowing anymore :O I wonder why.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, if there's on consistency, it's that everyone says the writing is beautiful and I really want to read it just to check that out! :)
Beautifully written and executed, this is a novel which will keep pride-of-place amongst my favorites, and that I will happily read again and again.
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