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justmys's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
_marycappiello3's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Grief, Child death, and Murder
snapeygan's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
As always, VE Schwab doesn’t disappoint!! I’m a big fan of all her work, and her first novel isn’t different from all her other books!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Torture, Blood, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Grief, and Kidnapping
lovelymisanthrope's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
I picked this up a couple years ago because I am on a mission to read everything Victoria Schwab publishes.
"The Near Witch" follows a bold young girl named Lexi. Lexi knows the old stories of the Near Witch, but she thought it was just a scary story to scare little kids. But, when a stranger arrives in a town where there are never strangers, and children begin to go missing, Lexi begins to question everything she thought she knew.
I really enjoyed seeing Victoria Schwab's first book because it really made me appreciate how far she has come in her craft. This book is definitely a solid story, and it has some of the fantastical charms that her more recent books have, but I could definitely tell that this work was one of her firsts. This story felt very fast-paced, and I did not always agree with the characters' reasonings or motivations. For example, Lexi seemed to easily accept what the adults in her life told her. I wish she pushed back more on her uncle specifically.
This book felt like it flew by so quickly; just when I thought I was beginning to meet and understand the characters, the book moved along. I wish there was maybe 50 pages more so that we could see some more fleshed out character development.
I had a fine time reading this, it was not my favorite from Victoria Schwab, but I enjoyed it.
"The Near Witch" follows a bold young girl named Lexi. Lexi knows the old stories of the Near Witch, but she thought it was just a scary story to scare little kids. But, when a stranger arrives in a town where there are never strangers, and children begin to go missing, Lexi begins to question everything she thought she knew.
I really enjoyed seeing Victoria Schwab's first book because it really made me appreciate how far she has come in her craft. This book is definitely a solid story, and it has some of the fantastical charms that her more recent books have, but I could definitely tell that this work was one of her firsts. This story felt very fast-paced, and I did not always agree with the characters' reasonings or motivations. For example, Lexi seemed to easily accept what the adults in her life told her. I wish she pushed back more on her uncle specifically.
This book felt like it flew by so quickly; just when I thought I was beginning to meet and understand the characters, the book moved along. I wish there was maybe 50 pages more so that we could see some more fleshed out character development.
I had a fine time reading this, it was not my favorite from Victoria Schwab, but I enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Kidnapping, and Child death
kathrynleereads's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
While I really enjoyed The Near Witch, I thought the ending was a bit abrupt.
I wish she would've mentioned how long it actually took for them to get from the village to the grove of trees out on the moor. Once it was a half-day trek, then she ran all the way there and back.
It was also frustrating that they kept making it all the way out there, only to turn and return to the village before finding anything.
While children are being kidnapped it seems as if there would be a bit more of a rush than trying to fix the problem on three separate days.
Why not just hide from the men that followed them and then continue their search instead of trekking all the way back to Near to just start completely over the next day?
Also, as a tracker who should be fairly adept at listening, she sure did get followed a lot. And the men left to watch her and keep her from sneaking out of the house really just did not learn.
•
The first half of the book detailed only a day or two of Lexi digging into the mystery, while the second half of the book covers multiple days of action, seeming to flit from day to day a lot faster.
It felt like it should've gone in the opposite direction.
In the final scene, Lexi runs all the way from the clearing to Near with the basket of bones, only to not get there in time and for the Near Witch to come alive as she does at night.
Cole and Otto then run out from the stone wall (which is in the opposite direction of where she left them), seemingly having beat her there or caught up to her, despite the fact that they supposedly had a whole hashing-out of their issues (which couldn't have been quick), and the fact that Lexi ran the whole way back.
Then after beating Lexi up for a minute, the Near Witch sees her old garden and just kind of floats into the grave the sisters had conjured there and went back to being dead.
It felt a little lacking to me, like after all the build-up, the ending should have been a little more drawn out.
•
Character-wise I loved Lexi, her parents, the sisters, Cole, and Wren.
Mrs. Thatcher had some good moments and provided good insight into the mindset of the village.
Master Matthew seemed to be alright but then told the other council members where Lexi and Cole were going and what they were doing, despite saying that he believed Lexi was correct and the Near Witch was to blame.
Otto seemed like deep down he was a decent person, but he was a pushover and should never have been granted the title of Protector, because he honestly sucked at it. He was very well-written, though.
Bo was a truly awful human. I'm curious to know what happened to him, as it's never mentioned.
The character that is still stuck in my mind though? Tyler.
Sexist, misogynistic, piece-of-dirt pig.
He was not worth any redemption and deserved the same as Bo. He thought he deserved Lexi and completely ignored her protests and requests.
•
Besides the abrupt ending to the story, I thoroughly enjoyed The Near Witch, and was very enthralled by the story while reading it.
It was also frustrating that they kept making it all the way out there, only to turn and return to the village before finding anything.
While children are being kidnapped it seems as if there would be a bit more of a rush than trying to fix the problem on three separate days.
Why not just hide from the men that followed them and then continue their search instead of trekking all the way back to Near to just start completely over the next day?
Also, as a tracker who should be fairly adept at listening, she sure did get followed a lot. And the men left to watch her and keep her from sneaking out of the house really just did not learn.
•
The first half of the book detailed only a day or two of Lexi digging into the mystery, while the second half of the book covers multiple days of action, seeming to flit from day to day a lot faster.
It felt like it should've gone in the opposite direction.
Cole and Otto then run out from the stone wall (which is in the opposite direction of where she left them), seemingly having beat her there or caught up to her, despite the fact that they supposedly had a whole hashing-out of their issues (which couldn't have been quick), and the fact that Lexi ran the whole way back.
Then after beating Lexi up for a minute, the Near Witch sees her old garden and just kind of floats into the grave the sisters had conjured there and went back to being dead.
It felt a little lacking to me, like after all the build-up, the ending should have been a little more drawn out.
•
Character-wise I loved Lexi, her parents, the sisters, Cole, and Wren.
Mrs. Thatcher had some good moments and provided good insight into the mindset of the village.
Otto seemed like deep down he was a decent person, but he was a pushover and should never have been granted the title of Protector, because he honestly sucked at it. He was very well-written, though.
Bo was a truly awful human.
The character that is still stuck in my mind though? Tyler.
Sexist, misogynistic, piece-of-dirt pig.
•
Besides the abrupt ending to the story, I thoroughly enjoyed The Near Witch, and was very enthralled by the story while reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Sexism, Blood, Kidnapping, Misogyny, and Violence
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Grief, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
thewitchwhoisabook's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
A lovely little fairy tale. Like a bowl of nourishing soup.
Content Warnings
Minor: Kidnapping, Child death, Gaslighting, and Child abuse
hmstaab's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, Sexism, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual harassment, Child death, Kidnapping, and Murder
takarakei's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This one is real hard to review because I didn't like the narrator for the audiobook. They spoke. Very. Stunted. Without. Any. Flow. ...I don't believe that is how the book was written as that is not my experience of Schwab's writing. I do think you can tell this is early on in Schwab's career as her writing really has improved with her subsequent novels. It is a very typical YA kind of romance between characters (a bit insta lovey).
Overall it was hard to get through with the narrator, and if I wasn't reading it for a book club I might've switched to a physical book or DNF'd.
Overall it was hard to get through with the narrator, and if I wasn't reading it for a book club I might've switched to a physical book or DNF'd.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Kidnapping
Moderate: Grief and Death
Minor: Blood, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Child death
voilajean's review against another edition
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Body horror, Bullying, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, and Kidnapping
rini's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The story really just didn't grab me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment, Violence, and Sexism