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A review by lovelymisanthrope
The Near Witch by V.E. Schwab
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