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

adventurous emotional mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

The Near Witch is Schwab’s debut novel, and because of this I went into it with lower expectations, and a little bit of curiosity about where she came from and how her writing has grown. While I didn’t think it was as immersive and polished as her later books (which was completely expected - genius doesn’t spring from nowhere 😂), this book was still beautiful, whimsical and poetic. The focus on atmosphere over characters or plot made it feel like folklore; a creepy fairytale told to children in front of a fire.

Schwab herself describes this book as ‘strange and quiet’, which is so fitting in a way that I can’t really describe. There’s this common feeling of isolation and inherent creepiness in books set on the moors - think The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, or Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle.

Typical of Schwab, The Near Witch has a dash of horror, but in the way that fairytales often do: more creepy and suspenseful rather than grotesque. There isn’t a lot of world-building, but in a way this worked - the isolation and emptiness of the setting played a large part in the overall feeling of uneasiness and suited the haunting writing style. 

In terms of the main character, Lexi… It was nice to read a female heroine without the sarcasm and the sword, strength in a way that seems more accessible to children and younger adults. But although she was the narrator of the story, I didn’t get the greatest idea of her drives - her feelings weren’t really dipped into, and instead it was more a play-by-play of what she saw and did. There was also a little bit of insta-love, but after all, this is a fairytale (and what is more representative of a fairytale than love at first sight?).

Overall, this was a haunting but beautiful story about acceptance, understanding and friendship, but also prejudice and loss. And VE Schwab is obviously some kind of word-witch.
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