Review: The Near Witch by V.E.Schwab

Goodreads: The Near Witch

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. 

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. 

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.



My Review:

The Near Witch is enchanting, magical and wonderfully eerie! That cover too! *heart eyes* Descriptions of the Moor and the village were so lush and vivid, they felt realistic and believable. The plot was good, the pacing was just right and the main character Lexi was my favourite! There was a sense of the unknown throughout The Near Witch that is unsettling (in the best way) and you can never fully relax with the next disappearance right around the corner. I particularly enjoyed the witches Magda and Dreska, I want a full background history novel of them please! Cole was interesting and I couldn't decide whether to trust him at first, the other villagers were believable and I could imagine the small village where they live. The Near Witch was a fairy-tale read featuring a sense of unease, eerie events, mysterious strangers and a few morals thrown in for good measure. It was a great novel and I'm so glad that I had the chance to read it! I would recommend to fans of fairy-tales, magic, ghosts and romance. 3.5 out of 5 stars. [Thank you to Titan Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review!]