Sunday, August 14, 2011

Review: The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab


Synopsis: 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. 

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.

Book Details: 
Publisher: Hyperion
Pub Date: August 2, 2011
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 288

My Review: 
Ever wish there was a fairy tale like story for an audience older than 12 years old? Well look no further because Victoria Schwab has masterfully created a wonderful fairy tale for the older crowd. So good of a book is The Near Witch it's sure to become a classic.

The Near Witch is a story of the town of Near whose children are mysteriously disappearing late in the night. Once the town finds out about a stranger in their territory they blame him for the disappearances. The protagonist, Lexi, is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. Her father always told her stories of the Near Witch and nature. With all towns there are missing parts to every story, things left untold and buried. Will Lexi uncover the truth to the story of the Near Witch, and will she find out who or what is taking the children? Will she be able to find the answer and make it out unharmed?

Seriously this book was pure brilliance! I read this book in two days. Once I started reading I couldn't stop until I was reading the last sentence. The Near Witch is a very captivating tale and will have readers  asking where has someone like Victoria been all their lives? Lexi is a very admirable protagonist she is a strong willed person and takes a stand for herself despite everyone's wishes. The stranger while is phantom like in the beginning turned out to be so adorable and cute. Lexi gave him the name of Cole. The whole time I was praying that Cole was not guilty of kidnapping the kids from their beds, because he was so nice to Lexi. I also love Lexi's mother and little sister. I felt the same determination that Lexi had to protect Lexi's sister from whatever is happening to the other children. The mother who is often quite and in her own world really took me by surprise when it came to her daughter Lexi. Just read the book to find out why.

Aside from the great characters in the book the writing is just superb. The words and sentences and story as a whole just flowed naturally and poetically. If your looking for a great and mysterious nighttime read then get The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab in your hands! 

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