Starting the Next Chapter: Review

by Victoria Schwab
publisher: Hyperion Books CH
date of publication: August 2, 2011
format: eGalley
pages: 288
source: Netgalley
Amazon / Goodreads / B&N

From Goodreads:

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.

What I Thought

The Near Witch managed to accomplish something that I haven't experienced in a long time. Not only was I entertained as I read the story of Lexi and her search for the missing children of Near, I was also reminded of how I felt when I would read on cold afternoons as a teen. The Near Witch reminded me of so many things that I loved: crisp late-October afternoons; dark, snowy Novembers spent curled up next to a window with a blanket and a good book; the smell of wood smoke; and so much more. To say that this book sucked me in is a vast understatement and I can't even begin to explain just how well I was drawn into Lexi's world.

There is a recurring theme throughout The Near Witch that puts forth an important message. That theme is fear and the message is the dangers that fear leads to. Much of what happens in The Near Witch occurs as the direct result of irrational fear. Lexi's uncle, Otto, as well as much of the townsfolk, have an intense fear of strangers. Fear led to the atrocities committed against the woman once known as the Near Witch. Fear leads the men of the town to put their trust in someone who intends harm rather than help. The level of fear in this story was so tangible that several points were very anxiety-inducing and I was left feverishly reading in the hopes that the situations would have good outcomes.

The characters found in this story are fairly well-written. My personal favorite was Lexi in that she is independent in a way that sets her apart from the other village girls. That Lexi is one of the few who do not fear Cole (aka "the stranger") speaks to her fortitude and compassion. I also like that she has talents such as tracking, whether her over-bearing uncle likes it or not. Cole is another aspect of the story that I liked. Finding out who Cole really is is one of the more intriguing aspects of the story. Seeing him open up and develop as a character was enjoyable, as well. There are some characters, however, that I would have liked to see developed more. For instance, I was very curious about Bo, Otto's right-hand man. There were several hints at something beneath the surface with him, but that something was never explored. It left a bit of a hole in the plot that it would have been great to see filled.

The Near Witch was, overall, a fun, spooky read that I will enjoy reading again and again. The feelings and images it evoked in me along with the plot in general were superb, making this a new favorite. I will be looking forward to seeing what else Victoria Schwab has in store in the future. I give The Near Witch 5 hoots.