The Near Witch – V.E. Schwab
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.
Review:
V.E. Schwab books have become a staple in my literary diet. I first fell in love with her Shades of Magic trilogy, quickly followed by Vicious, the first book in the Villains series. I then branched out with the Monsters of Verity series and still loved every single word of it. When Middle Grade book City of Ghosts was released I wasn’t sure if I was too old for the book or not. But I devoured it in several hours (at work!). Then word reached me that her debut novel that had never been published in the UK and was out of print in the US was making it’s triumphant return. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it and when I did I could only confirm that it is an absolutely stunning edition.
I’m going to dive right in and tell you that I enjoyed reading The Near Witch, but it is very clear to me how much Schwab has grown as a writer since first publishing this book. There were certain elements that were just not my cup of tea.
The story centres around the town of Near, a secluded, small town that is never visited by strangers. The main character, Lexi, lives with her mother and little sister at the edge of town. He big dream is to follow in her father’s footsteps and become a hunter. She wants to feel a special connection to the moor that stretches out outsider her bedroom window. One day a stranger arrives in town and at the same time, a child goes missing. Are they connected? Or is something more sinister at work?
There were a few problems for me. First of all: no strangers come to Near. Ever? It’s all kept a bit vague, but logistically this didn’t make much sense to me. It is a good explanation for the suspicion the town feels when the stranger appears, but in every other way it doesn’t add up.
The second thing that bothered me was the insta-love. I even dislike using the word. I know this is a very personal thing and I realise some people actually really like this kind of romantic storyline. That is totally fine and if you are one of these people this won’t be an issue at all. If you’re like me however, it might rub you the wrong way.
Overall, I didn’t connect with the characters very well. I didn’t particularly like any of them and a lot of them lacked some much-needed depth. Lexi’s mother for instance. She has been a shell ever since Lexi’s dad passed away. She gets dominated and bossed around by her overbearing brother-in-law. Throughout the book she shows some glimmer of resistance and life again, but it is never followed through. Her character remains quite dull and one-dimensional until the very end. The Near Witch is another character that I think deserved some fleshing out. The myth surrounding her is interesting and mysterious. I would have loved some follow up on what happened to her and what it that had made her in to. Some redemption or justice maybe.
That being said, I loved the setting of the small town on the edge of the moor. The descriptions created an atmospheric and gloomy backdrop for the story. The way the magic of the witches was linked to nature is also something I really liked. The connection with the earth and with the wind made them feel very authentic. Their powers being influenced by their emotions only contributed to this more. The setting and the magical aspect were smoothly interwoven to lend an easy flow to the story.
The Near Witch is definitely not my favourite of Schwab’s books, but I think that if you are a fan, owning and reading this one is a must. It’s where it all started and it is still an enjoyable story. If you haven’t read any of Schwab’s book before, I suggest you start somewhere else to come to really appreciate her talent. Then once you have, revisit The Near Witch and add it to your collection. The Near Witch is an enjoyable read that is not without its hiccups. But that is probably because my expectation of Schwab’s books have been lifted so high after reading all her more recent work.
Release Date: March 12th, 2019
Publisher: Titan Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 354
Format: Hardcover
Source: Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
