The Near Witch

by Victoria Schwab and V.E. Schwab

[Amber (The Literary Phoenix)]

I found The Near Witch to be incredibly aesthetic and darling… but I can also see why Victoria did not go viral with this one. To borrow her own words, this is a small book. And loves, there’s nothing wrong with small books. They can be the sweetest, most beautiful stories. They are some of my favorite escapes. But they do not typically turn into television shows or sit on the New York Times bestseller lists for a long time, especially when that small book is a debut.

However.

That does not mean The Near Witch or other books like it are not worth your time. On the contrary, this was a wonderful read. I found myself swept away to the moor with Lexi. Schwab has this absolutely beautiful writing style that intrigues and haunts and illustrates, lingering for a moment on all the senses then wisping away as the story winds on. I love her writing style, and having now read something YA, MG, and Adult by her… I love how they are all different, and yet, all the same.

Lexi isn’t the type of badass female heroine we get used to seeing in adventure stories. She is quiet, smart, and one of the most stubborn characters I have seen. Lexi was fantastic because she was a formidable heroine without sarcasm, sword fights, or because of the romance. I loved Lexi as our protagonist because I feel like she’s such a good example of the different kinds of strong women out there. Also, because she just seemed like a normal person who got tired of being told she couldn’t do what the boys were doing, and who wouldn’t accept that she couldn’t make a difference. And she made a difference because of it.

If I were to criticize one thing, I think I would say the characters were a little undershared. I toyed around with the word “underdeveloped” in this context, but I don’t think that’s accurate. Lexi, Cole, Wren, everyone… they were full, round characters. But I feel like there were walls around so many of the characters that we say only a sliver of each and I was unsatisfied. And maybe that was part of their characterization, and that’s okay. But I want so much more from each of them.

My favorite character, for the record, was Mrs. Thatcher. I want a story about that woman, she feels like she has a story to tell.

Otherwise, the world here felt like something real. Even with the inclusion of the witches, this felt like it could be a piece of tucked away Scottish history. I cannot say how much I loved the aesthetic. I’ve seen the word “creepy” thrown around in reviews, but for me… it wasn’t creepy. It was witchy. The most perfect, foggy day, ominous wind through the trees, witchy.

If you are looking for a good read, an easy read, and something with the best aesthetics, The Near Witch is a great book. I will flat out tell you that I ordered a copy to add to my library after finishing because I know this is a book I can fall into. The audiobook was… okay. I wasn’t a huge fan of Heather Wilds, who narrated this one. I don’t feel she was a good fit for this book and she didn’t bring it to its full potential. But I have so much faith in V. E. Schwab and the story itself, I know this is one I’ll want to read again.