Season of the Witch

by Mariah Fredericks

[inlibrisveritas]

3.5

Season of the Witch is a really quick read that fits perfectly into the fall season. It’s a book with an interesting premise: A girl who is so fed up with being bullied turns to another girl for help and her answer is witchcraft. It becomes the foundation of their friendship and Toni finds herself wondering if the witchcraft is real.

I blazed through this one and really enjoyed how everything played out. It’s a very contemporary novel with a really creepy feel. Toni is a high school junior with whole lot of snark and a huge problem, she’s managed to get on the bad side of Chloe and now she has to deal with bullying. Which takes a nasty turn and I think it shows a bit more realistic way that teens handle it, instead of seeking help with those who have power to stop it they struggle to deal with it or find ways to retaliate when talking doesn’t solve the problem. In this case Toni turns to her best friend’s cousin Cassandra who promises solutions. Cassandra was one creepy chick…she was oddly detached and cold, which might have been an act at times but it’s really obvious she has some deep seeded issues. To be honest I wasn’t entirely sure why Toni kept seeking her out, other than desperation and maybe that really was on the only reason. However I don’t think I would have stuck around as long even with the supposed victories they were having. Then there is Ella who is bubbly and loves gossip, but doesn’t really have a mean bone in her body. I really liked her even though she talked way too much about other people, but I felt like it was more of shield for her because of her low self-confidence.

I really loved that this was more about the emotional toll that other people can cause on others, and not the witchcraft. Though that was certainly a focal point. It deals with real emotions and just how much one person can affect another, and I think it really succeeded in that. It also deals with real issues and that each was handled in a realistic and respectful way.

The spooky factor really added a lay of creep to everything as well and while it wasn’t the most unique or out there read it was really easy to fall into the story an get caught up in all that was going on.