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saracat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
It is no surprise to me that I loved and adored this book. So far everything I've read by Schwab I have adored. Sometimes when I read books that authors wrote much earlier in their career, I can sense that they are still coming into their own. But in this book, she already feels to have an understanding of her craft and I would not have guessed this was written so early in her career without the forward saying so.
As with some of the other books I have read by her, I adore, love, and root for the main characters with everything in me and feel intense dislike and disgust at those who seem to give no effort to hear and understand what is being said to them.
This audiobook version includes at the end the story of Cole and it was painful to hear the full extent of what led to his coming to Near.
As with some of the other books I have read by her, I adore, love, and root for the main characters with everything in me and feel intense dislike and disgust at those who seem to give no effort to hear and understand what is being said to them.
This audiobook version includes at the end the story of Cole and it was painful to hear the full extent of what led to his coming to Near.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse
Moderate: Confinement, Racism, Self harm, Blood, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, and Murder
In this book, the 'racism' is directed towards witches.gssll_lpz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Self harm, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
chris_reads's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Sexism, Kidnapping, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Xenophobia, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Gun violence and Blood
voilajean's review against another edition
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Child death, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
tkatt20's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I loved this book. Its a really quick read if you're looking for something with a relatively simple magic system and high tension. I thought the pacing was wonderful for it being a standalone (accompanied by a short story) partially because it had such an interesting writing style and I felt like I could really connect emotionally to the characters which kept me reading. It also didn't feel like too much of an info dump which I run into sometimes with standalones and all the characters had depth and personality outside of the main character. My only complaint was the romance seemed to be very insta love which I'm not a huge fan of but considering that isn't the main plot, this book was great. Gave me major salem witch trial vibes too which I loved!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Self harm, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death and Blood
rini's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The story really just didn't grab me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Sexism, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
andromeda_1998's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The near witch is an other one of V.E. Schwab amazing books. It’s right in my ally. It has magic, amazing characters and together it forms a dark fairytale everyone should read. The near witch is lesser known then some of her other books and I think that it has something to do with the fact that it’s a young adult book instead of adult or middle grade.
The story:
The story focuses on Lexi who lives in the town of Near. She has never left her home town and she doesn’t particularly feels the need ago. She wants to stay in the house overlooking the moor.
In this little town a couple of things are sure:
1. There are no strangers in Near
2. The near witch is nothing more than an old wives tale
3. Don’t listen to the wind since the wind always looks for company.
These are the rules Lexi lives by and they have been told to her all her live. But everything changes when one day a stranger is seen around the village. The very next day children start to disappear in the night and the stranger falls under suspicion.
Lexi needs to find out the truth about the missing children, the time is ticking, since she has a little sister to protect.
My opinions (spoiler free)
I really liked this amazing story. The stakes are high and the story is a bit dark. I like these kinds of darker magical fairytales. The story his been written in a faster pace and the storytelling is amazingly done. V.E. Schwab has an amazing way of writing a story and she always delivers with her beautiful writing-style. Like always I cannot wait to read more from her.
V.E. Schwab knows her character building. She has again made some complex characters. The thing I liked less though is that you really need the short story “The Ash-born boy” to understand Cole’s character fully. I wouldn’t mind that so much if the short was included in all the different editions of this book but it isn’t. For as far as I know you really need the red edition by titan books to get the short included. (ISBN:9781789091144)
The worldbuilding has been done well but it only includes one little village and the moors around it. Something that isn’t bad but I would love to know more about the world she has created and I would love it if she would go back to write more story’s in this world 😂.
Favorite quotes:
“If the moor wind ever sings, you mustn’t listen, not with all of your ears. Use only the edges. Listen the way you would look out the corners of your eyes. The wind is lonely, love, and always looking for company
Other books you should read if you loved the near witch or if you loved these books the near witch is something you would like:
- Uprooted or Spinning silver by Naomi Novik
- The winternight trilogy by Kathrine Arden.
- Into the heartless woods by Joanna Ruth Meyer
- The enchantment of Ravens or Sorcery of thorns by Margret Rodgerson
- The bone houses by Emily loyd-Jones
The story:
The story focuses on Lexi who lives in the town of Near. She has never left her home town and she doesn’t particularly feels the need ago. She wants to stay in the house overlooking the moor.
In this little town a couple of things are sure:
1. There are no strangers in Near
2. The near witch is nothing more than an old wives tale
3. Don’t listen to the wind since the wind always looks for company.
These are the rules Lexi lives by and they have been told to her all her live. But everything changes when one day a stranger is seen around the village. The very next day children start to disappear in the night and the stranger falls under suspicion.
Lexi needs to find out the truth about the missing children, the time is ticking, since she has a little sister to protect.
My opinions (spoiler free)
I really liked this amazing story. The stakes are high and the story is a bit dark. I like these kinds of darker magical fairytales. The story his been written in a faster pace and the storytelling is amazingly done. V.E. Schwab has an amazing way of writing a story and she always delivers with her beautiful writing-style. Like always I cannot wait to read more from her.
V.E. Schwab knows her character building. She has again made some complex characters. The thing I liked less though is that you really need the short story “The Ash-born boy” to understand Cole’s character fully. I wouldn’t mind that so much if the short was included in all the different editions of this book but it isn’t. For as far as I know you really need the red edition by titan books to get the short included. (ISBN:9781789091144)
The worldbuilding has been done well but it only includes one little village and the moors around it. Something that isn’t bad but I would love to know more about the world she has created and I would love it if she would go back to write more story’s in this world 😂.
Favorite quotes:
“If the moor wind ever sings, you mustn’t listen, not with all of your ears. Use only the edges. Listen the way you would look out the corners of your eyes. The wind is lonely, love, and always looking for company
Other books you should read if you loved the near witch or if you loved these books the near witch is something you would like:
- Uprooted or Spinning silver by Naomi Novik
- The winternight trilogy by Kathrine Arden.
- Into the heartless woods by Joanna Ruth Meyer
- The enchantment of Ravens or Sorcery of thorns by Margret Rodgerson
- The bone houses by Emily loyd-Jones
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Confinement and Fire/Fire injury
jesserebekah's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Sexism
aviery's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Self harm, Violence, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death, Physical abuse, Blood, and Religious bigotry
syllareads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This relatively short book contains two stories by V.E. Schwab, both of which I found beautiful and heartwrenching at once.
The Near Witch
Main story in this short collection, The Near Witch is about 300 pages long - 300 pages of wild beauty, loss, hatred and, in the end, a young girl who listens to her heart and her father's stories and the moor around her instead of frightened voices from her own village.
I found the story both fantastical, with witches made from wind and earth, witches singing children out of bed, and realistic in the way that I recognized the way Lexi is held back by her own family even though she is just as capable, if not more so, than the men around her. I recognized things from the real world, from my own world, in the way the people of Near lashed out against an innocent rather than believe a single young girl, the quiet but resolute way in which the women of Near resist the fear in the end, helping Lexi in every way they can, quietly, secretly, but helpful nonetheless.
V.E. Schwab's writing captures all of this, and the supernatural elements of the plot, as well as I expected it to, and I'm thoroughly grateful to have read this beautiful piece.
The Ash-Born Boy
This far shorter piece is heart-wrenching within just a few pages and tells Cole's story with few words but even more emotions. I wasn't expecting for it to make me cry! But it did, and tore my heart out in the process. Schwab's words capture the boy and his tragic fate, his guilt and his pain so well I couldn't turn my eyes away from it even for a second.
In short: I loved it. I loved it and loved it, and would read it again in a heartbeat.
The Near Witch
Main story in this short collection, The Near Witch is about 300 pages long - 300 pages of wild beauty, loss, hatred and, in the end, a young girl who listens to her heart and her father's stories and the moor around her instead of frightened voices from her own village.
I found the story both fantastical, with witches made from wind and earth, witches singing children out of bed, and realistic in the way that I recognized the way Lexi is held back by her own family even though she is just as capable, if not more so, than the men around her. I recognized things from the real world, from my own world, in the way the people of Near lashed out against an innocent rather than believe a single young girl, the quiet but resolute way in which the women of Near resist the fear in the end, helping Lexi in every way they can, quietly, secretly, but helpful nonetheless.
V.E. Schwab's writing captures all of this, and the supernatural elements of the plot, as well as I expected it to, and I'm thoroughly grateful to have read this beautiful piece.
The Ash-Born Boy
This far shorter piece is heart-wrenching within just a few pages and tells Cole's story with few words but even more emotions. I wasn't expecting for it to make me cry! But it did, and tore my heart out in the process. Schwab's words capture the boy and his tragic fate, his guilt and his pain so well I couldn't turn my eyes away from it even for a second.
In short: I loved it. I loved it and loved it, and would read it again in a heartbeat.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Self harm