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justmys's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Moderate: Child death, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
_marycappiello3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
snapeygan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Death, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
"The Near Witch" follows a bold young girl named Lexi. Lexi knows the old stories of the Near Witch, but she thought it was just a scary story to scare little kids. But, when a stranger arrives in a town where there are never strangers, and children begin to go missing, Lexi begins to question everything she thought she knew.
I really enjoyed seeing Victoria Schwab's first book because it really made me appreciate how far she has come in her craft. This book is definitely a solid story, and it has some of the fantastical charms that her more recent books have, but I could definitely tell that this work was one of her firsts. This story felt very fast-paced, and I did not always agree with the characters' reasonings or motivations. For example, Lexi seemed to easily accept what the adults in her life told her. I wish she pushed back more on her uncle specifically.
This book felt like it flew by so quickly; just when I thought I was beginning to meet and understand the characters, the book moved along. I wish there was maybe 50 pages more so that we could see some more fleshed out character development.
I had a fine time reading this, it was not my favorite from Victoria Schwab, but I enjoyed it.
Moderate: Child death, Death, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
kathrynleereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
It was also frustrating that they kept making it all the way out there, only to turn and return to the village before finding anything.
While children are being kidnapped it seems as if there would be a bit more of a rush than trying to fix the problem on three separate days.
Why not just hide from the men that followed them and then continue their search instead of trekking all the way back to Near to just start completely over the next day?
Also, as a tracker who should be fairly adept at listening, she sure did get followed a lot. And the men left to watch her and keep her from sneaking out of the house really just did not learn.
•
The first half of the book detailed only a day or two of Lexi digging into the mystery, while the second half of the book covers multiple days of action, seeming to flit from day to day a lot faster.
It felt like it should've gone in the opposite direction.
Cole and Otto then run out from the stone wall (which is in the opposite direction of where she left them), seemingly having beat her there or caught up to her, despite the fact that they supposedly had a whole hashing-out of their issues (which couldn't have been quick), and the fact that Lexi ran the whole way back.
Then after beating Lexi up for a minute, the Near Witch sees her old garden and just kind of floats into the grave the sisters had conjured there and went back to being dead.
It felt a little lacking to me, like after all the build-up, the ending should have been a little more drawn out.
•
Character-wise I loved Lexi, her parents, the sisters, Cole, and Wren.
Mrs. Thatcher had some good moments and provided good insight into the mindset of the village.
Otto seemed like deep down he was a decent person, but he was a pushover and should never have been granted the title of Protector, because he honestly sucked at it. He was very well-written, though.
Bo was a truly awful human.
The character that is still stuck in my mind though? Tyler.
Sexist, misogynistic, piece-of-dirt pig.
•
Besides the abrupt ending to the story, I thoroughly enjoyed The Near Witch, and was very enthralled by the story while reading it.
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Grief, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
thewitchwhoisabook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Kidnapping, and Gaslighting
hmstaab's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Moderate: Sexism, Xenophobia, and Death of parent
Minor: Child death, Kidnapping, Murder, and Sexual harassment
takarakei's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Overall it was hard to get through with the narrator, and if I wasn't reading it for a book club I might've switched to a physical book or DNF'd.
Graphic: Kidnapping and Death of parent
Moderate: Death and Grief
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
voilajean's review against another edition
2.5
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Child death, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
rini's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Sexism, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment