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chopeclark's review
5.0
Debut author Kimberly Brock has spun a magical tale of recovery and self-discovery, set in a mystical setting on the coast of Georgia. Beautiful writing. Like the river running through the island, the story meanders, turns, and silently builds, running toward the ocean to a climactic ending for each and every character, not just Roslyn Byrne. Brock does a masterful job with the secondary characters, in my opinion, in a deftly handled, layered plot that makes all come to the realization that they have more to offer life, and each other, than is on the surface. Nicely done, Ms. Brock. A wonderful piece of Southern fiction.
cyndibug's review
2.0
I had read a review about this book on s blog quite a while ago now so I was happy to pick this up when it was the Kindle Daily deal. I am glad I waited until it was on sale. The book wasn't bad and I liked the complex stories of some of the characters, but I just felt underwhelmed with the book.
askylark's review
2.0
I would have given this book more stars because the writing is very good- lyrical and fluid. But the characters rang hollow and the 10 year old girl's dialogue was totally unbelievable even in terms of magical realism. Also, call me a moron but I didn't get the ending.
writerrhiannon's review
5.0
Remember when you first read Harper Lee, Flannery O’Connor or Terry Kay? Prepare to feel that way again when you experience Kimberly Brock’s “The River Witch.” In a recipe as perfect as Granny’s biscuits, “The River Witch” provides everything you love about Southern fiction with an edge of Southern Gothic. Family, faith and resentment mix with love and loss, broken bodies and souls, and a stranger in a strange place. Add to this mix some mythology, fable and folktale and you will find a story that stays with you long after the final page.
Check out my full review on my blog:
http://www.ivoryowlreviews.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-river-witch.html
Check out my full review on my blog:
http://www.ivoryowlreviews.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-river-witch.html
crackercrumblife's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book quite a bit. It was a gently moving book, full of lost souls, a river, and an alligator. Roslyn washes up on the shores of Manny's Island (not literally) to find it inhabited by a family with its own problems. Roslyn has chosen this place to hide from the world, and heal from the loss of her child and her career. She meets Damascus (named for the river by her mother), a little girl who is just as lost as Roslyn is. The other characters of importance are Urey, who is Damascus's father and Ivy, Damascus's aunt. Everyone in this book is searching for something more - and by the end of the book you hope they find it.
The most beautiful part of the book is the legend surrounding Roslyn when she moves in. Damascus believes Roslyn can call the alligators to her, and that the alligators feed on broken hearts. I loved this passage, with its legends and mystery, and the idea of the melancholy eating alligators.
I think this is a great summer read, when it is really hot outside and you have a breeze blowing through your windows at night. It is magical, lyrical, and lovely.
The most beautiful part of the book is the legend surrounding Roslyn when she moves in. Damascus believes Roslyn can call the alligators to her, and that the alligators feed on broken hearts. I loved this passage, with its legends and mystery, and the idea of the melancholy eating alligators.
I think this is a great summer read, when it is really hot outside and you have a breeze blowing through your windows at night. It is magical, lyrical, and lovely.
finallywakingup's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 I enjoyed parts of this book but I couldn't sink fully into it for some reason and I found several characters downright annoying.
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