Review: The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

Release Date: August 2^nd, 2011

Number of Pages: 282

Publisher: Hyperion books CH

Source: Bought + BEA

The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.
If the wind calls at night, you must not listen.The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.And there are no strangers in the town of Near.
These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.
But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.
The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.
As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi's need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

This book really caught my attention from page one. There is something beautifully eerie about what is going on in this book. I have to say that this book made me fall completely for Victoria Schwab’s writing. You get the feeling while you’re reading that every word, every sentence was so carefully chosen, to give you the desire experience. The world simply sucks you in, as the description easily bring everything to life,

I really liked the characters, especially Lexi. She was ready to whatever she though was right to do, so she could save the children. It didn’t matter that everyone around her forbid her to do anything. She had to do it. She was one of the rare characters that looked like they were really trying to save them instead of simply pointing fingers. Of course, I can’t forget about Cole. I love their interaction; there was such a great balance between the personalities of those two characters. The was enough mystery about Cole to keep me intrigued in who he really was, and made me curious as to what’s to come. There is something a little haunting about him; it simply makes him that much more addicting.

The novel is simply addicting. There’s this fairy tale vibe going on that is so intriguing. After all, not that many novels can give you the feeling of being one of those fairy tales we grew up it. Even the books inspired by fairy tales don’t always have the vibe that can be so addicting. Of course, the writing has a lot to do with my love for this book. There are few books that really make me fall in love with the words as much as the story, and this one is one. I’m already dying to read more from her. If you’re looking for a haunting modern fairy tale, this one is for you.