The Near Witch (The Near Witch, #1) in The Under-Hyped Readathon!

Feb 11, 2011 Akoss rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-for-review, 2011-debut-authors

7 reasons why you should READ the Near Witch.

1- Victoria Schwab will give you characters to care deeply about. Even the "not so nice" ones. Lexi is stubborn and fearless. Cole is mysterious, sometimes appears fragile, and yet so powerful and determined at the same time. The forest will give you chills.
2- The town of Near, is indeed a character in itself, because it felt real. Real enough that, if that place existed somewhere I know, it will be on my list of places to visit before I die.
3- Who kn ...more

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Jul 11, 2011 BirdiesBookshelves rated it it was amazing

I really loved this book. Fairy tales are my favorite so this is right up my ally. The story has the perfect amount of suspense and romance. The author is so talented and has a way of making the reader transport into her world. Such a beautiful debut!

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Jul 20, 2022 Rachel rated it really liked it · review of another edition

3.5 stars

Felt like classic literature with a brush of magic, but I really enjoyed the Ash-Born Boy short story at the end.

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Jan 08, 2011 Amara Luciano rated it it was amazing

It starts with a crack, a sputter, and a spark. The match hisses to life...

This book made me feel small and innocent again, like before the illusion of Santa was shattered, like Lexi's younger sister Wren, tiny and gullible. Because before school and homework and college applications, and all that other real world crap, this took me back to that time when my mom and dad would sit with me at night and read to me the requisite bedtime story. The writing, gosh, how can I explain it? It's poetic and It starts with a crack, a sputter, and a spark. The match hisses to life...

This book made me feel small and innocent again, like before the illusion of Santa was shattered, like Lexi's younger sister Wren, tiny and gullible. Because before school and homework and college applications, and all that other real world crap, this took me back to that time when my mom and dad would sit with me at night and read to me the requisite bedtime story. The writing, gosh, how can I explain it? It's poetic and dreamy and fairy tale-like. It flows beautifully and feels almost as if you're floating in a dream. The way the setting is depicted is just like that - surreal and immersive. The descriptions are lush with fantastical imagery, so that you're sitting there completely in awe of Schwab's writing ability.

The Near Witch truly didn't disappoint me in any way. Not in the heroine, Lexi, another Serious Supergirl with an HoG and such wisdom and open-mindedness. Her courage, her sense of duty, and loyalty and love for her family is just remarkable really. The fact that her well-loved father is dead, her mother's a ghost of a person, and her uncle doesn't believe in her, wishes to hold her back and do the protecting, does not deter her from learning about the enigmatic stranger that suddenly pops up in the town, or from searching for the vanishing children. Despite the consequences, she befriends and allows this stranger to help her hunt for the answers. Her unflinching trust in him - Cole - endeared her to me.

The mystery of the disappearing children, I thought, was NOT going to hold the book throughout. But I was wrong. The plot is eerie and intense, and it keeps you suspended in suspense. As you read on, you grow as hungry for the truths of the town's history and the secrets kept by the town witches as Lexi. It becomes imperative, because Schwab masterfully wraps Lexi's feelings in beautiful packaging so that you get to know everyone in the town, and feel sorry for the children's parents. I felt the sudden loss of the children strongly because of this, because of Lexi's firm connection to everyone there. And it made me worry all the more for Lexi's younger sister, because she could be kidnapped next at any moment. Lexi's love for Wren is palpable, and you don't want anything to happen to her.

I got so FREAKING ANGRY at the townspeople for their unwillingness to believe in and listen to Lexi, for their close-mindedness toward Cole and the Thorne sisters, and for the lies and premature blame placed on innocent people. How and why their children begin disappearing from their beds in the night is connected to this quick-to-blame attitude within the town. And that's another reason why I found this story to be so, well, beautiful. Because, like with all children's fairy tales, there's a lesson to be gleaned from this book. The Near Witch isn't just another book; it has strong themes of acceptance and delivers that age-old, sometimes trite saying, "don't judge a book by it's cover," in a non-preachy and breath-stealing manner. It's timeless, this story.

And the romance is like the cherry on top of a perfect sundae of epic and magical proportions. Cole is sad and in pain and basically introverted. He's not an Agressive Alpha in the least, but he falls under the Sentimental Sweetheart category, which I love nearly as much. And, to me, he fits in perfectly with this mystifying tale. The attraction that sparks between he and Lexi is undeniable and evident, but sweetness can be found in Lexi's prying for details of his life. They swap anecdotes about their lives - well, Lexi does more of the talking - and exchange personal, heartwrenching memories. I wanted to physically reach into this book and give them bone-crushing hugs. They brought each other out of their darkest periods and believed in each other, working together seamlessly to save the children of Near. There's nothing more heartwarming than that, watching them press forward in spite of the towering obstacles.

The Near Witch is like an old bedtime story to be passed down - both original and familiar - or a cherished fairy tale to bring you out of the gloom and believe in happy endings, no matter how bad things get. I want to clutch this story to my chest and hug it, reread it, and then share the magic of it with everyone around me. The Near Witch is memorable and will stay with me for, I imagine, a very long time.

Originally posted on my blog, Paranormal Indulgence. ...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Casey Cassidy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ones-to-recommend, own, makemomread

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 29, 2012 Liz rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, underhyped-books

Full review here.

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab is such a breath of fresh air. It's timeless and wonderfully written. Lexi's adventures kept me on the edge of my seat for almost the whole novel!

Look, I know my reviews are usually super-lengthy, but I really can't wait to tell you something. ...more

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Nov 03, 2019 Brianna rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2019, young-adult, audiobooks-i-listened-to, danika

I need to re-read this in its physical form because the reason for the lower rating has nothing to do with Victoria Schwab and everything to do with Heather Wilds, the audiobook narrator. I will be avoiding anything read by her in the future.

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Feb 12, 2021 Georgie | The Reading Valkyrie rated it liked it

I really love the intense build up but I felt it fell short just a little toward the end. Still a great read nevertheless. Was nice getting lost in a little bit a fantasy for the first time in a couple of years.

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