This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.This was the first book I read by this author and I am glad that was the case. Knowing that this was her debut gives me confidence in her newer work which I know I'll most likely enjoy just as much or even more. I loved the atmosphere of this book, it gave me the chills and I was completely emerged in the world Schwab created. I really enjoyed the whimsical writing style and flow of the story even though it wasn't fast paced and it was quite predictable I still found myself interested in the stoThis was the first book I read by this author and I am glad that was the case. Knowing that this was her debut gives me confidence in her newer work which I know I'll most likely enjoy just as much or even more. I loved the atmosphere of this book, it gave me the chills and I was completely emerged in the world Schwab created. I really enjoyed the whimsical writing style and flow of the story even though it wasn't fast paced and it was quite predictable I still found myself interested in the story. It felt like one of those folklore stories you can tell around the fire to scare little kids.
I do wish the characters were more developed, specially the main character. That being said I was still able to understand them, somewhat lol. Lexi seemed to me like a young woman who is strong minded and determined, she follows her gut feeling, and she loves her mother and younger sister. She misses her father who passed away, she adored him; idolized him really. She constantly honors his memory throughout the story by living up to the values he taught her and by remembering his words and his teachings. She respects her mother but misses who she was before her father died, a strong and fiery woman, Lexi sees traces of her old self left in her eyes sometimes, but feels like part of her mom died with her dad. I love her relationship with her sister it felt true and organic.
Lexi doesn't listen to her uncle at all.. not one bit..lol. I wish there was more to him but he is mostly this rigid and strict, sexist man overwhelmed with the responsibility of caring for his late brother's family. You can tell between his huffing and puffing that he actually cares abut then and wants to do right by them and to honor his late brother's wishes to protect them and care for them. He just doesn't know how sometimes, he is not his brother after all, he misses him as well.
Lexi's father was a hunter who was in-tune with the world around him, a respectable and righteous man who defended the weak and honored truths. He taught her everything she knows and told her to always follow her gut and to never judge a book by its cover. That people and witches alike came in all sizes and shapes, some are good and some are bad.
Coal is this mysterious stranger who comes into town right before the children begin to disappear during the night. Immediately the people of the town believe him to be the cause of the disappearances. Lexi of course isn't so sure. She begins to hunt him down, once she finds him they fall instantly in love. Like right away, immediately.. they even kiss. Now, I honestly thought the story could have been better without that romance, it really felt out of place and unnecessary. There really isn't much else known of him for most of the story, he is thin and pale with dark hair and dark eyes and he doesn't even share his real name with Lexi. He is soft spoken and quiet. Thankfully we get to know more about him at the end of the book. His actual name is William and he's a wind witch, and his stepfather was a lord. Once his mother died everyone blamed him for it, he lost control and set the town on fire with his magic by accident, killing everyone and burning everything. Honestly the guy from the main story and the one from his own background story seem like two different people. I still enjoyed his back story very much.
The Near witch was unjustly killed by the villagers hundreds of years ago, even though she is dead her power still lives and now that the earth has resurfaced her bones after all these years she is angrier than ever and seeking revenge on the town's people, which is why she is luring the children away at night. The sisters witches say that the only way to appease the Near witch is to retrieve her bones from the forest and give her a proper burial where her house used to be next to her garden which the sisters have restored. So while the whole town is in chaos and everyone is hunting for the strange boy whom they all blame for everything, Lexi and Coal are searching for the witch's bones, which they eventually find and put to rest. the town's people realizes that Coal is good and welcome him and the sisters witches to become part of the town. Happy ending for everyone.
I honestly really did enjoy this story, yes somethings would have been better, but my personal experience reading this was quite a positive one. ...more
