The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab - Ashley's Pre-Reading

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Title: The Near Witch
Author: Victoria Schwab
Year Published: 2011

Synopsis: 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.

Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab's debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won't soon forget.

Why?: I really enjoyed The Archived, and it pretty much made me want to read everything Victoria has ever written and will ever write (I'm anxiously awaiting Vicious). I've only heard excellent things about this book, which just made me want to get my grabby little hands on it. Plus, it sounds like a fantastic mix of horror and fairy-tale, which is definitely right up my alley.

Expectations: I kind of have really high expectations for this novel. I know Victoria's writing is beautiful, and I expect that her debut will reflect that. Well developed characters, an imaginative world, and a story that has me on the edge of my seat and not wanting it to end. 

Judging a book by its cover: I really like this cover. It looks spooky but is still really pretty. It's kind of stereotypical with the girl on the front, but I think it works alright in this case. I would definitely stop and pick this book up off of a shelf if I saw it somewhere. 


--Ashley