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fihli's review against another edition
1.0
1 star
The Near Witch is a quiet and atmospherical story that is also, ultimately, very unexciting, especially when compared to Schwab’s later works. The plot is simplistic, predictable (just reading the blurb you know exactly how the story is going to play out and end) and at times contrieved, the writing nowhere near the level of her other works. The main character and the love interest have no chemistry, the stakes feel pretty low and the ending is too easyAnd of course Tyler ends up with Helena, because that wasn’t stupid at all .
As for the audiobook: I found the accent of the narrator quite grating, with her voice going up at the end of every sentence, resulting in the whole story being narrated in the form of questions. The accent wasn't too terrible, though,and also more of a me-issue and the audiobook definitely helped me getting quicker through this book, otherwise I porbably would have taken forever for a story that is less than 300 pages long.
So, would I recommend it? To young teens, maybe. I don’t think avid readers and adults will get that much out of this novel which is definitely one of Schwab’s weaker works (or, to put it in a nicer way: Victoria Schwab has developed a lot as an author, and I’m not quite sure how fair it is to compare her debut to books that are as great as, for example, A Darker Shade of Magic.)
The Near Witch is a quiet and atmospherical story that is also, ultimately, very unexciting, especially when compared to Schwab’s later works. The plot is simplistic, predictable (just reading the blurb you know exactly how the story is going to play out and end) and at times contrieved, the writing nowhere near the level of her other works. The main character and the love interest have no chemistry, the stakes feel pretty low and the ending is too easy
Spoiler
both in how easily the Near witch is defeated and in how the conflict around Cole as a stranger is resolved resulting in everyone getting a happy ending that is way too convenient.As for the audiobook: I found the accent of the narrator quite grating, with her voice going up at the end of every sentence, resulting in the whole story being narrated in the form of questions. The accent wasn't too terrible, though,
So, would I recommend it? To young teens, maybe. I don’t think avid readers and adults will get that much out of this novel which is definitely one of Schwab’s weaker works (or, to put it in a nicer way: Victoria Schwab has developed a lot as an author, and I’m not quite sure how fair it is to compare her debut to books that are as great as, for example, A Darker Shade of Magic.)
amandaharkins99's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jeansbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
ladymar's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
elpidamelis's review
3.0
A fun, fairytale-like story with a peaceful setting. You could tell it was a debut novel, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It's a story with witches, magic, forests and a cheesy romance. But it flowed nicely and read easily. Yes, the main character fell in love way too quickly with the love interest, but I find it to be a classic old YA trope. It also wrapped up way too quickly for my taste but the ending fit perfectly with the rest of the story.
shelleebee_books's review against another edition
3.0
Good story and gets straight into it from the first pages. Some events come in too soon but overall a good read.
dragonwhat's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
melodyruler's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0