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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“And the boy whose temper seemed tethered to the air itself…they didn’t know what to make of him.”
Is it weird that I liked this one more than The Near Witch, cuz I did. In this novella we got to see Cole's backstory and I must say that was depressing. I felt so bad for him and just wanted to give him a hug throughout the story. I found Cole to be a more engaging character than Lexi and was more interest in his story.
Schwab did an amazing job with building the setting and atmosphere, and somehow, in 62 pages, made me hate every single character in this novella (aside from Cole of course).
Spoiler
When Cole told Lexi that he had accidentally killed his entire town, I kind of felt bad for them but after reading this, I don't feel bad at all, if anything they deserved itSpoiler
I really didn't like how his mother did nothing to defend him, like she just watched from the sidelines instead of beating some sense into her husband or leaving him altogether. Like I really wished she'd done more for Cole.
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Audio
Narrator sucks
This story was better than the book it precedes lol
Narrator sucks
This story was better than the book it precedes lol
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Short and sad backstory to “Cole” in Near Witch.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The story of a boy born from ash and Abel to control the wind. This the a prequel story about Cole who we met in The Near Witch and how he burnt down his entire village. I really enjoyed how fast paced but whimsical this felt with a mediaeval/ classic tale and message it had. This gave more context to Coles character and I enjoyed the gruesome details in this story. As well as how we got to explore more of Coles past and his characteristics. Overall a short, fast paced story about suppressing power and a hero's ultimate downfall
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Much like the main novel [b:The Near Witch|6931344|The Near Witch (The Near Witch, #1)|Victoria Schwab|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1299080471l/6931344._SY75_.jpg|7162375], this is a well-constructed if unsurprising short story of how Cole came to be. All the usual suspects are there in terms of YA tropes, from the bully boy and mean girl to the angry father and kindly mother. Add in forbidden magic, long-held secrets and a dash of unanswered questions, and you get a strange and bittersweet YA. Predictable it may be (and not just because it's a prequel to be read after the main book), but it's a well-rounded addition to the storyline.