A review by fruitysaz
Help The Witch by Tom Cox

dark funny lighthearted mysterious 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

3.25

reaaaaal mixed bag here. there are some moments of genuine triumph - 'just good friends' is definitely  a high, along with the title story. when he wants to, cox really gets going: his characterisation is good, suspense is well crafted and the writing can be genuinely funny. the issue is that sometimes his writing almost gets in the way of itself, valuing that humour over everything else, meaning that sometimes the end product is incredibly underwhelming (see 'an oral history of margaret and the village by matthew and five others'). i think i wanted to like this more than i did, and whilst i was definitely won over by some of the settings (buxton mentioned!!! everybody screamed!!!!) some of this certainly leaves a lot to be desired.