THE NEAR WITCH by Victoria Schwab

From Goodreads:

"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."


The Near Witch was a very vivid and lyrical read. Many passages come across more as a song than narrative. I found it to be descriptive without being flowery.

The characters are interesting and complex, including the secondary characters (most especially the sister witches, Dreska and Magda). Lexi is a great strong and independent lead character, willing to go against the over-bearing adults in her life to help her sister, the village children and the stranger “Cole”. She is intelligent, courageous and not afraid to stand up for what she believes. She is also not afraid to get help from the sisters, even though the village as a whole mistrusts them. Lexi loves her sister very much, and keeps the memory of her father close. She acts with integrity, and is likable. She makes you root for her, and believe that she is in the right.

The novel gets right into the main plot, and carries through at a good pace. It kept my interest throughout. It’s spooky in just the right way, without being all-out scary or grotesque. Very fairy-tale, folklore, and mystery – a really excellent read.

My rating is 4 out of 5 stars.