The Near Witch

Title: The Near Witch

Author:  Victoria Schwab

Publisher: Hyperion Books CH

Release Date: August 2, 2011

Received From:  NetGalley

Summary: 

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.

Review:

Ok, I’m going to warn you, this review might be a little fangirly.
Once I read the synopsis I was captivated, but I was also a little wary, because sometimes the synopsis gives away it all and makes the book dull and boring. This was NOT the case! I was drawn in from the first page, each word pulling me further and further into a spellbinding novel.
The way the Near Witch was written is different than any I have ever read before. It was descriptive, lyrical, and semi-poetic, each word had a purpose and a mission. Some people don’t like description in novels, but I happen to like it, and the Near Witch is a great example why. The moor and its inhabitants seemed so real and were painted so beautifully that I felt myself feeling for all the people whose kids were taken. 
I loved the characters in The Near Witch, they were seamless and believable, none of them did things that were out of character.  Lexi is one of my new favorite characters, she is reminiscent of other kick-butt heroines such as Katinss from The Hunger Games and Katsa from Graceling. She didn’t let anything anyone said stop her from doing what she thought was right, she is a great example to girls everywhere.
Cole… oh Cole. He was filled with so many surprises and twists. Also he wasn’t a “bad boy” that is so prevalent in books today. He was sweet as well as not being a pushover.
When I first picked up this book I was going through kind of a reading slump and The Near Witch blew my mind and reminded me why I love to read and why I love to blog. It reminded me why I called this blog A Reader’s Adventure. Because some books take you to places and worlds that you could never have imagined in a million years. The Near Witch was my adventure, and Victoria Schwab was my expert travel guide. Thank you Victoria for the reminder.

The Near Witch combined everything that is good about books, beautiful writing, exquisite characters, amazing world building, with just a touch of good old-fashioned scariness.  This was the best book I have read this year and possibly in years.