The Near Witch, by Victoria Schwab

Publication date: August 2nd, 2011

SYNOPSIS - (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.
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.

THOUGHTS
The Near Witch is absolutely amazing. The plot, the characters, the dialogue, everything about it was so fun to read.
First off, the plot will have you hooked from the beginning. After the first chapter, I immediately fell under Victoria Schwab’s spell because her writing is so captivating. Do I regret being cast into her words? Not. At. All. Lexi’s adventure with the Near Witch, the lost children, and Cole *dies a little inside* is something I just can’t get enough of.
Next, we have the awesome characters. Lexi is a great heroine. Even if her curiosity takes over and fails to obey her uncle (which I don’t regret reading about; Uncle Otto wasn’t very nice.), Lexi never fails to put a smile on my face or make me cheer her on for (almost) everything that she does. And gosh, the stranger, I love the stranger. Also named by Lexi, Cole is so swoon-worthy! The time that they weren’t together in the book, all I could think about was when Lexi and Cole were going to see each other again. But don’t get me wrong, I also enjoyed reading everything in between! Like how Lexi likes to do what she wants, the way she wants to do it. I’m not even kidding, her rebellious nature is so fun to read about!!
Filled with mystery, witches, ghosts, and hot strangers, The Near Witch is a book you’ll never forget about reading! Schwab has made an incredible debut that will leave you hungry for more of her writing.

Rating:

Special thanks to Katie Alender and her publicist for sending me a copy of The Near Witch!

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