Review: The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

4 yummy 7 Layer bars.

Cover Love: I like it but don't feel it's particularly eye catching. But I liked having an image of Lexi in my mind.

Why I Wanted to Read This:
I really liked the title. That is what caught my attention. Here's the synopsis from Good Reads:

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.

I Kept Reading Because: It was a good mystery and I wanted to see how it was resolved!

Romance?: Yes. A quick attraction between Lexi and the stranger that was well written.

What I Liked (& Didn't):
I didn't like the men of Near! What jerks, especially Otto. But, it was good that we had someone to have strong feelings against.

Maybe it's just that my brain is wired for dystopian at this point, but I kept expecting there to be a little reveal that this book takes place in the future. That never happened, but it never fully felt like out and out historical fiction either. This didn't stop me from enjoying the book though.

The town of Near is so closed off! I am surprised it was described as a dying town, but that they were so suspicious of a stranger was weird. Especially since a reason was never really given that they kept to them selves so much. The tale of the Near Witch was generations old, I don't think that was the reason. But there was some reason, we just didn't know what. Maybe it was the time period.

Lexi was like and old timey Nancy Drew. I liked that for quite a bit she was just out looking for clues to solve a mystery. There were a lot of magical hints, but true magic didn't really come into play till the last half of the book.

Cole and Lexi had a good connection, good chemistry. Their relationship came about quick but was well written enough to be believable.

The resolution was intense and satisfying.

To Sum Up: A good mystery with magical elements. I will be adding this to my library in the fall!

eGalley from NetGalley and Disney. Thanks!