Published: August 2011
Pages: 284
I am on a mission to read Schwab’s entire bibliography, I may be a bit biased, but I adore her writing. The Near Witch is the 7th or so book of hers I’ve now read and it was a great spooky read for Halloween! This is also her debut book so I, cautiously, wasn’t expecting the same writing quality that I found in Addie LaRue or Darker Shade of Magic, but I had no reason to worry at all.
Summary
The Near Witch by V.E. Schwab is a captivating and atmospheric debut novel that blends elements of fantasy and folklore. Set in a remote village shrouded in mist and superstition, the story follows Lexi, a young girl who learns that the witches she’s been taught to fear are not always the villains they’re made out to be.
My thoughts
Schwab’s writing is evocative and immersive, drawing me into the eerie world of Near. The characters, while not overly complex, are understood and relatable. The plot, though predictable at times, is engaging and keeps the reader turning the pages.
Schwab excels at creating a unique and eerie atmosphere. I can feel the isolation and the unease is palpable throughout the novel. There were times I was clutching onto the pages thinking “no.. no” and I HAD to read on to find out what happens.
Though not a spoiler, I should warn others that find it difficult to read things about young children. There are no graphic scenes, but there are young children that go missing. As a mum with two very young kids, I found it difficult at times as I imagined the characters as my own children. But if you can separate real life from fiction better than I can, then I don’t think it would be a problem.
(But I’m completely fine reading incredibly graphic scenes from Karin Slaughter, so it’s definitely the child aspect.)
But what gripped me the most, and the key messaging of this story, is watching the fear and unknown push the people of this small village to desperate acts. It reminded me of the original Beauty and the Beast when Gaston starts singing about the threat of the Beast, and soon the entire village is singing along and they’ve gathered a mob to kill him.
We don’t like
What we don’t understand
In fact it scares us
And this monster is mysterious at least
– ‘The Mob Song’, Beauty and the Beast
That is exactly what happens in Near. Their fear is pushing them, they feel forced to act but they choose to act in violence and harm, and for those that don’t, that feel it is wrong, they remain silent. It’s really fascinating to read and take that journey with our characters.
Fear is a strange thing,” he used to say. “It has the power to make people close their eyes, turn away. Nothing good grows out of fear.
Another aspect of this story are the witches. As I think of books at the top of my head, the witches are always the antagonists or are portrayed in a negative manner. I found myself falling into this trap, thinking poorly of these characters before I knew more about them, however Schwab allows us to question our assumptions and challenge our thinking. There is no clear good and evil here, there are just people with complex emotions in a desperate situation.
In amongst this larger story we also see the family dynamics of our main character Lexi as they deal with the loss of her father. They are all dealing with grief in different ways which causes a lot of friction and distance. It subtly addresses the impact of intention. Lexi’s uncle has good intentions, he wants to keep her safe and set her up for a good life. But his approach has the opposite effect and his intentions don’t land, instead, the fracture between himself and Lexi only gets deeper.
I think we all fall into this trap sometimes. Where our intentions cloud our judgement, and despite wanting the best for someone, we end up causing more harm. It’s a different experience watching it unfold and it made me reflect inwards.
Maybe one day the words will pour out like so many others, easy and smooth and on their own. Right now they take pieces of me with them
Would I recommend?
Yes! The Near Witch is a great read for fans of fairy tales or spooky fantasy. It’s an enjoyable read that will leave you pondering the blurred lines between good and evil, and the desperate acts of desperate people. It’s a captivating debut novel and I just adore Schwab’s writing.