The Near Witch - V.E. Schwab (REVIEW)

★ ★ ★

Beautifully written and imaginative!

This is the first book I have read by V.E. Schwab and it definitely met (possibly exceeded) my expectations. Schwab has an intricate way of story-building where it's not excessive nor 'exaggerated.' The monologue, dialogue, character-development, and personal reflections and emotions emitted by the characters were simple, but natural in the form one can see themselves as these characters and relate to them.

The Near Witch is a story about a young girl named Lexi Harris who lives in a small town/village alongside her mother and younger sister, Wren. Her father has passed away and the 'protector' role has now been taken by her uncle, Otto. There are two sisters, The Thorne Sisters, Magda and Dreska, who live further away from the town. The Thorne Sisters are claimed to be 'witches' and the village have treated them like outcasts for most of their lives. There are small plot twists along the way about The Near Witch and what truly happened to said witch.

At the beginning of the book, the MC, Lexi is about to blow out some candles lighting up her room she shares with her younger sister, Wren. Except for, when she blows out the candles, she notices a dark aspiration outside of her window. The aspiration doesn't seem to be a physical embodiment, but rather, a figure whose edges look blurry and seem to fade into the wind. Strangely, the same night Lexi notices this figure outside her window, a young child goes missing overnight. As the story develops, Lexi is in search of this said 'strange apparition', the suspect of the missing children, and trying to find the real story of The Near Witch.

This book is a slow-burn. You must be immersed in the story-telling and pick up on sudden clues along the way which foreshadow the development of the rest of the story. Definitely a good read and, if possible, a 1-2 day read! :)