Hyperion Book CH, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-1423137870
Available: New Hardback and Kindle
Near is typically a quiet little town until a “stranger” comes to town. The day after the “stranger” is spotted strange things start to happen. The wind seems to be talking to the townsfolk, and children start disappearing from their beds at night. Is the “stranger” to blame or is something more sinister going on? Lexi, a teenage girl living on the edge of town, decides to seek out the answer. Unfortunately, her uncle chooses to assume the worst of the “stranger”, just as the town once did of the Near Witch. Lexi has heard tales of the Near Witch, but has never known how much of the stories were true. Now, as she seeks out to find the children and to discover more about the “stranger”, she starts to learn more about the Near Witch.
Reading almost like a fairy tale, The Near Witch is a beautiful and lyrical story. Lexi is a powerful heroine who chooses not to take people at face value, but rather to seek out the truth about them. In the story, Lexi and her father had a strong relationship until he passed away, when she was still fairly young. Due to this, she doesn’t follow the image that most of the townsfolk feel a teenage girl should. Instead, she has followed in her father’s footsteps and become a tracker like he once was. When the children in Near start disappearing, she is expected to sit idly at home and let the men hunt, but instead she creates her own search party, including recruiting the help of the “stranger”. Schwab describes Lexi’s search in great detail throughout the novel with vivid imagery of the scenes around her. Additionally, Schwab includes major character growth on Lexi’s part as the story progresses and she gets closer to finding out the truth of the missing children. This is a great book for teenagers and adults alike. I’d recommend it to anyone! Highly recommended!
Contains: Very Mild Violence, Kissing
Reviewed by: Rhonda Wilson