This is such a powerful fast moving story
The setting is very dark and eerie
The authors style of writing is both lyrical and haunting. It has such a creepy atmosphere
A great book

I DNFed this at around 18%. I tried to get into the story, but it did not grip me. I didn't find the characters likeable or relatable.

I read this in autumn and forgot to leave a review. I can confirm this is the perfect autumnal read, a fab witchy YA novel. Hawkin's writing is lyrical and layered in historical notes. An enjoyable read for anyone interested in the 17th century witch trial era.

Sadly a DNF at 40%. I wasn't connecting with the characters and I found the story lacking in impact, not for me sorry.

I couldn’t access this book so I can’t review this. I am still very intrigued by this story and would still be interested in reading this story as the description really peaked my interest.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me an arc in exchange for a honest review.

Set in the 17th century, a breathtaking debut, and a potential prize-winner, about the power of women, witchcraft, fury, revenge and the ties that bind us.

After witnessing the brutal murder of her mother by witch-hunters, Evey vows to avenge her and track down the killers. Fury burns in her bright and strong. But she has promised her mother that she will keep Dill, her little sister, safe.

As the lust for blood and retribution rises to fever pitch, will Evey keep true to the bonds of sisterhood and to the magick that is her destiny?

The blurb of witch was what drew me in, I loved the idea of reading a YA witchy novel set during the Salem witch trials, and I feel like as though I could've really enjoyed this book had it not been for the violence. I did not like reading about the animal abuse, nor the vomiting and most of all the hanging of children (although I do understand this very much could have been a reality during the time period which the novel was set.

I feel as though these overshadowed what I could have loved about this novel such as the authors writing style, which was unique and fir perfect for this novel. The book was very well written and I would reccomend it to others with the trigger/content warnings just to be safe.

I did like this book and found it an entertaining read. The characters were written well and I liked the development between Evie and the Judge's daughters. I thought the relationship was written well and the progression was natural and semi-believable. The writing was easy to read but the drama was a little too dramatic and out of the blue in places. I did think the ending was interesting but I got confused by it and had to read it a second time as I felt i missed something.

Witch is an exceptional story of bravery, truth, revenge and family.
I have always had a fondness for Witch stories, especially those set in and around the awful witch trials, I have to be honest though that I haven't read as many as I would have liked, it's a part of history we all need to learn and understand more about and especially know about the women who were treated horrifically and 99% of them ended in brutal death. So to have a book not only set during this dark time but to have it told through the eyes of a witch wanting to avenge her mother and aimed at the 12+ age group is wonderful.
Witch is all about a young girl who has basically watched her mother be killed before her young eyes for being a witch, what follows is a journey of revenge, she is determined to avenge her mother's death, the fury builds in her blood, so she leaves her little sister at their cover in the woods and sets out for her much yearned for revenge. But she is in a predicament to avenge those who have destroyed her family the way she would like to would put her in grave danger of being caught as a witch.
I loved this book, it's darkly brooding and enchanting, I was hooked from the first moment of meeting young Evey. I was intrigued by her and was backing her from the very start. I really liked her intelligence and her knowledge of someone so young of the old ways was eye-opening.
I also have to mention the cover, it's incredibly pretty and works perfectly with the overall story.
Overall, Witch is an enchanting, emotional and enthralling story, I can't believe that this was a debut, the writing is so captivating, it feels timeless and yet at times, I felt hairs at the back of my neck. I look forward to reading more from Finbar Hawkins.

A witchy and atmospheric tale exploring grief and loss. It has a unique voice and rich world-building and should satisfy YA fantasy fans. I read this in one sitting as I couldn't put it down.

Sadly this was a DNF for me at around 35 percent. It felt like the story was meandering along with nothing to properly propel it forward and I was not emotionally invested in reading on. The characters also felt rather bland, which was not incentivising me to carry on reading either.

I'm. a sucker for a good witchy tale and, in theory, I should have loved this. A dark little tale about revenge.

However, I couldn't get along with the writing style. I completely understood why the writing choice was made, but I found it quite jarring.

This is going to be very much a marmite read: you are either going to love it or hate it.

Extremely atmospheric and the perfect read to curl up with in autumn. Really lyrically written, the prose reminded me of Kiran Millwood Hargraves' books. Lots of interesting themes around history, persecution and feminism that could be discussed with teens, so I'd recommend this book to teachers.

I would rate this book 3.25 out of 5 stars.

I am an easy sell on a witch story - I see the word 'witch' in a synopsis, I want to read it, that's pretty much how it works. A witchy revenge tale? Even better!

Overall I enjoyed the story although it felt like the type of story I had read before and I found the writing hard to get into.

I enjoyed the depiction of the sister relationship and the I liked that the author didn't shy away from the dark depiction of the crimes committed against Evey's mother.

If you enjoy a historical witchy revenge tale then this is worth checking out.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for a review.

Sadly, this didn’t hit the spot for me - I’m not sure whether it was the writing style or the characters themselves but I just felt like it was lacking a depth to it for me to enjoy it or connect to them.

I’m afraid to say that I couldn’t get into this book. I read a few pages and just found the writing terrible and couldn’t get past it. It’s a shame as the story itself sounds great, but the writing was just so bad.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
A dark and atmospheric story with writing really evoking the mood. Perfect read for fans of witchcraft.
However, the story was hard to get into and the characters uninteresting and therefore not engaging.
An OK read.

I was initially drawn in by the beautiful cover and reading the blurb left me intrigued about this book, however I feel this was an in-between book: not developed enough to be a novel but too long to be a novella. I think a novella format would have suited this better as it feels like too many unconnected short scenes and disjointed chapters. I also really did not relate to Evey as a main character as I feel she was spoiled and bratty and altogether unlikeable. Very disappointed with this unfortunately.

Set in 17th century England in the midst of witch hunts, young Evey's life is changed forever. With her mother killed by witch hunters and her younger sister now her sole responsibility, she's faced with a need to exact revenge on the men who took her mother away. The world building was particularly well done in this book, despite there not being much intense description, I felt as though I was riding alongside Evey on her quest for revenge. Hawkins picks his words well, nothing is redundant and succeeds in painting a vivid mental image for the reader. I couldn't help but root for Evey in her mission, even when it changed from exacting revenge to rebuilding her relationship with Dill. Without spoiling anything, I enjoyed the twist that comes near to the end of the story when we realise how the witch hunters are able to track down the women they put on trial. This definitely made the story (at a point where things were wrapping up) more interesting and gave it another dimension. The pacing moves fairly quickly which I appreciated as Evey's always moving forward, learning new information or progressing. This means that it's a great book if you're looking to dedicate an afternoon to reading as you'll get through most of it.

As for what I disliked, it was mainly the writing style. While I've said, and maintain, that the world building was brilliantly done, I found that the Old English style was confusing at times. It took me a while to get used to it and I felt it left little opportunity for rich descriptions that I would have loved to see. However, it did lend an authenticity to the setting of the story and was the main thing that drew me in. I'd also note that while I understand the importance of Anne's character, I couldn't help feel that it was rather convenient for Evey to stumble across the one person who knew her mother and would help her without prejudice. This might not be anything of note to other readers but if a story is about a revenge mission I like the character to really go through some struggles. Maybe I'm just mean!

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical depictions of witch trials and doesn't mind a more authentic writing style.

I think the simplest way I can sum up my feelings for this book is that it felt like a novel that could have been better edited into a novella. I was first drawn in by the beautiful cover however I really struggled with this book, both the way it was written, and the characters and plot.

I found the writing style and language really hard to get into, although I can understand the dialogue may have been representative of how they spoke at the time, it was jarring to read and I didn't enjoy it. I also felt like the plot had no flow and was dragging on, it was just short scenes in lots of different places, with no world building. Additionally, it didn't make me feel emotionally connected to the characters. I feel like it was trying to write a story about sisterhood and empathy, but the way it was rendered onto text didn't quite hit the mark. Even the ending felt sort of awkward because I expected that particular development to come earlier and not just in some convenient plot timing.

Overall an interesting premise, but the writing really let it down for me. There was very little characterisation to anyone and the plot felt so rushed that it lacked the vivid descriptions I was hoping for. Disappointing since the cover is so beautiful.

I had a great time with this read! Give me anything about witches and I'm pretty much there! This was a historical tale of female empowerment, witches and revenge but also about family, friends, struggles, challenges, courage and most importantly self belief. The dark atmosphere and writing makes this a perfect read for October/winter nights. The writing style fitting perfectly for the atmosphere and setting of the story. I am very Interested to see what Finbar Hawkins Writes next! I highly recommend!