The Witchery by S. Isabelle (ARC Review)

Title: The Witchery
Author: S. Isabelle
Type: Fiction
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal
Publisher: Scholastic
Date published: July 26, 2022

A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

THE HAUNTING SEASON IS HERE AND THE WOLVES ARE AWAKE.

Haelsford, Florida is a hellmouth. Or at least, that’s what Logan, a baby witch struggling to control her powers, thinks as she arrives to the witchtown to begin the new school year at Mesmortes Coven Academy. She is immediately taken under the wing of the infamous Red Three. Iris is a deathwitch who wants nothing more than to break the town’s curse; Jailah is one of the most powerful witches at the academy but her thirst for power may lead her down a dark path; and Thalia, the talented greenwitch, is on the run from her religious family and a past that still haunts her.

Fear and prejudice still fuel the uneasy truce between humans and witches who are forced to work together when the Haunting Season begins and Wolves rise from the swamp to feed. With this approaching, two Hammersmitt boys prepare to make their first sacrifices to the witches in exchange for protection. But as they become involved with the Mesmortes witches’ plan to end the Wolves’ reign of terror once and for all, old dangers lie in wait.

The cost to break the curse may be greater than any witch or human could ever know.

⤖ My Review ⬻

Usually, it’s the cover that I notice before the title. But in the case of The Witchery, I would say it was an even split! I’m attracted to anything witchy, so that explains the affinity there. And seeing the group of girls on the cover made me happy that there was representation, as well as making my little feminist heart swell a little bit, because it screamed female power.

Now, having read the book, I’m happy to say that the cover captured the vibe of the characters and setting perfectly. There was differently a variety to the characters’ personalities—which definitely made the group feel like a real group of teens—and each character was powerful (whether magically or for example their power of will) in their own way.

I found the setting to be interesting and would have liked to spend more time there, learning more about it. I was also happy with how atmospheric it was, and how it aided in moving the story along.

Lastly, I liked how friendship was more at the forefront of The Witchery. There was romance, and I’m a sucker for romance, don’t get me wrong. But I think friendship and bonds were an important factor in the story—I don’t think the story would have worked quite the same way without it. Overall, this was definitely an entertaining read!

⤖ About the Author ⬻

S. Isabelle is a reader, writer, and hoarder of books. After earning a Master’s degree in library science, she took that love of reading to youth librarianship. THE WITCHERY is her debut young adult novel. When she isn’t throwing books at teenagers, you can find her binge-watching TV shows, drinking heavily-sweetened coffee, or stressing over baseball. She can be found online at sisabellebooks.com.