A magnificent, raw slice of folk horror, dark with threat and clenched with suspense . . . a brilliant debut to chill the brightest summer day' DAILY MAIL But even after I adjusted my reading approach and shed my discontent, I still did not enjoy the beginning chunk of the novel. I came THISCLOSE to DNFing it – and here’s why: In the end, The Year of the Witching does claw its way to the top, proving itself to be an enjoyable enough, compelling enough YA read. But it is not the second coming of The Handmaid’s Tale. (No. Not even close.) My recommendation to read it is given with many, many attached reservations.

The initial build-up was strong and captivating. I liked meeting Immanuelle and learning a bit about her family history and the beliefs/traditions of Bethel.The perfect dark, witchy escape to make you feel a little better about the world we live in now. THE EVERYGIRL Overall I enjoyed reading The Year of the Witching, but it’s probably not my favourite book and as I was writing this review I couldn’t help but feel like it wasn’t a memorable book. Positives of The Year of the Witching A young woman is drawn into the upper echelons of a society where blood is power, in this dark and enthralling gothic novel from the author of The Year of the Witching. Psst! Read Katherine Arden’s gorgeous Winternight Trilogy instead. Or better yet – just read The Handmaid’s Tale.)

Has a classic setup but updates the olde puritanical tale to deal with issues of racism and sexism."-- The Washington PostA thrillingly brisk and bracing tale of magic and power, I loved this book. It takes the best tropes of horror and witchcraft and gives them a refreshingly feminist twist." – S.A. Chakraborty, national bestselling author of The Daevabad Trilogy