"She had tied a kerchief with a strawberry print over her hair to keep the draft from playing with it and blowing it into her eyes. She wore a pink T-shirt over the denim shorts that day, it was a nice one with puffed sleeves and heart-shaped buttons running down the chest. I immediately wanted one, and tried to picture what it would look like on myself."
I recieved an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Penguin and I have been looking forward to reading it. I wanted to save it until I could allow myself to be fully absorbed by it and I finished it today.
The Witch in the Well is an interesting novel, rooted in both witchcraft and modern influencer culture. This juxtaposition of the old, seamlessly blended with the new, makes for a very fascinating concept. I enjoyed that the story has an on-going theme of female relational aggression running throughout, as the two protagonists have a difficult history together.
When we first meet Cathy and Elena, they are little girls. Cathy has been badly injured in a car accident, meaning that she feels isolated and alone, unable to run and play with the other children, due to her injured legs. Elena, on the other hand, is a summer visitor, whose family stay at the big house in the village, known as the castle. Elena is portrayed as 'the perfect girl' - happy, friendly and agile, with long golden hair and a pretty face. In short she is everything that Cathy wants to be, so naturally, Cathy is drawn to Elena and begins to idolize her. The two friends meet up every summer, which is something that Cathy looks forward to all year long. She copies Elena and tries to be just like her, even resorting to pinching Elena's things from time to time.
But then Elena stops coming for the summer holidays and Cathy feels very betrayed and resentful. This is when the female aggression really takes hold. Years later, when Elena returns to the castle, she is a popular Influencer and author. She plans to write a book about the local legend of the witch in the well and Cathy is horrified, as she has been writing a similar book for years. Elena however, isn't about to let Cathy's animosity stop her and so the competitive spirit flares between them.
And that is just the beginning of the book! As both women conduct their research, we learn more about the witch Ilsbeth, who was drowned in the well more than a hundred years ago. With both writers eager to have their say and get their own version of Ilsbeth's story out first, tempers flare, old grudges resurface and are posted online.
This is a novel filled with magic spells, poppets, wraiths, water kelpies and so on. There are twig dolls in the woods, reminiscent of The Blair Witch Project and old folklore woven into the plot. It is a slow burn in terms of pace, but the characters are well drawn, though not always likable. In some ways it reminded me of a book I read last spring called Idol, which also had a theme of female relational aggression. Female friendships can be so very difficult and complex, so its great that there are new novels coming out which address this issue of envy, jealousy and copying between girlfriends, as most of us have had some experience of it.
This is a complex novel, with multiple viewpoints and narrators, which can be confusing at times and can seem a bit clunky, but do bear with it as all the threads tie together in the end! However, if you find it difficult to keep up with multiple POV, you might struggle with this one. Likewise, if you are not a patient reader. I enjoyed it though.
The Witch in the Well is a fun witchy book to curl up with on a cold and frosty night. It's not scary enough to keep you awake at night, but it is interesting enough to make you think about the dynamics of female friendships, the injustice of the witch hunts and sisterhood in general. It will make you ponder on the question; when does sincere admiration for a friend become an unhealthy, jealousy fueled obsession?
Overall I liked this witchy story. It's not the best I've ever read, but it was quite unique and not like any other witchy book I've read before. I particularly liked that the author had incorporated Influencer culture into the plot as, from a marketing point of view, I think that will help to draw in a younger reading audience than most witchy novels attract.
And no, the author Camilla Bruce, is no relation of mine. We just happen to share the best Clan name in the world! Happy reading.
Bright Blessings
Marie x
AD: This book was sent to me by the publisher for the purposes of review. It will be released on 23rd February 2023, in both hardback and digital formats. It is available for Pre-order now.
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