Witch Hunt

Okay, I'll get this off my chest: I do judge a book by its cover. In fact, it's one of the most important details to consider when I'm debating whether to buy a book which I have never heard of. Does the blurb seem interesting? Is the price fair enough? If possible to open and skim through, does the first chapter pique my interest? Is the cover pretty? If my answer to all those questions is a big fat no, well, I shake my head and put it back on the shelves, making a mental note to myself to ask one of my friends if they have that book when I see them. However, thanks to the Witch Hunt by K.C Blake, my opinion on my old mantra might've changed for the better.

The story revolves around Starr Hughes, a reporter for the school newspaper and a girl with a crush on a guy in the popular crowd, Dylan Winchester. When she hears about the It-Squad playing a secretive game, following her journalistic instincts she decides to investigate further, pulling herself deeper into a whole new world and rules that she never knew about and possibly changing her outlook on life forever . . .

I'm still not so sure why I picked up this book in the first place, especially since it was supposedly the second book of a series. Well, it was probably because I saw it was free on Amazon, and when I read the description, it sounded interesting and promised reading the first book wasn't necessary. Besides, it was for free, so if I didn't want to read it, it would be fine. However, I decided to pick this up on a whim—and boy, was I surprised!

One thing I liked about was that it was what it promised to be: light, fun, and enjoyable enough to keep your interest. The writing is easy to follow, save one or two typographical errors. Other than that though, I don't have any complaints in this section.

Kudos must be given for the originality of the plot, because while witches is a familiar trope in the YA-paranormal world, the way the world was twisted throughout the tale gave it a different perspective. The rules of the game in the story was easy to understand and enjoyable to read, and also managing to add some mystery to the plot. There is some mystery, and even I didn't know what to expect.

However, I do have to ponder whether the book is realistic or not. While arguably, one could say paranormal novel can border on the line of mystical, I can't see how a teenager would get her hands on bugs to spy on conversations even if her dad was a private investigator.

The characters, despite half of their personalities being stereotypical, matched the tone of the plot. While they had their own different highs and faults, the main thing about the story I liked was Starr and Dylan's relationship. Finally, a romantic interest without the bad-boy factor! I didn't like Lily in the first fifty-percent—personally, I didn't understand why Starr was her friend, but Bex and Ryder made up for her in some way.

Another thing I didn't enjoy about the novel and the thing that caused me to not give it five stars was the complete randomness of the antagonist. I don't know if the role was intentional and there were clues that I forgot to miss, but I just didn't get it. It was almost as if the author wanted to give some surprise in the novel, and by the end of the book I found myself not having as much fun as before because of that.

Overall, I did like reading this book. It was a perfect summer read for something to bring along during a vacation in the beach. I'll be checking out the other author's novels if I have the time, but for now, I'll end this review with a nutshell.

In a Nutshell
Despite bordering a couple of times near the line of unrealistic, the Witch Hunt brings a good story. Four stars.

For more review and . . . reviews, you can always visit Max's blog, ThePaperFortUpstairs.