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The Witchery

S. Isabelle (Goodreads Author)

3.97 · Rating details · 154 ratings · 59 reviews

A bewitching debut by S. Isabelle, perfect for fans of Maggie Stiefvater, Zoraida Córdova, and Leigh Bardugo!

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 ...more

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Hardcover, 384 pages

Published July 26th 2022 by Scholastic

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Average rating 3.97 ·

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· 154 ratings · 59 reviews

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Feb 03, 2022 Aiden Thomas rated it it was amazing

Meet your new favorite squad of witches! THE WITCHERY by S. Isabelle is filled with dark magic, bewitching prose and enchanting characters. It has everything I love in a book — badass witches, a kiss of romance, and a touch of horror. Isabelle is powerful new voice in young adult fantasy and this is a debut you do NOT want to miss!

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Mar 18, 2022 Ms. Woc Reader rated it liked it

Set at a magical school in small town Florida, The Witchery follows the pov of six students which include four girls from the magic school and two boys from the local boys school. That was entirely too many characters to follow along with especially for a book that is a standalone. And the book suffered because of it.

The group spends the entire book attempting to break a curse on the town while also shuffling around their own personal issues. Not only is it rough to get into the story as a conn Set at a magical school in small town Florida, The Witchery follows the pov of six students which include four girls from the magic school and two boys from the local boys school. That was entirely too many characters to follow along with especially for a book that is a standalone. And the book suffered because of it.

The group spends the entire book attempting to break a curse on the town while also shuffling around their own personal issues. Not only is it rough to get into the story as a connection has to be established for each character but plots were started and either never truly wrapped up or given an unsatisfying ending. I could also clearly tell the author's favorite characters were Thalia and Iris and had the book just been their povs it would've flowed better and made for a stronger story. I didn't understand why in a book with Black witches we needed a token white special snowflake in the mix.

The magic system seemed to have rules but the rules really weren't explained. And to have witches from different background attending the school, I found there was a missed opportunity to have different types of magic on display. And the magic on page was very technical feeling and so much of the plotting out spells seemed to happen off page.

There were also hints at romance sprinkled in which included some kisses but those also went nowhere which made it hard to understand why they were included in the first place. It was a tease and not a very satisfying one.

The Witchery is a book with interesting ideas but the execution of those ideas could've been better The overarching plot was very bare bones and their were side plots that because of the length of the story were not fully fleshed out. It felt like it was trying to be a safe book rather than fully diving into the magic school, friendships, and potential romances. The aesthetic was there but it wasn't enough to carry this book that ended up reading like the pilot episode to a series.

I received an arc from Scholastic in exchange for an honest review.

Full review at link below
https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot.... ...more

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Oct 04, 2021 ♠ TABI⁷ ♠ marked it as to-read

Florida witches?? YES YES YES

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Jul 29, 2022 Brend rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2022-releases, scorpios-will-enjoy, 2022-faves, aries-will-enjoy, academia, spooky-season

Feels like a CW show, but that 3rd season, when we get the interesting backstories and good plot because the writers finally realized the potential in the story. S Isabelle was able to accomplish that without making us wait two seasons now adding CoverGirl ads in between

I love it when women (!)

Complex and compelling characters, fast paced paranormal story with mystery and horror elements, multiple POVs and a woman (me) screaming "PLEASE GIVE ME A SEQUEL" ...more

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Feb 27, 2022 Landice (Manic Femme) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2022-releases, bipoc-authors, unreleased-hype, rating-5-stars, arcs, genre-contemporary-fantasy, owned-physical-arc, 2022-reads, rep-bisexual, rep-sapphic

The Witchery was one of my most anticipated 2022 releases so I jumped at the chance to read it and ended up devouring it in less than 24 hours. All of the many (6!) POV characters had distinct voices and personalities (and secrets!) and while I sometimes find more than 2-3 POVs jarring, that wasn’t the case here. And don’t ask me to choose a favorite, because I can’t… Okay FINE. Thalia. It’s Thalia, lmao.

All in all, The Witchery was a fantastic debut that I really hope turns into a series. The e ...more

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Oct 08, 2021 Angel marked it as to-read

I would give me left lung, foot and colon to read this book today.

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Jul 25, 2022 Maddie rated it it was amazing

Thank you to Scholastic for blessing me (and my students) with this ARC!

The Witchery is, quite possibly, the best thing I’ve read this year. It gave me everything I’m looking for and then some. Magical small towns? Yup, that’s the whole thing. Badass girl witch gangs? You know it. A likable and diverse cast? Yeah, I’d die for all of them. Found family? Yes, enough to make me break down in tears. The point is, this book has it all. The Raven Cycle comps make perfect sense, in most ways. We follow ...more

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Jul 26, 2022 Nay rated it liked it

Wanted to DNF but pushed through…Idc Logan was not needed in this book

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May 17, 2022 roe♡ rated it really liked it

This book was fun! I’ve always leaned more towards the mythological side of fantasy novels, but after reading this, I’m craving even more spells, hexes, and on-the-edge-of-my-seat-holding-my-breath witchy adventures.

Sometimes, when there is a cast of characters this large, it is easy for personalities to get lost throughout. I briefly got this vibe from The Witchery (especially with the boys), but I truly believe that each character has their own story to tell in their own way. The 6 character ...more

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Jan 05, 2022 Elisa Bonnin rated it it was amazing

I truly enjoyed this debut novel by S. Isabelle. THE WITCHERY tells the story of four witches from Mesmortes Coven Academy in Haelsford, Florida. Every year, Haelsford is tormented by an event called the Haunting, where monstrous Wolves descend on the town. Iris, Jailah, Thalia and Logan are determined to stop the Haunting this year, but their goals lead them on a story full of twists, turns, magic, and dark consequences.

I've always loved books about magical schools, and this one delivers. It m ...more

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Feb 27, 2022 Janna rated it it was amazing

Shelves: to-buy-2022, fantasy, read-in-2022, 2022-tbr, young-adult

review to come!

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May 26, 2022 Chang rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. There’s so much I need to say about this story but I just don’t have the energy. But I’ll try to condense it. First off:

-I enjoy the plot concept a lot. A town hexed and so annually they experience The Haunting. A wolf murdering spree essentially. And our main characters take it upon themselves to get rid of the hex.
-Three powerful black witches? Sign me up! I absolutely love Iris, Thalia, and Jailah. I unfortunately feel like we didn’t get much of Jailah throughout the story. Not like the othe There’s so much I need to say about this story but I just don’t have the energy. But I’ll try to condense it. First off:

-I enjoy the plot concept a lot. A town hexed and so annually they experience The Haunting. A wolf murdering spree essentially. And our main characters take it upon themselves to get rid of the hex.
-Three powerful black witches? Sign me up! I absolutely love Iris, Thalia, and Jailah. I unfortunately feel like we didn’t get much of Jailah throughout the story. Not like the other two witches. Like yeah I’m told she’s the strongest among the three and yet it feels like nothing really shows for it, in my opinion.
-Logan. Idk. Something about a group of black witches taking in a yt witch and what follows made me feel like it was giving mule in accordance to the plot. Cause why must these three black girls take it upon theirselves to save a town that was not theirs to save? Why did they need to enlist the help in that one yt girl who wasn’t even giving it the same energy they were giving it? Like Logan made so many stupid choices and it upset me heavily throughout the story. Her POV was ultimately not necessary. Most of the time she was either whining about being called a baby witch cause she can’t do magic all too great or lying. Idk that dynamic was giving mule. I was not a fan. I originally assume from the cover that the group was an established friend group that had a sort of history but I was way off. Way way off. I honestly don’t even think they should’ve remained friends with Logan in the end, anyways.
-The Boys. Trent, I wanted to like Trent so much but idk. Something about how he was written just feels…… unnecessary. Like he was just conveniently created to close up plot holes that would have otherwise removed me as a reader in the story. Mathew? I like him although I don’t think a POV was necessary. Most times it just felt like Iris’s POV from another angle basically. Him being tethered to her, I was hoping for some romance there but it’s never fully established by the end of the story. Idk what that’s about but at least they all remain friends with the girls.
-The Plot was fun. It was dark. It was intense. The story of the three sister witches creating the hex. Of the town facing the brunt of it centuries following. My only issue would have to be the lack of magic on the page. Things were just kind of straightforward. The spells were simply explained to us in passing almost. The magical system wasn’t really explained. There seemed to be only one magical system in work despite so many witches being from different backgrounds. It felt like things were lent from say THAT story about witches and wizards but never fully committed to.

All in all, there were moments this had great potential to being a surprising 5 star read for me but some choices the characters made (or the author) really knocked it down to three for me. It’s still such a fun read, so I still do recommend it for those within its age group. Teens and up. ...more

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May 06, 2022 Evyn rated it really liked it

Really hoping this book is the start to a series tbh. I LOVED the story but I desperately want to know more about the world it takes place in.

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Jul 15, 2022 Celadon Phoenix rated it liked it

Shelves: reviewed, a-pinch-of-queer

I wish that I liked The Witchery more than I did, but instead, I entered with anticipation and left with a blistering headache.
Logan is a young witch who is just starting school at Mesmortes–a prolific school for witches. There she is instantly taken in by the “Red Three” Thalia, Jailah, and Iris, the most talented witches at school who want to use Logan’s abilities to help them stop the haunting. Every year in wintertime wolves from the swamp come to hunt the people of Haelsford but this year I wish that I liked The Witchery more than I did, but instead, I entered with anticipation and left with a blistering headache.
Logan is a young witch who is just starting school at Mesmortes–a prolific school for witches. There she is instantly taken in by the “Red Three” Thalia, Jailah, and Iris, the most talented witches at school who want to use Logan’s abilities to help them stop the haunting. Every year in wintertime wolves from the swamp come to hunt the people of Haelsford but this year The Red Three will be a formidable opponent to stop the curse for good.
The most surprising element that I haven’t found in any other books was the six different characters that we interact with chapter by chapter. However, it wasn’t well executed. Throughout the book, more than half of the perspectives felt ineffective. The ones I felt were better developed were Thalia, Iris, and maybe Trent and Jailah. Even then it felt like they had no personality traits or hobbies outside of witching. They did have well-set-up backstories.
Sadly the writing didn’t help. It took a good 70pgs to get into the rhythm of the storytelling, but even then the way that the punctuation and dialogue was arranged made it difficult to take in. I might have liked this aspect better if I had read it on audio.
My biggest grievance was the way the plot was arranged. I couldn’t get passionate about the cause or the characters so it was a long, uninteresting, slog to the finish line. The thing that perturbed me the most was that at the end the whole thrust of the plot was completely inconclusive! It was hard to even understand what happened and it was clear this was done to leave space for another book but it affected my experience terribly.
I wanted to read this book first and foremost because I thought it was very queer, and witchy with Black and Brown characters to boot! Again I was sorely let down, on the queer front I was gifted with a depressed sapphic character (Jailah) whose ex wanted nothing to do with her and apparently an asexual spectrum character? But the entirety of that identity was pegged on one hazy sentence that could easily be removed or mean a multitude of things other than “No thank you, I’m asexual.” In the other two categories, I didn’t get enough culture. I’m not saying every Black person has to be in touch with culture or cuisine from their ancestry (although that would have been lovely) but I wanted traditions that headed far away from Christmas. Even witchy traditions or holidays would’ve been perfect. I just think celebrating Christmas traditionally in a fantasy world is a lack of imagination.
Although The Witchery was a dud for me, I am excited to see what Isabelle does next. I would still read whatever this person writes next because first books aren’t always the best ones. I’m sure there are plenty of readers who could appreciate this one in ways I can’t.

—-Thank You High Five Books for Providing this ARC—- ...more

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Jul 12, 2022 Starr ❇✌❇ marked it as abandoned · review of another edition

Shelves: library-order-considerations, got-an-arc

DNF @ 21%

I just cannot get into this book. The sheer amount of POVs and the similaritily of voices made this book near impossible to do more than battle with. And I'm not enjoying the tone or writing style either, something that's making it difficult to put aside my growing bias against this swarm of identical characters. This book looked really cool, and maybe if I were younger I could've had fun with it, but there just doesn't seem to be enough for me to put myself through the effort. ...more

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Apr 16, 2022 Mariana ✨ marked it as to-read

Shelves: not-out-yet, reviewed, lgbt

the cover????? + gay witches???

...more

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Jul 22, 2022 Paige rated it liked it

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc and physical arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Witchery

Author: S. Isabelle

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3.5/5

Diversity: Black characters and MCs, Sapphic character, f/f romance mentioned

Recommended For...: young adult readers, supernatural, fantasy, witches, witchcraft, werewolves, LGBT, urban fantasy

Publication Date: July 26, 2022

Genre: YA Supernatural Fantasy

Age Relevance: 14+ (alcohol consumption, romance, cursing, religion, r ...more

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Jul 31, 2022 Dedra ~ A Book Wanderer rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, arc, own, popsugar-challenge-2022, book-box-subscription, set-in-florida

4.5 stars rounded up!

In The Witchery by S. Isabelle—a young adult fantasy debut about a unique squad of witches at a magical school in Florida—we follow four young witches and their mundane friends as they work together to protect their fellow classmates and townsfolk from the annual Haunting Season and attempt to uncover the cure to the curse. Isabelle has created an impressive world with the coolest of rules and the coolest cast of characters.

I was first introduced to this book when it showed 4.5 stars rounded up!

In The Witchery by S. Isabelle—a young adult fantasy debut about a unique squad of witches at a magical school in Florida—we follow four young witches and their mundane friends as they work together to protect their fellow classmates and townsfolk from the annual Haunting Season and attempt to uncover the cure to the curse. Isabelle has created an impressive world with the coolest of rules and the coolest cast of characters.

I was first introduced to this book when it showed up as an ARC (advanced readers copy) in my spring book subscription box from The Strand Bookstore. I loved the cover, and the synopsis that made the book sound like a perfect blend of The Raven Cycle series and Harry Potter—but diverse! I was even more excited when iReadYA sent me a finished copy along with a set of character cards, which helped me get to know the large cast of characters quickly while I read. (I'll be passing along my ARC copy to one lucky blog reader!)

Immediately, the reader is introduced to Logan, a “baby witch”, new to the school and her powers. She’s been taken in by The Red Three: Iris, a deathwitch; Thalia, a greenwitch; and Jailah, a leader in the Junior Witchery Council. The reader joins the group on Halloween night with a kind of unofficial initiation of Logan into their circle. As the book progresses, we get each girls’ back story and how they all came together. Isabelle did an impressive job of weaving the present and past together, keeping the story fresh and exciting.

The large cast of characters does make the story a bit hard to follow in the beginning, so I recommend taking notes (or have the character cards with pictures and descriptions on the back close by!) until you learn everyone. It helped me to follow along more quickly and enhanced my reading experience even more. This is not a book to read when you can’t devote your full attention. Each detail is important and rewarding, and the book deserves complete immersion.

There’s a little bit of everything here for any fantasy fan: a well-established world, a mystery to be solved, magical cursed wolves, and even some romance. I especially loved the diversity of The Witchery. The representation within the large cast only enhanced the story and made it richer and more charming. Now that the world is established, my fingers are crossed that there will be a book two. If you’re a seasonal reader, The Witchery is perfect for the fall. It’s definitely one I would love to reread someday, as well. And please, someone develop an adaptation!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to iReadYA for providing me with a copy.

Check out my reviews and playlists at A Book Wanderer

#popsugarreadingchallenge2022 (prompt #16 - A book about witches) ...more

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Jun 30, 2022 Leanne Olson rated it really liked it

Calling fans of witches, dark academia, and female friendships...three of my favourite things, so it's no wonder I loved The Witchery.

The Witchery is the story of four teen girl witches, Iris, Thalia, Jailah (each Black) and Logan (white), who are studying at a private academy for witches in Florida. Each year, the school and town are attacked by mysterious and deadly wolves. The four girls plan to stop the wolves and make a name for themselves -- but of course, things are more complicated and d ...more

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Jul 27, 2022 Curiosity rated it really liked it

I would like to thank Colored Pages Book Tour, Scholastics and S. Isabelle for the ARC!

This is an amazing debut novel by S. Isabelle. I can say I found my new favourite Witch Squad!

It was so easy to fall in love with the characters. Their storylines were so compelling. I found myself devouring this book in the span of a day. It felt like someone put a spell on me! The story follows 6 main characters through each of their POVs. I was afraid following that many POVs would confuse me, but each char ...more

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Jul 30, 2022 Eli rated it really liked it

First, thank you Scholastic for sending me a physical finish copy for my honest review!

When I saw "witches", I knew I needed to dive into this ASAP. I enjoyed the general plot of this story but there were too many characters in my opinion. The magic system seemed to have boundaries but really weren't explained. There were attempts at romance but there really wasn't a need for it. These characters shared intimate moments but then never dived into further, so it was left blank.

Overall, The Witcher ...more

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Jul 23, 2022 Rachel Bowdler rated it liked it

This witchy YA is perfect for fans of Hocus Pocus, The Craft, and The Secret Circle. The writing was deliciously beautiful and visceral and the plot action-packed and fast-paced.

I rated three stars because I just didn’t feel part of the story in the way I’d hoped. I found it hard to keep up because we never seemed to have a moment’s pause. Huge key events happened in one or two sentences. Relationships developed in a page. The world-building came halfway through and gave us the bare minimum in ...more

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Jul 26, 2022 Justice Hill rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed-on-blog

Thank you to Colored Pages Tours and author S. Isabelle for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Witchery is a load of fun and a perfect read for the summer and autumn seasons. I always enjoy story about witches and schooling and this book was no exception. This debut was fast paced and kept my attention throughout the entirety of the book. The multiple POVs definitely added to the story and was very well done overall.

I really appreciated how the author took ...more

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Aug 02, 2022 B rated it did not like it

This started out so great and had such promise but the more I read the more it went downhill. I know a lot of people had issues with how many POVs there were but really I just hated the fact that so many of the chapters started with their first and last names. It angered me so much? I don’t know why it’s necessary to annoyingly keep saying everyone’s full names. I got it the first seventy times you said it, I know who everyone is.

Also I felt that the girls were just so childish. The way they sp ...more

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Jun 13, 2022 Wendi Lee rated it really liked it

Shelves: witches, edelweiss, middle_grade, we-need-diverse-books

I was very excited to receive this ARC! I love books about witches, and powerful Black witches - that's even more amazing!

It did take me a while to get into the book, probably 25% in. Six unique POVs are a bit overwhelming, and at first I had trouble keeping track of everyone. I am not sure we even need the boys' POVs, to be absolutely honest. I also didn't like Logan. I understand that she's a baby witch and adjusting to a lot of things, but she had some annoying characteristics.

That said, I ...more

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Aug 03, 2022 Anik-MamaBearsBookshelf added it

I was really excited about this book after reading the synopsis and seeing the beautiful cover. I enjoyed this book it was a good read. I love the setting of the book very much and the backstories. They really help with the rest of the story. The book is packed with action and full of details. It will be perfect for the Halloween season, it gives me Charmed, Practical magic and Sabrina vibes. I love how dark it is.

The starting of the story was a little all over the place which made things a litt ...more

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Jan 21, 2022 Jamilla rated it it was amazing

Shelves: best-books-of-2022, thriller, just-so-damn-fun, paranormal, am-bw, witches, favorites, female-character-ftw

Review pending publication!

But just know that I loved it, and y’all need to preorder!

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Jun 20, 2022 lily reads and other things rated it liked it

I didn't understand half this book and the relationships (platonic and romantic) felt rushed. maybe other people will like this more, just wasn't for me ...more

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Aug 03, 2022 Beck rated it really liked it

3.5/5 rounded up because it’s such a fun, promising debut. I’ll look forward to book two!

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Jun 11, 2022 AwkwardReader rated it really liked it

I won an ARC of this book off of Goodreads and was so excited to read it!

Before reading my review please note that I do recommend this book! I loved reading it, and I wish it was longer.

I loved the idea, powerful black (and queer) witches try to save a town. However, there were a couple things I wasn’t a huge fan of. It definitely felt like a debut novel but I can’t wait till the author starts to develop their writing more!

-Logan was okay, but also extremely annoying at times. I saw other peop ...more

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About S. Isabelle

S. Isabelle

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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 ...more