Title: Season of the Witch
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Publication: July 9, 2019
Publisher: Scholastic
Genre: Teen & YA Fiction, Fantasy
Pages: 288
SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)
It’s the summer before her sixteenth birthday, and Sabrina Spellman knows her world is about to change. She’s always studied magic and spells with her aunts, Hilda and Zelda. But she’s also lived a normal mortal life – attending Baxter High, hanging out with her friends Susie and Roz, and going to the movies with her boyfriend, Harvey Kinkle.
Now time is running out on her every day, normal world, and leaving behind Roz and Susie and Harvey is a lot harder than she thought it would be. Especially because Sabrina isn’t sure how Harvey feels about her. Her cousin Ambrose suggests performing a spell to discover Harvey’s true feelings. But when a mysterious wood spirit interferes, the spell backfires in a big way.
Sabrina has always been attracted to the power of being a witch. But now she can’t help wondering if that power is leading her down the wrong path. Will she choose to forsake the path of lightand follow the path of night?
REVIEW:
Honestly, for the life of me, I cannot remember where I picked this book up at. I know it’s not from my normal book haunt, Lowry’s Books and More because there isn’t the telltale sign of Tom Lowry with the price in the corner of the front page. There isn’t the random Goodwill price tag on it either. I did peel a random 20% off tag from Target off it but there isn’t where it came from either. It shall remain a mystery. I do know that I bought it because of the book itself. I am a fan of the show. I loved the “original” Sabrina. The teeny-bop one where the cat talked. However, I do know that, according to my research, Sabrina has been around since the ’70s in for form of Archie Comics. What they are about I don’t know. I was excited to read the book, even though it has sat in my to be read pile for months. I figured the fall was a perfect time to read!
Sabrina is a witch. Well, half-mortal from her mother and half-witch from her ever-powerful father Edward. They died in a car crash that Sabrina was also in but somehow made it out. She lives with her witch Aunt’s Zelda and Hilda and her “cousin” Ambrose who is doomed to live in the house for all time due to his past transgressions. The thing with Sabina is she goes to a human school. She is also at the same time preparing for her dark baptism AKA her 16th birthday. This is her story. This book……I read it in about 2.5 days. I know that it is short but I read exclusively at night and in bed about 85% of the time. I loved it so much. I am a huge fan of the show and granted I am a few seasons behind but I love it nonetheless.
I loved that it tied seamlessly into the show. I felt like I got a back story to each of the characters. I understood why Zelda randomly at times just kills her sister and buries her in the back yard so she can rise again. I loved the whole reason why Ambrose absolutely loves Sabrina. It made him more human. I love him in the show but this just adds to it. The only thing that is slightly different is how much Tommy Sabrina’s boyfriend is in the book. He is basically in every single chapter at some point whether big or small. I loved how the author made dark chapters. To me, these were the character’s deepest darkest thoughts that they didn’t let anyone else know. I really enjoyed them because it was their dark thoughts. I see there are two more books to go with these and I will certainly be reading them. I have already added them to my Amazon Wish List.
STAR RATING: 5/5
Pick up your copy of Season of the Witch by Sarah Rees Brennan on Amazon, Barnes and Noble or check your local bookstore. Also make sure to add it to your To Reads list on Goodreads and leave feedback for the author when you are finished. You can check out more from author Sarah Rees Brennan on her website HERE.
