Season Of The Witch (Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina #1): Sarah Rees Brennan
Reviewed By Yolanda Sfetsos
- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: Scholastic; 1 edition (4 July 2019)
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 light and follow the path of night?
It’s no secret that I love the Netflix series, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Two awesome seasons, a holiday special, the comic books—I’ve watched/read them all.
When I found out a prequel novel was going to be released, I pre-ordered it ASAP and started reading almost as soon as the lovely book arrived. Now, thanks to Kendall Reviews, I get to share my thoughts with the world.
Summer is slowly coming to an end and Sabrina Spellman still isn’t sure if Harvey Kinkle loves her or not. But she’s a witch and has ways of finding out what people don’t want to share. Not to mention a bored cousin who’s willing to help with any/all mischievous deeds.
Except, magic isn’t something one should tamper with for selfish reasons and can be tricky. When the spell backfires, Sabrina’s forced to embrace her witchy ability while not forgetting her mortal side, and depending on her oddball family…
OMG. I absolutely adored this book!
I have to admit that I was a bit worried about how Sabrina’s voice would come across. I wondered if the story would feel forced in order to fit into what we already know about the peculiar residents of Greendale. Well, I’m super excited to say that there was nothing to worry about. Everything about this book is fantastic and flawless.
Sabrina’s voice is awesome and authentic. Actually, this prequel sets up the events of the show perfectly. It also effortlessly answers a bunch of questions I didn’t even know I had.
The blend of cute and bubbly is well balanced with the dark side always creeping up on Sabrina. No matter how hard she tries to stay on the straight and narrow, or how sweet she is, her curiosity gets the best of her and leads to a whole lot of trouble. It’s a character flaw that makes this young witch’s chilling adventures very appealing. She’s got a good heart, yet can’t help but delve into a little wicked behaviour.
What she does to Harvey, how she gets caught up with a water spirit, the way she damages her close relationship with Ambrose. All of it turns into a test—a very entertaining test that gripped me all the way through. I had a hard time putting this down, and was surprised by how much I managed to read every time I ‘wanted to squeeze one chapter in’.
Another very cool thing about this book is the format. Sabrina’s first POV dominates the book, but we also get a peek into the minds of a bunch of very familiar characters. Their POVs are excellently woven into the black pages (seriously, the pages are black with white print), giving us a glimpse into several things we didn’t know about what’s really inside their hearts and minds.
Yeah, asides from being an awesome book, it’s also really pretty and I love how the beautiful cover complements the already established aesthetics of this witch world.
Season of the Witch is the perfect prelude into Sabrina Spellman’s dangerous and wicked life, with a twist of the cosy. Her close-knit unconventional family is a delight to read about. The dark world of witches and the mortals able to balance everything out for this half-mortal, half-witch never cease to scheme and surprise. It’s well written, a lot of fun, fits perfectly with the show, and is a great addition to Sabrina’s expanding world.
No matter what season, Greendale always feels like Halloween and I love that.
I actually pictured all the actors while reading the book, which just added to the fun. And you know what else? It made me want to watch Sabrina all over again. 😁
Oh, and the great news is, there are more books coming! I can’t wait to read more…
Thank you, Kendall Reviews, for inviting me to share this review.
Season Of The Witch
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 light and follow the path of night?
You can buy Season Of The Witch from Amazon UK & Amazon US
Yolanda Sfetsos
Yolanda Sfetsos lives in Sydney, Australia with her awesome, supportive gamer husband and neurotic, photogenic kitty.
When she’s not writing or reading up a storm, she’s either out walking, watching a movie or TV show, checking thrift stores for bargain books, or thinking about the new dark ideas fighting for attention.
You can visit her website: www.yolandasfetsos.com, find her on Twitter: @yolandasfetsos and check out her reading habits on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/yolandasfetsos
Breaking The Habit
All Isla wanted to do was enjoy her honeymoon. She was looking forward to relaxing on the beach and enjoying cocktails with the love of her life. Instead, she ends up in the middle of the woods in a cozy cabin, where the past she’s worked so hard to bury can find her. Turning what should be the best night of her life, into a bloody fight to stay alive.
You can buy Breaking The Habit from Amazon UK & Amazon US
I still haven’t finished the first season. Now I’m thinking I’ll start back at the beginning and do some binging!