This was a pretty good read for me. I will definitely be continuing the series to see what happens next!

I’m so mad at myself for sleeping on this story. I can’t believe it took me this long to pick it up, it’s a little embarrassing.

This novel is about Elloren Gardener, the granddaughter and spitting image of the last Black Witch. Elloren is sent to university and it’s there that she will determine that everything might not be as it seems. What do they say? Don’t judge a book by its cover and all that.

Getting to get inside of Elloren’s mind as she realizes the travesties her people have caused “in the name of good” and that they continue to cause was *chefs kiss.* Forest did a wonderful job of telling this story in a way that you can relate to your actual life, even if this is a fantasy.

After finishing I immediately picked up The Iron Flower and checked Goodreads to see how many novels were in the series. I cannot wait to continue this series!

‘The Black Witch’ by Laurie Forest is definitely one of those books you need to read, critically, for yourself to form a full opinion.

This was ok. Not really for me. I found the main character really annoying. Will continue on with the series though to see where it goes.

This coming of age story was so beautifully written. It had amazing messages woven throughout regarding standing up to injustice and embracing diversity. These messages are so important and relevant to everyone these days. Elloren's story really drew me in and I had trouble putting my reader down! I always felt like I just had to keep reading, I had to know what happened next and how it all was going to end. I thought I was just reading another fun fantasy book when I started, but it was intelligent and thought-provoking, I really enjoyed it in all aspects and will definitely continue with the series.

I love this book! The world that Laurie Forest created is beautiful and one you can immerse yourself in. I highly recommend this series.

This book is racist filth, a story meant for white audiences at the expense of PoC, and is Racist, ableist, homophobic and just all-in-all fucked up. . Do not buy, do not pirate, take off shelf and place directly in trash can. I was so taken aback with this book, and I just can't even find words to describe my disappointment.

Only given one star because i HAVE to assign a star value - this is a ZERO from me.

This story invites you into a world where there is a not so fine line between the have and have nots. Worlds can be tumbled in an instant.

I did not request this book. I read this a while ago when I bought my own copy. I did love it and love the series as a whole so far. But read it to long ago to give a review now. Not sure why this showed up in my shelves.

This is by far one of the greatest books that I have read in a long time! I loved ever second of it! It has everything you could want in a story. From witches to Selkies to even Dragons! I can't wait to read the next one!

Fun characters and interesting world building. Perfect for teens looking for that next paranormal read!

I really enjoyed this book, despite the flack it seems to get from other readers. Interested to see where the story leads.

Controversial but not necessarily in a bad way. Really struggled to finish this though. Almost DNF many times.

"The Black Witch" is a book that I thought I would enjoy far more than I did. I didn't find myself liking the main character whatsoever but the book is redeemed by the writing and the plot. I hope that the sequel is better.

In this story the author does a wonderful job illustrating the way that family and the way you are raised can impact your life significantly.

I, personally, feel like this book was an interesting take on classism, racism and general prejudices amongst people of any kind. I can understand where the critical responses are coming from, as there are many examples of racism in the revised novel - HOWEVER, I feel it's unfair to bash the novel for this. I would equate this to any novel about a dystopian society. Things happen, shit is not pretty - it's life. She did not seemingly or intentionally target any one group, but instead developed her world the way it is - in a divided and classist society, bound by rules of hierarchy. I don't feel like she was condoning it in anyway, as the MC spends most of the novel questioning everything. The MC is a direct result of her upbringing. Comparing a fictional world to modern day issues isn't completely fair. We'd have to be screaming about "Handmaid's Tale" "Fahrenheit 451" and so many other books that have these themes through out them, but we don't - because we know it's FICTION. Same with young adult, so sit down and just enjoy the story for what it is.

As for the story itself, I was immediately swept away. While I didn't LOVE the MC, Elle, she SLIGHTLY grew on me a bit as the story progressed. Elle was not an enjoyable character, she was very selfish at times, did things for herself, and used people without regarding how they feel or how it would effect them. I felt like this was something that the author intended but the progression fell flat.
The first section of the book really focused on her own bigoted views. Her own desires forced her out of her comfort zone and into a world that she had to navigate with the stereotypes and beliefs that her family instilled in her, while at the same time letting go of those boxes and learning to love people and herself, as they are. The way Forest used education, bettering yourself and expanding the world around you was not lost on me. The POWER of education is such a moving and unrelenting thing.
There are the typical YA tropes, the chosen one, no magic to magic, etc. The tropes in the story are very predictable and it makes a lot of the story predictable as well.
Forest's writing is brilliant. The amount of publicity the book got is a direct result of her writing. Whether you loved it or hated it, her writing made that possible. The first person narration pulls you into Elloren's mind, which is not always a pleasant place to be. The novel makes you uncomfortable while exploring how to break out of engrained prejudices and become open to the world around you.
I feel like there is A LOT of ups and downs in this book. Elle did not progress as much as I'd like, but the other characters in the book really kept me going. At this point, I am going to read the follow up novels because I just have to know what happens!

I teach at a primarily Black school. I would never, ever put this book in my students' hands. The blurb does not adequately convey what I stepped into, and I'd like to avoid spreading such negative energy to my students. There are plenty of other books, written by much better writers, available.

I was provided with an eARC of this story in exchange for a fair review.

I went into this book knowing that there had been some sort of backlash about it, but chose not to read the comments in hopes of deciding for myself what everyone was talking about. After I made it to the halfway point and still couldn’t figure out everyone’s issue, I did a little research and found that people are hating on the book for being racist. Those people clearly did not read this book.
Elloren was raised extremely sheltered and kept away from, well, everything. She is a exact image of her dead famous grandmother, who was considered the savior of her people and universally hated by everyone else. Ren suffers the backlash of this, and much of the book is about her coming face to face with the differences in the world and the fact that her race isn’t in fact the best one. She befriends people from ALL races and backgrounds (not without a lot of misunderstanding and growth, mind you) and starts to overcome her upbringing. She certainly still fights with her prejudices, but I would be hard pressed to find someone who can magically overcome 17 years of beliefs without some confusion and missteps.
I will definitely be checking out the next book in the series!

The main character in the book Elloren "Ren" Gardner has a tragic beginning, with her parents killed early in her life. This hole is only marginally filled by her brothers Rafe and Trystan, but mostly it is filled by her beloved uncle Edwin who raises the siblings.
  Unbeknownst to Ren until her teens, she is the granddaughter of the infamous Black Witch whom the Gardnerians idolized as their savior. Yet later within the book, Elloren learns of a darker past and how many of the races learned to fear the Black Witch and Gardnerians in general.
  This book is a sublime immersion into an epic creation of world building fantasy. Laced with so many different species and races, among them several different types of elves, the Vu Trin, Urisk, Amazakarans and my personal favorite; the Icarals. The Icarals are a winged species that seem to occur almost as a rare genetic chance within several races but one thing remains constant: all are disliked and almost universally hated as some sort of demonic spawn. It's a form of bigotry through ignorance and intolerance that is so perfectly depicted in this book.

  In the book, Elloren learns to get over her fear and intolerance of many races, and at least some of how she feels towards the Icarals through the University that both her uncle Edwin and her aunt Vyvian sends her to. Her aunt however has her own agenda. Ren is housed with two Icarals, her first long term exposure to truly different species and it shifts her world view.

  Thus begins her questioning of life after an event that involves a guy her aunt wants her to be wand fasted with, Lukas Grey. He is also desired by Fallon Bane,who due to Lukas' interest in Ren, becomes her instant enemy. Her aunt does not make Ren's life easy, by trying to force her hand. She makes Elloren work in the kitchen, something that Gardnerians rarely "stoop" to do. But here she meets another mysterious guy named Yvan Guriel, who gradually and grudgingly becomes her friend.

   There are so many secondary story arcs and characters that are so interesting that I couldn't possibly do them justice. I love the heart and messages that are taught throughout this book. These lessons are so sorely needed today. I especially loved a moment in the book when Wynter, one of the Icarals, was speaking about herself and what it meant to be an Elf and Icaral. She stated that she was cursed and one of the "Foul" ones, who brings great shame to the Elvinkind.  Diana Ulrich, who is a Lupine; a close relative to a werewolf like race, had a strong negative reaction to this. She was stunned that any being would be so cruel to simply curse a race. Especially Wynter whom she'd gotten to know and could see was a caring person. Diana stated to Wynter that what she said about being foul and cursed was foolishness and asked why she would want to insult herself.  Although Wynter's brother who was a full Elf tried to explain to Diana that these were the Elven ways, and what Wynter believed in. The point is touching made clear, that not all races think alike.
  I truly loved this gem of a book. It's exactly the kind of fantasy escape that not just young adults need but everyone does. It has not just an incredible story arc that I can't wait to delve into again, but some pretty powerful and much needed messages that we need currently today. I can't wait for the next installment to come out!

This book was provided for me by netgalley.

I have had this arc for some time now. I was intrigued by the description and sold on the cover. I should learn by now to stop doing that. I tried really hard to enjoy this book, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I wanted a good witchy read, but I just couldn’t become captivated in the story. Maybe I’ll try again in the future, but it just isn’t working for me right now. The characters seem likeable and there is a steady build, but it just never took off for me.