So much promise. And then it just became boring. Two main characters telling their story in a way that makes neither reliable, at first I wanted to read through. Then I just wanted it to be over. I no longer cared about anyone in this story. You are all terrible.

It was a quick read for me and I liked it enough. Two things that I didn’t care for… the first being that that town didn’t have a name it was just f— and the hashtags.

I loved the idea of this one but the outcome fell flat for me. It felt all over the place and none of the POVs held my interest for all that long. The first 30% of the book was great but I really had to force myself to finish it. But with that being said: it is an extremely atmospheric book and the setting is eerie as heck so I know people will love it for that alone!

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow, what a book. This one was the rare book that could keep me on my toes, keep me 100% interested AND manage to creep me out so much at night that I had to sleep with a night light... I don't typically gravitate towards stories heavy on the supernatural, but I requested it on a whim, and I am quite glad I did. I will certainly be on the lookout for future titles by Camilla Bruce, and and plan to heavily recommend this book during the upcoming spooky season!

This one was The Ring meets... folk horror? Like the Witch or Slewfoot. I really enjoyed it, and it totally scratched that folk horror itch I have.

I want to start by saying I'm appreciative of the chance to read this work! That said, I really didn't enjoy this book. I definitely didn't hate it, but it was not for me. I found the overall plot and narrative a bit cliched, and the jumps from perspectives and times disconnected the story from itself quite a bit. I wasn't a fan of the narrative voice, either, and felt that I didn't really have enough of an attachment to the characters, good or bad, to really care about what they were saying. Again, very grateful to have been given an ARC of this book! But it wasn't for me, though I'm sure it definitely has its own audience!

This story is told in several different perspectives (with the two primary being Elena and Cathy), on opposite sides of Elena's late-summer death. We see what happened leading up to it from Elena's perspective with Cathy's afterward trying to clear her name for the death.

Both Elena and Cathy were insufferable to me. Elena is one of those crystal healing soul energy people. Cathy is a sociopath.
Both women are writing books from opposite sides of the narrative surrounding the long-ago drowned-in-a-well witch, Ilsbeth. Both unpleasant protagonists hate the other for writing a book. Cathy is trying to prove Ilsbeth was not a witch. Elena believes she is. I won't say who is right, of course.

I don't want to get too deeply into the plot of the book because it is a ride that must be taken fairly blind. While nothing really came as much of surprise during the book, it still was a really fun time to read. I enjoyed it but would have enjoyed it way more if Cathy was in any way a character that I ever could muster sympathy for. Elena is an exhausting influencer type but I at least was a bit sympathetic towards her as her portion of the story progressed and not just because you know going in that she's going to die.

I recommend this book to anyone who would like a good witchy mystery.

I absolutely loved You Let Me In and was really looking forward to another book that book creep me the heck out!
The Witch in the Well is spooky, but not scary. I felt like the build up to the actual witching stuff took far too long and although there were a few creepy parts overall the story was two former bffs grumbling about each other. The end was the best part because I was so sick of Elena and Oh heck I've already forgotten the annoying whiny lady's name, but anyways this was a disappointing read for me.

I'd recommend it for people who think Hocus Pocus is the best spooky movie.

The Witch in the Well is billed as a “Norwegian thriller.” The story unfolds mostly through a series of documents and Facebook rants, which I really enjoyed. The main characters in this book are so different from each other that they annoyed me in very different ways. Elena is the spiritual hippy type who made the big bucks writing a book about finding her truth. Cathy, on the other hand, is basically a bitter hag, and I was absolutely here for it. Her passages were just so laced with scorn that I found it highly amusing. The two of them juxtaposed against each other is amazing, and I found myself super invested in the drama of their toxic relationship. Their story intertwines so perfectly with the town’s history (and really, it’s present as well). You just know it’s going to end badly, but you’re just sitting their on the train to hell eating your popcorn and enjoying the ride. Just waiting for the crash and burn.

Overall, if you love a good page turner about toxic friendships and lady drama without a happy ending (laced with a fantastically witchy atmosphere and twist) I highly recommend checking this one out when it is published on October 4th!

I enjoyed the atmospheric, gothic setting of the book and the overall feel of the book is the perfect fit for spooky season reading; however, this book fell flat for me. The POV changes were all over the place and it was hard for me to place them on a coherent timeline. Both Elena and Cathy’s characters are obnoxious and annoying to read for different reasons. I really struggled to care about what was going on and where things were going because I didn’t like either of the unreliable main characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan/Tor Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Spooky and atmospheric thriller that just didn't thrill me as much as I wanted it to. I enjoyed the setting, but the dialogue with the different narrators and points of view grew to be a little manic and all over the place for me. I had general apathy for the characters so I wasn't invested in the end. I did enjoy the historical village ghost story aspect, but it just didn't stick with me. Would recommend to those that love fantasy and witch stories. #thewitchinthewell #camillabruce #netgalley #goodreads

Native and folklore Tik Tok have taught me that “if you saw something, <i>no you didn’t</i>”, and absolutely positively DO NOT invite the unknown. Elena, despite being Very Online, was not on the same side on the internet, and Cathy left some gaping holes in her research… more’s the pity.
This was much more interesting that what the synopsis had me expecting. I though this would be traditional thriller fare about a toxic friendship with a dash of horror. Elements of thriller and horror are there, but this is steeped in folklore - in this case not just witches but bäckahäst (similar to kelpie).
Both friends are obsessed with the titular witch, and each has a very clear fantasy of who they thought Ilsbeth was- seeing her as an extension of themselves. Elena is all golden privilege and believes magic is real and benevolent. She’s never had any reason to think otehrwise. Cathy is damaged and wounded and sees Ilsbeth as a misunderstood scapegoat, a tragic heroine. Everyone is deeply unlikable and unreliable, and I found that delicious.
The book starts a little slowly, but soon becomes a can’t-put-down page turner. This was beautifully crafted and I will pick up more by this author. Recommended!

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!

This was an intense and mind-spinning read. I loved how the whole book is from journal entries and documents. Also, the opposition between the two main characters was brilliant and created an even more disturbing atmosphere.

Elena returns to a town only known as F- in this book. She spent summers as a child playing at her uncle's estate known as the castle and is now back to prepare it to be sold. However, Elena does not expect to be so swept up in the lore surrounding the well at this property and absolutely doesn't realize that her new fascination will create a major rivalry between her and her childhood friend, Cathy.

This book starts off with drama and does not stop. The obsession of these characters with the witch at the well is what I found most disturbing. The way it seemed to infiltrate their lives resulting in actions and thoughts that seemed absolutely mad. I definitely recommend this as a perfect witchy read.

Out October 4, 2022!

Content Warnings for suicide, mental health, violence and death.

Rounded to 4.5 stars.

CONTENT WARNING: grief, murder, mention of bullying, miscarriage, blood, gore

This book was the perfect way to kick off spooky season. It’s a dark, atmospheric thriller, with elements of horror and the paranormal running throughout. Camilla Bruce did a fabulous job with this one, and it was nothing like what I expected.

The story centers around the town legend of Ilsbeth Clark, who was acquitted of witchcraft, yet still murdered by the people of the town as an act of revenge for their missing children. Both of the MCs have become obsessed with her story, although in different ways, and it sets the tone for this book.

Elena is working to clean out her family’s summer home, but she gets distracted by the spirit of Ilsbeth. She’s famous for her book and social media presence focusing on her soul connection, so when she feels the presence of Ilsbeth, she’s convinced that she wants to show her that she was a good witch and didn’t harm anyone, and simply wants to tell her own story. She decides to write her own book about Ilsbeth, as a spur of the moment decision. Elena comes off as kind of flighty and naive, and she wasn’t necessarily a likable character for me, but I was still able to empathize with her for a lot of the time.

Cathy is the other MC who was even less likable. She holds grudges and consistently gets in her own way, so I really had a hard time empathizing with her after the very beginning of the book. She’s been working to write her own story on Ilsbeth for years, and keeping everything very secret, but becomes irrationally angry when she finds out about Elena’s plans. It doesn’t help that she and Elena are estranged friends.

The story moved a bit slow in the beginning, but then pulled me in after a few chapters. Once I got to that point, I couldn’t put it down. The chapters vacillate between Elena’s diary entries, Cathy’s open letters to the town that are posted online, excerpts from Cathy’s book, and mysterious documents which come from Ilsbeth’s time and tell more of the story, as well as some chapters told from the POV of a character who isn’t named in the beginning but it quickly becomes obvious who the character is. I was fascinated by how everything comes together, and how different the voices all are, which isn’t an easy thing to do.

I loved this story, and how everything was woven together brilliantly. It had different layers of complexity that appeared at different times, where it seemed like a fight between two former friends at first, and then it came across as one thing, and once I read a bit more, it seemed like something else, and then finally was revealed to be another thing that was completely unexpected. It developed beautifully and in a surprising way, and while I’ve read other books by Bruce, this one was done very differently and in an interesting way that had me hopelessly hooked. This is the kind of book that’s going to haunt my thoughts in the best kind of way.

I wanted to like this more and I think it might be a book I need to reread in a physical format? I'm finding that horror books specifically just don't give me the same impact on digital so I might try it again later. I really did like how just unlikable the characters could be and the tension building, I just found it hard to get into.

The Witch in the Well is probably my least favorite book that I've read recently. It lacked a focus for me and bounced around enough that it felt like it was impossible to follow. I wasn't a fan of the fact the town the book was set in didn't actually have a name, just F--. When talking about the police and their report, it is written, "F-- police won't confirm or deny..." Is that the authors roundabout way of saying fuck the police? Because if it is, I'm not impressed. Nor was I impressed with the copious amounts of swear words that did nothing to enhance the book.

It was a serious struggle to make it through this book and finish it, unfortunately. Which I found really disappointing, because the plot of the book sounded like it was going to be amazing. But The Witch in the Well just fell flat for me. I checked reviews after I read it, and apparently I'm the odd duck in how I feel about this book. Everyone else seemed to love it, so I hope that my review within my blog still sparks curiosity within readers and inspires them to go check it out and form their own opinions.

Lots happening.here and perfect for spooky szn. You have unreliable narrators, gothic setting, small town mystery and alot unresolved. Shifting narratives, the potentially unexplainable and the ultimate choose your own adventure in regards to what really happened.

An ambiguous mystery with multiple distinct unreliable narrators, The Witch in the Well kept me guessing. The reader is left to draw their own conclusions about how many strands of the story might be real . Thoroughly engrossing.

Childhood friends Elena and Cathy haven’t seen each other in years until Elena returns to clean out her deceased uncle’s house. Now a writer, “SOUL” expert, and social media influencer, Elena believes she is communing with the soul of Ilsbeth Clark, who was drowned in the local well as a witch centuries ago. She’s struck by inspiration to write another book, except Cathy has devoted years already to telling Ilsbeth’s story, and she’s not about to let Elena swoop in and steal all the glory.

This book showed up on my doorstep last Monday and by Tuesday evening, I had devoured the entire thing. I’m a sucker for horror, particularly if it involves witches, and in this case, ghosts in a well. What can I say, I was at the age where The Ring really got me. I loved the dichotomy of Ilsbeth’s world/reality and that of Elena and Cathy’s reality, how they get consumed by this “Witch in the Well” legend, how their stories weave together in a mysterious puzzle with Ilsbeth’s story that leaves you wondering if history will repeat itself, how much is real, and who knows what.

If you’re wishing as hard for Fall as I am, this book is sure to put you in the mood, and it’s out on October 4, just in time for Halloweentober. If you’re looking for good horror to put you in the mood, definitely add this to your tbr.

Two childhood friends turned bitter rivals and the darker elements that slowly creep into their lives as they both become obsessed with a woman who was said to be a witch and had drowned in a well. The story moves between the present and the past, and between Ilsbeth Clark, a woman who was accused of witchcraft after several children disappeared. Elena , a author and social influencer who has returned to her family’s summer manor to sell years after the death of her beloved uncle, and her ex best friend, Cathy a girl who is filled with obsession and jealousy. Both Elena and Cathy are working on books about Ilsbeth, both convinced they are in contact with said witch... but things begin to get out of hand as more time goes on and their rivalry gets out of hand. We get to read from Elena’s Journel, Cathy’s blog, and Ilsbeth’s own recount of events. This was an interesting creepy and chilling read, I adore a good witch story and this one did not disappoint. The entire time you are reading this you are asking yourself “ who really killed Elena?” and “is there really a witch?” As both Elena and Cathy delve deeper and deeper into Ilsbeth’s story both of them become more haunted and a darker force begins to consume them and want to take them. This is the perfect read for a spooky autumn book or for October. I adore the way the author writes and her previous books was one of my favorites!

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*