I had a really tough time with this book. From the description, it seemed right up my alley, but I really felt like this book lacked focus and was just too weird for me to follow. It would have been a DNF (right where one of the couples has sex and then eats shrimp immediately after--such a strange detail), but I try to finish all the books I receive as an ARC even if I don't enjoy what I'm reading.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC of this book.

From the Norwegian author who busted onto the scene so auspiciously with You Let Me In a while back comes a new tale of witches, possessions, and childhood rivalries gone toxic.
Get ready, it’s a doozy.
Apparently not an especially well loved one, going by the other reviews on GR, so let’s see if I can weight in for the other side.
To be fair, yes, I can see how this might not be an easy book to love: its storylines are very different and are dizzyingly woven into a cohesive sum total, its protagonists are unlikeable, the overall narrative is complex and tricky and does its best to mess with the readers.
And yet, while though things may have precluded me from outright loving the book, they were the very things that made me appreciate it.
It may not be a hug-it-and-love-it-book, but it’s viciously clever and that sort of thing goes along way with me.
Yeah, the protagonists are tough to enjoy – both the obnoxious, hashtagging, yogi-like new age guru who comes back to sort her uncle’s estate and her once upon a time bestie turned bitter rival obsessive raving lunatic of a local.
The rivalry is all about a book both of they seem to be writing. And the book is all about a local witch accused of killing some kids ages ago and (metaphorically) pitchforked by the villagers for it. The witch is…well, you know where she is, the title tells you. Or perhaps, not just there, but also in the souls and minds of two very different women obsessed with her.
Wanna see how far their obsession will take them? Read the book.
Its appeal may not be so wide as to cover all genre fans, but those who prefer their thrills with a darkly psychological, profoundly messed up, wicked and wickedly clever spice to them, ought to be pleased. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

I’ve never read anything by Camilla Bruce, but I was very intrigued by the title and synopsis for The Witch in the Well. However, this book was ultimately not for me. I ended up DNFing at 25% percent.

I really thought I was going to love this book, but I was very disappointed.
Nothing grabbed my attention and the characters felt off somehow.

This had such promise, but i absolutely had no love for a single character. I am not sure if it was just a lost in translation book, but all the jumping around from journal to narrator was too distracting for me.

Once childhood friends, now bitter rivals, Cathy and Elena are both writing a book about the same woman. Ilsbeth Clark resided at Nicksby estate, a house that Elena’s family spent summers in her childhood with her Uncle John. Now she’s visiting to pack up her late uncle’s belongings and prepare the estate to be sold while working on her next book. Town legend has it that Ilsbeth Clark was drowned by the townspeople in the well on the property in 1862 after being accused of witchcraft and the disappearance of several missing children. Cathy and Elena have vastly different approaches to their stories about Ilsbeth, but one of them may have the inside scoop as it appears that Ilsbeth has taken possession of her. When one of the women ends up dead at the bottom of the well, history appears to be on the verge of repeating itself as the town places the blame at her rival’s feet.

The story is told through various journal entries, estate documents, newspaper articles and an online blog/journal from multiple narrators who have varied experiences and knowledge about the goings on in the town of F___ (which was a little annoying). The characters of Cathy and Elena are well-defined. The imagery of the estate and the well in the woods is creepy. I enjoyed the town legend of the witch who was drowned in the well by the townspeople and the secrets behind what was really going on, but I kept waiting for more to happen. I felt like the rest of the story was a bit predictable.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the free copy provided for an honest review.

What a unique, chilling novel. Two former friends turned bitter rivals are both writing a novel about a local legend, a woman drowned as a witch. The story is told entirely through written sources such as letters, journal entries, emails, etc. A creepy Norwegian wood is the perfect backdrop for this unsettling novel.

THIS WAS FUN. It's incredibly creepy, but soooo fresh and interesting. The plot was impeccable, imo. The characters left a bit to be desired, I really hated most of them. Not in a way that made reading this impossible, but in a "god they suck" sort of way. It's difficult to make miserable character work, and I think Bruce does just that. This was really interesting and kept me engaged throughout the whole thing, which is harder to do with every creepy little novel I pick up.

Although I was incredibly drawn to the premise of this book, unfortunately it was ultimately not for me. We're meant to be unsure and to have doubts as to what the truth really is, and I'm normally fine with that; but with so many unlikeable characters and with all of the action taking place in the form of past-tense journal entries from multiple unreliable narrators, I couldn't find a way to get invested in the story. It was just a frustrating read for me overall.

The format of the novel lends itself to a "tell, don't show" type of storytelling that, to me, detracts from the overall story. What I mean is that the characters were not entirely developed through the writing, but instead we were occasionally given a sentence or two that was meant to give insights into their thoughts and behaviors. For example, the character of Will never does anything to indicate he has a temper, but we get someone at the end saying "Don't you remember what a violent temper Will always had?" Will never appears again to prove or disprove that statement to the reader. Even more frustrating is that Elena and Cathy write many different statements about themselves throughout the novel that aren't obviously true based upon their actions (nor do other characters describe them as they describe themselves).

While I am sure that there are other readers who will enjoy this story, my review reflects my honest opinions. Thank you for allowing me an advance copy in exchange for review.

“The Witch in the Well” by Camilla Bruce is another chilling tale, except this time it’s about witches. This dark Norwegian thriller pulls readers into a twisted adventure of magic, revenge, folklore, and toxic friendships.

Long ago, Ilsbeth Clark was accused of and killed for being a witch after the disappearance of several children. The townsfolk believed she was responsible for the missing kids, especially when they were last seen at a nearby well on her property. Ilsbeth’s story is infamous, except over the years people have added their own spin on the story, making it impossible to separate truth and fiction.

Two rivalry writers who used to be friends are inspired by Ilsbeth’s past desire to work on a book that illuminates the truth of who Ilsbeth Clark is and why she met a horrible fate. What they don’t realize is that taking on a seemingly innocent interest will have dark and terrifying consequences for both of them.

This is an addictive tale that brings to life everything people enjoy about witches and magic. Bruce weaves an alluring story that will easily captivate readers as they journey down a dark path with Elena and Cathy who become consumed by what they believe led to Illsbeth’s tragic end, all the while getting tangled in magic and their childhood memories.

Both characters very obviously have their flaws, but rather than try to acknowledge and fix them, they choose to focus on the other’s flaws, fuelling their anger and desire for revenge. These imperfect characters with their bizarre methods of coping with their past and present conflicts drive the story to a horrifying and chilling conclusion.

Those who love macabre Norwegian tales mixed with magic, folklore, and two driven female characters with a vendetta must pick up this newest book in Camilla Bruce’s dark collection of stories. Look for “The Witch and the Well” on its expected publication date of October 4th, 2022!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing me with a free e-arc of this novel and the opportunity to share my honest opinion in this review.

I just finished reading The witch in the well by Camilla Bruce and here is my honest review.

Catherine and Elena used to be friends but that ended decades before. Now Elena has returned and with her, the concept of a book about a local witch legend. Cathy, who has been painstakingly researching the same story, finds out whyElena has come back and it drives an even bigger wedge between the 2 women.

Can the 2 former friends get over their competitive streaks before something terrible happens? Something unnatural resides near that well and neither of these women are prepared to handle what will come next!

I wasn’t overly impressed with the format the book was written in. It took me a while to get into the book for this reason but I actually ended up really enjoying the book. I felt a little hollow with the ending. I don’t feel it was wrapped up as nicely as it could have been.

The two protagonists weren’t developed quite to my liking but I think the complexity of the story allows for a little less character development than I like my books to normally have. It was an interesting read. A delicious twist on an overdone witch hunt genre. The concept was quite genius and it was meticulously researched. The whole book was carefully constructed in such a way, you always felt a little on edge reading it, without it being overdone.

Like I said, I wish the ending had a bit more meat to it in the way of an explanation as to the origins of the beast but I can overlook that as it was a well paced read.

If you like a supernatural thriller that steps outside the lines for this genre, you have to add it to your reading list!

4 stars! Thank you netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for my ARC copy in exchange for you review

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Macmillan-Tor/Forge and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Unique format, compelling story, fast-paced, twists and turns with unexpected outcomes.

This stunning, intense Norwegian thriller kept my full attention.

An absolutely compelling read… I absolutely loved this one… so compelling… a real page-turner…
I didn’t want it to end…
Her characters are fascinating beyond measure. And once I started reading this phenomenon of A story I couldn't stop myself!
This is my first Camilla Bruce, and now I need more of her!
Highly recommended, I truly enjoyed it.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Tor Books,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.

I love the format of this book (emails, letters, journals). It made for a really fun reading experience. The story itself was great with nice twists along the way, and good well developed characters. I really look forward to reading more by Camilla Bruce!

The Witch In The Well by Camilla Bruce is a great fiction that has mystery, suspense, and an overall dark amd creepy vibe that kept me up most nights trying to find put how it all ends.

The author does a great job in taking all of these pieces of a story from different sources (ie journals, emails, letters, media, correspondence) from different time periods and presents them all to a reader in such a way that we slowly are able to join them together to solve the puzzle. While the time to full realization was a slow trickle, the material, pacing, narrative, and complexity of the story was quick, engaging, and interesting.

The author created a world that balanced that line between real, human, and earthly against ethereal, magical, mystical, horror, and fantasy, The balance was just perfect. I thought I knew where this story was going as it unraveled with Ilsbeth, Elena, and. Cathy (Catherine), but I was definitely wrong. The twists were most certainly a surprise, and it was all wrapped up nicely.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Tor Books (Macmillan/Tor-Forge for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 10/4/22.

What a fun and creepy book! I absolutely love the main personalities in this story. One bitter and lonely recluse, one modern hippie hashtagger, and one frustrated spirit of a would-be witch. And the structure is great as well! All the material in this narrative comes from “written” sources — journals, letters, emails, books, and other documents. This makes it feel almost as though you are looking at primary sources and trying to solve the mysteries yourself.

The setting itself is eerie, a moldering “castle” of a house in the middle of a haunted Norwegian wood? Not going to be my choice for a relaxing getaway. The imagery and the overall vibes illustrated throughout this book were subtly chilling. I found the occult aspects of this story sufficiently creepy without being too gory or off-putting. The book is rather fast-paced, and the chapters are short.

I have not read any Camilla Bruce before, but I find myself included to pick up more of her books, as I really enjoyed this one.

Thank you to Camilla Bruce, Tor Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!