The Witchery by S. Isabelle is an eerie, immersive, and intense young adult fantasy.

The story centers around a group of young witches at Mesmortes Coven Academy in the haunted town of Haelsford. They must work together to confront an ominous threat, with each character bringing a unique magical ability and personal struggle to the table. This mix of dark magic and powerful friendships pulls you in and keeps you on edge.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the way Isabelle builds the world of Haelsford. The town has this super creepy, gothic vibe that made me feel like I was right there with the characters, which totally fit the dangerous magic and mystery of the story. I just wish we could’ve explored even more of the coven’s secrets and the dark history surrounding Haelsford!

This book is also deliciously intense. The stakes are high, and the characters’ relationships add warmth to all the dark, tense moments. Sometimes the plot gets a bit heavy with magical details, but it’s so worth it for the thrill of the ride.

The Witchery is a fantastic pick if you’re into dark academia and stories of powerful young witches, with major Ninth House vibes. I’d give it a solid 5 stars!

I DNF’ed this book halfway through. There were way too many POVs- why did Trent and Mathew need POV? I was focused on the girls and didn’t care about them. Also, the book started and just dropped you into it- no background info on the Red Three or whatever their name was and why they were popular, no real background on the magic, or how they knew the new girl would be the perfect addition. I also thought the queer rep would be more of a forefront, but the main romances were straight up until I stopped reading. Not for me at all.

Much better than I anticipated based on initial reviews! I actually really enjoyed the different POVs and loved the red three. At times it felt like too many different perspectives though and in the beginning I found myself getting confused as to whose pov it was since some of the voices sounded similar.

Overall still really great read and I’m glad I added this for my spooky season list. Can’t wait to dive in to the next one!

The Witchery is a real gem. The plot is like nothing I've ever come across before, making it a refreshing and captivating read. What really hooked me in were the diverse characters - they felt so authentic and brought a unique depth to the story. I really enjoyed this one and I know the kiddos in my library will too.

It took me awhile to really get into this one, but once I did, I really enjoyed it. I will definitely read the second book in the series.

This was one h3ll of a unique book. The plot was truly unlike anything I've ever read before, and that is not an easy thing to say in this day and age. I enjoyed the fact that the cast was diverse in several different ways, and that even though there were four main girls, as well as several male characters, each one felt unique and real, but not in a way that felt like the author was just ticking off boxes. The story had interesting pacing in that there were some parts of intense action followed by more academic "slice of life" vibes, but overall it worked out well. I don't even know how I would characterize this book. Dark Academia meets small town lore would be my best attempt, but even that doesn't quite encompass it. I'm very much looking forward to Book 2 in the series!

I was super excited for this book as the synopsis of it sounded like something I would really enjoy. While I didn't outright dislike it, it isn't one I would probably recommend. The writing style was just not for me. I do think others could enjoy it; the characters were as lovable as they could be but I wanted more from them.

I really wanted to like this book because it feels right up my alley, but something about the writing didn't click with me. I DNFed around 35%.

A bad ass witch book filled with dark magic, enchanting prose, and the baddest witch squad in town. I loved it and can’t wait for the next book.

Thank you, NetGalley and Scholastic Press, for the E-arc!
I have seen so many glowing reviews for this book, and it definitely lives up to the hype! I am a huge fan of witchy books and the craft so this book was right up my alley. The lives of the four main witches and their attempts to break the curse on the town was an extremely interesting premise and I really enjoyed getting to see the different personalities! The POV switching was a bit confusing as it was a bit hard to keep up with. But overall I really enjoyed the story and I'm excited for the second book.

I really wanted to love this book because the premise is something very much up my alley! I liked the characters, though, I don’t really feel like I got to know them well as it flipped between so many POVs and admittedly, I struggled to keep track of it all. I really struggled to get into the book and didn’t ever feel really immersed into the storyline, maybe that was due to the POVs but i think the writing just wasn’t for me, sadly.

Mesmortes Coven Academy is in for rough year. Can the red three and new witch Logan save this Florida from the wolves? It takes the help of friends and a knowledge of the past to uncover what caused the curse and how to break it. A truly intriguing read.

FABULOUS BOOK! Took me about ten minutes to get addicted to it and then I couldn’t put it down! A great story of magic, friendship, and everything between! I really enjoyed the magic in the book and it made me wanna read the second one.

This was perfect to read about Halloween. It was fun. I don't feel like that word does this story justice but it truly was fun.

Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐(4)/5 (3.75 rounded up)

The Witchery offers a daring and dangerous tale of friendship and self-discovery, perfect for spooky-season enthusiasts. The book follows a group of 4 student witches at Mesmortes Coven Academy as they prepare to face the annual Haunting Season where dangerous magical wolves in the woods threaten the safety of both the magical and nonmagical in town. Their quest to break the curse leads them to a tenuous alliance with two boys from the nonmagical Hammersmitt Academy, and as the story unfolds it becomes clear that to face their demons—both inside and out—will require them to work together and learn to trust one another like never before.

I find myself somewhat conflicted about this book. I absolutely love the concept of the story, the story has great representation, and I generally am a fan of multiple POVs. There are great lessons about friendship, trust, and personal growth woven into many of the character storylines that I appreciated, and I applaud S.Isabelle for being able to accomplish this while maintaining a fast-paced narrative with surprisingly compelling stakes. However, I think the amount of jumping around at times hindered the flow of the narrative and world-building in this book. I really liked all of the characters, but because our attention was split in so many directions I found myself unsatisfied at times with their development/depth. Overall I still ended up really enjoying the book, but I do think some people will struggle with the POVs.

This book would be an easy recommendation to fans of paranormal/witchy stories that have some adventure, significant stakes, and a fast-paced story. I could see many of my students enjoying this book, and I look forward to reading the follow-up!

**Acknowledgments & Disclaimers**
✨ Thank you to NetGalley, S. Isabelle, and Scholastic, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book.
✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

I really struggled with this one. I feel like based on the description I am the perfect audience, it hit all the marks for what I look for in a book. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. I really struggled with the POV's and the characters were not really connecting for me. I don't want to focus on what I didnt like because there was a lot that still did work for me. This read like something that would perform well as a TV show. This had all the elements for something like that such as mystery, paranormal/horror vibes, witches etc.

Thank you for an opportunity to read this book. I did recommend it to one friend who enjoyed it. I will not post a review so I do not sway anyone away from it! I think most people will love it!

Thank you to Net Galley and Scholastic for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Right off the bat, I did enjoy this book and fell in love with most of the characters, especially Iris and Thalia. The overall spooky, witchy vibes were great – especially for an October read. It really felt like I was reading (watching?) a teen-fantasy-drama-TV-show.

The Witchery follows the point of view of six students, four of which are witches attending a magical school and two of which are boys from the local ‘human’ school. If that sounds like a lot, it is. The multiple POVs was difficult to adjust to, and the book would have had a much better flow if it was from a couple of characters instead of six.

The magic system in the book was very compelling – each witch has a type of magic they specialize in (deathwitchery, greenwitchery, waterwitchery, etc.). That being said, I wish the author had explored the magic system a bit more. I believe there is a sequel, and I hope we get to see more of the legends and lore!

Perfect October read. Really hit all the spots for a witchy blast. Can't wait for another next book. Isabelle's created characters I'll follow anywhere. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Thank you to Scholastic, Scholastic Press, and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

This sort of reminded me of The Craft or The Winx Saga. It was witchy with dark spooky vibes and murderous magical curses involving wolves. I wanted to like it a lot more, especially with the setting being an intriguing witch school in Florida, but there were too many POVs, like six! That’s just too many for me to be invested in.

An ambitious group of young witches from the Mesmortes Coven Academy team up with two mundane boys to try to end “The Haunting,” an annual season of terror when bewitched wolves come out of hibernation to prey on the townspeople of Haelsford, Florida. Many witches and mundanes have tried and died in their efforts to end the curse; none of them had just the right combination of deathwitch, greenwitch, spell witch, and proxy. But all may not be as it seems! Secrets, horrors, deception, and lots of magic keep this story rolling as friendships are formed and tested in their quest. I love seeing diverse characters, and this group has it in spades. All the unique voices add great dimension to their dialogue, interactions, and points of view, which really flesh out the story. Thank you #NetGalley and Scholastic for a chance to read this book! I look forward to reading the newly released sequel, Shadow Coven.