Season of the Witch by Sarah Rees Brennan Review

Title: Season of the Witch

Author: Sarah Rees Brennan

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult

Genre: Horror

Series: The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, book one

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

                I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.

                Sarah Rees Brennan has been one of my favorite authors for years now; she won my heart with her Demon’s Lexicon trilogy, and I loved it. Ever since, I’ve kept an eye out for her new work. When I found out she was writing a brand-new prequel series for one of my favorite Netflix Original shows, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, I was so stoked! It’s been sitting at the top of my library stack for a few weeks now, and as soon as I was finished with Kingdom of Exiles, I dove in. I devoured this prequel novel, the first in a series, in less than a day. The book takes place the week before Sabrina’s sixteenth birthday, and the night of her Dark Baptism. Torn between what her family expects of her, what she wants, and the love and care of her mortal friends, Roz and Susie, and most important of all, her boyfriend and first love, Harvey Kinkle. Sabrina is at a crossroads, contemplating what she wants. But darker forces than she knows lurk in the forests of Greendale, and they have plans for her…

                This book was awesome; of course, I’m probably biased because I’m obsessed with Sarah Rees Brennan and this new rendition of Sabrina, gone darker and closer to the actual source material. I also liked the way that it took what was already established in the show and expanded upon it. The pacing was breakneck, and I was immediately spellbound by Sabrina’s frank, wry voice. I also loved the way Greendale itself, and its secrets, were a beloved character in and of themselves. I loved the way that the book took all of the side characters and made sure that they had the spotlight. But I think my favorite part of this novel was the spotlight on Sabrina’s wayward, carefree cousin, Ambrose, as well as the villain. I wish there had been more said, overall, about Sabrina’s other family members, but overall, this book was really enjoyable, and I’m really looking forward to the next book, which comes out in December. Sarah Rees Brennan has outdone herself again! The bottom line: Dark, more than a little spooky and chilling, and wonderful, I loved Season of the Witch! Next on deck: Two Dark Reigns by Kendare Blake!