Title: The Witch Haven
Author: Sasha Peyton Smith
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: August 31, 2021
Pages: 448
In 1911 New York City, seventeen-year-old Frances Hallowell spends her days as a seamstress, mourning the mysterious death of her brother months prior. Everything changes when she’s attacked and a man ends up dead at her feet—her scissors in his neck, and she can’t explain how they got there.
Before she can be condemned as a murderess, two cape-wearing nurses arrive to inform her she is deathly ill and ordered to report to Haxahaven Sanitarium. But Frances finds Haxahaven isn’t a sanitarium at all: it’s a school for witches. Within Haxahaven’s glittering walls, Frances finds the sisterhood she craves, but the headmistress warns Frances that magic is dangerous. Frances has no interest in the small, safe magic of her school, and is instead enchanted by Finn, a boy with magic himself who appears in her dreams and tells her he can teach her all she’s been craving to learn, lessons that may bring her closer to discovering what truly happened to her brother.
Frances’s newfound power attracts the attention of the leader of an ancient order who yearns for magical control of Manhattan. And who will stop at nothing to have Frances by his side. Frances must ultimately choose what matters more, justice for her murdered brother and her growing feelings for Finn, or the safety of her city and fellow witches. What price would she pay for power, and what if the truth is more terrible than she ever imagined?
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**Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster and Turn the Page Tours for sending me an Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review as part of the blog tour!**
After the death of Frances's brother, she is just getting by working as a seamstress while still grieving her loss. When her boss attacks her one night, he is suddenly dead with a pair of scissors in his neck. Not knowing how they got there, she is investigated as a potential murder suspect.
A horrible realization hits me. With Mr. Hues dead, the shop will likely be forced to close for good.
Just as Frances is about to be taken by the police, two nurses show up informing her of a recent diagnosis of tuberculosis. She is taken to a sanitarium for tuberculosis, a disguise for a school hiding witches and magical powers.
I suddenly feel like I did the first time I rode the subway, the lurching nausea, and sense of amazement.
At her new school, Frances learns to use magic for daily tasks. But when her older brother's friend shows up, he shows Frances and her friends magic even greater than they have learned. Why is he showing them and what connection does he have with her brother's death?
Star Review: ★★★☆☆ (3)
The setting took place in the early 1900s which I found was a nice touch. In New York, the weather and mood felt gloomy all together like it was building up suspense for the plot.
The magic that took place in the story was interesting but I wanted to know a little more about it and how it worked. It also led me to be curious about how witches and humans once lived together a long time ago.
Overall, The Witch Haven was an appealing story that I had fun reading over the past couple of days. Since this is a debut novel, I'm looking forward to new works by the author, seeing how she and her writing grows.
**Check down below to see the full blog tour schedule consisting of amazing interviews, reviews, and more!**
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