The Witch Haven
- Downloads：5802
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-09-01 07:19:00
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Sasha Peyton Smith
- ISBN：1534454381
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
B
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I don’t normally write reviews on books I DNF but I really can’t let this go。 I was done by chapter five， but continued reading until chapter eight， where I stopped after the following titillating conversation:“I felt something different。”“Different how？”“Different as in DIFFERENT。”That’s A+ writing quality right there， y’all。 I don’t know how this got such good reviews， but I’m here to tell you not to waste your time。 The book started out with such promise， and I was here for the atmosphere and I don’t normally write reviews on books I DNF but I really can’t let this go。 I was done by chapter five， but continued reading until chapter eight， where I stopped after the following titillating conversation:“I felt something different。”“Different how？”“Different as in DIFFERENT。”That’s A+ writing quality right there， y’all。 I don’t know how this got such good reviews， but I’m here to tell you not to waste your time。 The book started out with such promise， and I was here for the atmosphere and the creepy tension and the mystery surrounding her brother’s death。 Frances seemed to be the start of a great heroin， smart and cunning and badass。 But then！ When she finally gets to the academy， she suddenly turns into a freaking toddler。 She is whiny AF and if it had started this way， I probably would’ve believed you if you had told me she was twelve and not seventeen。 All she does is ask question after question instead of， idk， LISTENING， and then gets upset when there are rules and the classes about magic isn’t what she wanted to learn。 At the first sign of boredom and the academy not exceeding her expectations， she wants to run away。 I’m going to pretend that she did like the child that she is and that that’s where I finished the book。 I’d like to think this is a case of me just getting older and not tolerating YA， but honestly…it’s really just that writing quality is going downhill。 I could go on， but seriously， I only read eight chapters， and this is already a long review。 I will not be wasting my time with the other 400 pages。 Save yourself。 。。。more
Morgan
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Very much reminded my of A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray。 I’m a sucker for magical historical fiction， and this scratched that itch for me！ I would love to see more expansion on the side characters in the next book， I think they have so much potential！ *spoilers*The twist with the killer at the end there - I have to admit， I was running through possible perpetrators the whole time。 Maxine？ Mrs。 Vykotsky？ Helen？ Oliver？ Finn？ I didn’t want it to be Finn。 I wanted him to the good guy， bu Very much reminded my of A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray。 I’m a sucker for magical historical fiction， and this scratched that itch for me！ I would love to see more expansion on the side characters in the next book， I think they have so much potential！ *spoilers*The twist with the killer at the end there - I have to admit， I was running through possible perpetrators the whole time。 Maxine？ Mrs。 Vykotsky？ Helen？ Oliver？ Finn？ I didn’t want it to be Finn。 I wanted him to the good guy， but alas。 Always trust your gut， ladies！！ 。。。more
Gmr
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This is a story of more than just magic， although that would be quite enough as is。 This is a story about family， friends， belonging， and all the challenges the heart can present when we allow it to actually FEEL。 Frances is a memorable leading lady， despite feeling anything but， and more lost than anything else。 She's been dealt a bad hand， yet is determined not to let it take her down。 She'll fight for what's right。 She'll see those who caused pain put to justice。 She'll discover so much about This is a story of more than just magic， although that would be quite enough as is。 This is a story about family， friends， belonging， and all the challenges the heart can present when we allow it to actually FEEL。 Frances is a memorable leading lady， despite feeling anything but， and more lost than anything else。 She's been dealt a bad hand， yet is determined not to let it take her down。 She'll fight for what's right。 She'll see those who caused pain put to justice。 She'll discover so much about herself， her heritage， and just what friendship， true sisterhood REALLY means。。。 all while giving readers a read to remember！A great read for YA lit fans that should not be missed！**copy received for review; opinions are my own 。。。more
Raymond Holly
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emma （thehapabookworm）
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I greatly enjoyed The Witch Haven。 I didn’t have many expectations going in， and was only hoping for a fun， witchy novel， but was greatly surprised with how engrossing it was。 Equal parts urban fantasy and historical fiction， this novel takes you from the streets of New York City to a secret school hidden away in the country- and back again。 I also liked the serial killer murder mystery subplot， as well as the intrigue of France’s school for witches- the Haxahaven Sanitarium- and the secret gent I greatly enjoyed The Witch Haven。 I didn’t have many expectations going in， and was only hoping for a fun， witchy novel， but was greatly surprised with how engrossing it was。 Equal parts urban fantasy and historical fiction， this novel takes you from the streets of New York City to a secret school hidden away in the country- and back again。 I also liked the serial killer murder mystery subplot， as well as the intrigue of France’s school for witches- the Haxahaven Sanitarium- and the secret gentleman’s society hidden in the middle of the city。For the rest of my review， check out my blog post here: https://hapabookworm。wordpress。com/20。。。 。。。more
Gisselle Lopez
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I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。I'll be perfectly honest， I stopped reading this book about halfway through。 As I type， it's open on my Kindle and I am planning on finishing it for sure， but I've been trying to finish this book for two weeks now。 I'll come back with edits to my review once I finish it。 I'll start with what I enjoyed so far。 I love fantasy and magic and witches in my stories， and that's primarily what drew me into this story。 I LOVE stories that fo I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。I'll be perfectly honest， I stopped reading this book about halfway through。 As I type， it's open on my Kindle and I am planning on finishing it for sure， but I've been trying to finish this book for two weeks now。 I'll come back with edits to my review once I finish it。 I'll start with what I enjoyed so far。 I love fantasy and magic and witches in my stories， and that's primarily what drew me into this story。 I LOVE stories that focus on the gritty and grim side of magic and those that world it， and with this story's setting in early 1900s New York， there is plenty of grim and gritty to go around。 Sasha Peyton Smith does a great job at illustrating the darkness in the city and in the emotions of our protagonist， Frances。 The pacing of the beginning was incredibly well done， and the beginning packed a powerful punch （warning for distressing themes such as sexual assault and murder）。 Unfortunately， the beginning is mostly where my enjoyment of the book has been limited to thus far。 As the story progresses， the pacing becomes a little more erratic and uneven in compassion to the beginning。 The introduction of characters such as Maxine and Lena felt half-executed and their development did not feel complete。 As a result， I didn't find myself relating to anyone or really caring for them。Additionally， it feels as though the author dances around a lot of great topics that are introduced but never fully explored。 For example， the concept of feminism， especially during the early 1900s with the women's suffrage movement， is mentioned through the book in pieces， and Frances finds that even the fanatical world of magic was submissive to the world of men; she learns only what she can use to make her life as a housewife and lady easier， such as how to clean， sew， and arrange flowers with magic。 Yet， for the first half of the book， that plot point felt like it was acknowledged， but never actually discussed it the confines of the characters' voices。 There was even a mention of acknowledging the existence of transwomen and non-binary people in the academy， but there is no attempt at further exploration。Also， maybe it'll get better in the second half of the book， but Finn having the ability to dream-walk and the revelation that he had been visiting Frances in her dreams felt more like a violation than anything romantic to me。 He felt like an Edward Cullen archetype， just Irish and with magic。 I just wasn't sure of him or his motives。I'll continue reading to give this book a fair shot， but these are my thoughts after the first half of the book。 The rest is still to be determined。 。。。more
Cailin
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casey mcquinston blurbs？ i will buy
Taylor - Muse Ignited Reads
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4。5 Stars - Wow what a roller coaster of an ending…Great read！！ Full RTC！ Really hoping this is going to be a series pretty please？！
Pine Reads Review
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“To be a witch is to have power in a world where women have none。”It’s been six months since seventeen-year-old Frances Hallowell’s brother was murdered， and Frances is finally accepting her new reality working as a seamstress in a sweat shop in 1911 New York City。 But when she’s attacked by the shop’s owner and he ends up dead at her feet with her scissors in his neck， everything changes。 Frances is whisked away to Haxahaven Academy， a school for witches that poses as a tuberculosis sanitarium。 “To be a witch is to have power in a world where women have none。”It’s been six months since seventeen-year-old Frances Hallowell’s brother was murdered， and Frances is finally accepting her new reality working as a seamstress in a sweat shop in 1911 New York City。 But when she’s attacked by the shop’s owner and he ends up dead at her feet with her scissors in his neck， everything changes。 Frances is whisked away to Haxahaven Academy， a school for witches that poses as a tuberculosis sanitarium。 At first， Frances is captivated by the magic she finds there， but she soon realizes that she longs for more。 When she meets Finn， an entrancing boy who appears to her in her dreams and offers to teach her more about magic， Frances begins digging deeper into the mystery of her brother’s death。 But there are darker forces at work than Frances realizes， and it soon becomes clear that she must choose what matters more: her fellow witches， justice for her brother， or her growing feelings for Finn。Wrapped in darkness and magic， Sasha Peyton Smith’s debut is the perfect read for those who love atmospheric historical fiction and thrilling tales of sisterhood and mystery。 One of my favorite elements of this beautifully-written novel was the setting。 I haven’t read many books set in early twentieth century New York City， and I loved how Smith expertly brought the time and place to life。 I especially liked how Smith tackled the sexist standards of the time and also included Native American representation through Frances’s friend Lena， along with discussions of some of the injustices Lena has faced。 The characters are so skillfully developed， and the pacing of the story is fantastic。 However， as much as I loved most of The Witch Haven， I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the disappointing ending。 With such a strong beginning and middle， I was surprised when the end erupted into chaos with many blood-spattered pages and twists so shocking that they practically gave me whiplash。 Still， I enjoyed this spellbinding story and would recommend it to those who delight in the darker side of magic。Content Warnings: Murder， blood， death of a loved one， graphic descriptions， attempted sexual assault， violence， underage drinking， mutilation of corpses， mentioned parental abuse， moderately strong language， absentee parents， mentions of cultural assimilation school， forced institutionalization， racism， sexism（Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing us with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication。）Follow us on Instagram， Twitter， and Facebook @pinereadsreview and check out our website at www。pinereadsreview。com for reviews， author interviews， blogs， podcast episodes， and more！ 。。。more
Michele
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4 1/2 magical stars！That was a debut？？ Seriously！ What a fun and engaging storyline。 I was entranced from the first page。 The setting is New York City in 1911 - - as most people know， this was a time of strife for women as they didn't possess voting rights and weren't valued in society。 In addition， factory workers were often endangered by the lack of regulation and protection - - leading to many unnecessary deaths。 To add to the historical events of the time， this storyline also includes un 4 1/2 magical stars！That was a debut？？ Seriously！ What a fun and engaging storyline。 I was entranced from the first page。 The setting is New York City in 1911 - - as most people know， this was a time of strife for women as they didn't possess voting rights and weren't valued in society。 In addition， factory workers were often endangered by the lack of regulation and protection - - leading to many unnecessary deaths。 To add to the historical events of the time， this storyline also includes unrest between magical factions， power struggles and more。 The main character， Frances Hallowell is unaware that she possesses any magical ability until her life is threatened one night and her protection instinct triggers it。 Then the proverbial "all hell breaks loose。" The story takes off and the reader had best hold on and pay attention。 A lot will be happening。 You get introduced to various characters - - friends Frances makes at the magical academy she is sent to。 In addition， there are old friends that she meets up with again who come to play a pivotal role in the book。 Frances is a character that I easily connected to。 She has been through a great deal of tragedy and loss。 Her family was everything to her and she is now left alone。 Yet， she really isn't because she's forming a new family -- it just takes her a while to realize it。I can't even do this book justice。 All I can say is - - if you're a fan of young adult fantasy， give this gem a shot。 It was well-written and flowed easily。 I'm impressed by this debut author and look forward to reading her next book。Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC。 I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own。 。。。more
Lisa Mandina
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This book had a lot of really interesting details。 I loved the whole historical aspect of New York City。 I also really enjoyed how the author kind of related different well-known things from that time period， such as the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire， as well even just how women were treated and sent to sanitoriums and asylums for things that men didn’t like。 All of the mystery behind the magic and what was going on between all the different people who had magic was well done with this story。 This book had a lot of really interesting details。 I loved the whole historical aspect of New York City。 I also really enjoyed how the author kind of related different well-known things from that time period， such as the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire， as well even just how women were treated and sent to sanitoriums and asylums for things that men didn’t like。 All of the mystery behind the magic and what was going on between all the different people who had magic was well done with this story。 Even though there were certain people in the story that I always had a little inkling of doubt in my head as I read， that they couldn’t really be as good or as sincere as they seemed， the author was able to keep me guessing and twisting my opinion so it went back and forth。 There was even a couple twist moments at the end that I didn’t see coming， and then when something happened that totally blew those parts out of the water， wow。Now I feel like it would have been nice to have a little more time with one of the characters that turns out to be the good guy in the end。 And honestly， there were times when maybe I felt it was a little long？ But since it all wrapped up in the end and there was so much that fit into the bits and pieces to complete the story， that I ended up being okay with it。 There was a note at the very end though， and there definitely needs to be a sequel， because there is one very big loose end left to be tied up。 So hopefully there will be a book 2！Review first posted on Lisa Loves Literature。 。。。more
Katelyn | whatiskatelynreading
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Read this book immediately！！！ I absolutely loved this story。 What a magical masterpiece of a book！ I can’t even put my thoughts together！！ Read it！！！！
a
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2。5 stars*potential is what this book had a lot of。 there were some slight peaky blinders vibes， but just not a lot happened。 the plot was a bit boring， and foreseeable。 the ending， however？ quite wild and entertaining。frances was a lot more tell than show， with first-person narration we knew her thoughts， though her grief was the primarily factor that drove her to act recklessly。 in the end she did some good things， but I think if it hadn’t been for other characters interjecting， she wouldn’t h 2。5 stars*potential is what this book had a lot of。 there were some slight peaky blinders vibes， but just not a lot happened。 the plot was a bit boring， and foreseeable。 the ending， however？ quite wild and entertaining。frances was a lot more tell than show， with first-person narration we knew her thoughts， though her grief was the primarily factor that drove her to act recklessly。 in the end she did some good things， but I think if it hadn’t been for other characters interjecting， she wouldn’t have been interesting enough on her own。I did like the vibe and the setting — new york in 1911。 it was dark and atmospheric， but I wish we would have gotten some more of new york， as in， actually using the “stage” the story plays out on。 this is one example of what I mean by unfulfilled potential。 the elements were there， but weren’t taken advantage of。what I appreciated were the friendships between the girls， and some really beautiful quotes。 while the story itself might have just been “okay” I do think some lessons can be learnt from this novel， especially as a younger reader。 。。。more
Ashley
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This review does contain some spoilers at the end。 I will put a tag before the spoiler and block that part so you know to not click and skip that section if spoilers bother you。An incredibly breathtaking debut novel that had me wanting more！ The Witch Haven is a historical fiction set in 1911 New York that focuses on a young girl named Frances Hallowell。 Normally I am not the biggest fan of historical fictions， however， this novel pulled me in from the very beginning。 We start off the novel meet This review does contain some spoilers at the end。 I will put a tag before the spoiler and block that part so you know to not click and skip that section if spoilers bother you。An incredibly breathtaking debut novel that had me wanting more！ The Witch Haven is a historical fiction set in 1911 New York that focuses on a young girl named Frances Hallowell。 Normally I am not the biggest fan of historical fictions， however， this novel pulled me in from the very beginning。 We start off the novel meeting young Frances who works as a dressmaker in a shop。 When her boss ends up dead at her feet with her sewing shears in his neck， Frances knows something strange has happened。 As the police begin to consider her a suspect， two girls show up in a nursing van to take her to a sanatorium for those with tuberculosis。 However， Frances quickly learns upon arrival that Haxahaven is actually a school for witches and that she has powers she never dreamed of being real。 "Women are supposed to be competent at everything， but experts at nothing。 Haven't you heard？" I loved the found family aspect of this book and how we see Frances really come into herself and mature as a person。 When the book starts out， Frances is merely a shell of a person due to her brother's murder and her mother recently being placed in a sanatorium。 She has nothing left to live for; that is until Maxine and Lena come along。 Frances builds up a camaraderie with them and they become like sisters to each other。 “These women don’t care about me。 They’re fighting so that girls like you can vote alongside your rich， white husbands。 Not girls like me。" I loved how depsite this book being set in 1911， that Smith included diversity in her writing。 The book touches on serious topics such as the women's suffrage movement and the racial issues of 1911。 There is also LGBTQ+ representation， however it is very briefly touched on。 I would love to see more of Maxine and Lena’s stories and experiences in a subsequent book （or books）。 I definitely feel that both of these characters have so much more to add to the story than what we get from just Frances。 “I think perhaps that is how we survive in the world。 Passing little bits of our magic back and forth to each other when the world takes it from us。” ****SPOILERS BELOW THIS****（view spoiler）[The twist at the end of the book was actually a bit predictable to me。 It actually reminded me a bit too much of Shadow & Bone （Alina & The Darkling）。 We have the guy come in， teach the main character how to use and harness her powers， she trusts him and falls for him， just to have him end up being a villain。 He uses her， takes advantage of her and then takes complete control of her powers。 I don’t necessarily love this type of trope and I wish that instead of Frances falling in love with Finn， that it was a purely platonic relationship that led to betrayal。 This is likely just me a my personal preferences， but that was the only major thing that I disliked about this book。 It just felt like a played out trope that was too predictable to me and I wish it went down differently in the end。 （hide spoiler）]****END SPOILERS****Overall， aside from the issue mentioned above， I did really enjoy this book。 It tells the story of young girl who really does grow as a character and discovers who she is as a person。 I loved her relationship with Lena and Maxine as well and do hope to see more of them in the future。 One more thing for me to note about the formatting; perhaps it was just because I received an ARC from NetGalley， but the formatting of the ebook was all out of whack。 The first letter of every new chapter would be placed halfway down the sentence and be missing from the first word。 On top of that， it was missing indentations for new paragraphs and sometimes the dialogue would not be broken up when a new character began to speak so I was left trying to figure out who was speaking。 It got awfully annoying and distracting when reading。 I did not take off a star for this reason as maybe the final ebook version will be formatted correctly and it was just the ARC copy that was like this。 I just thought it was worth mentioning just in case this is an issue in the final copy。 As I said， I did really enjoy this book and think it is a great debut novel。 I look forward to reading more books from this author！**Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for sending me an ARC copy of this book to read and review。** 。。。more
Celia McMahon
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RTC
Elle
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Witch stories are my fairytales， and I don’t think I’m ever going to get tired of them。There’s a lot of fascinating things going on in The Witch Haven。 It takes place in 1911 New York City， which is either very cool or very not cool depending on what demographics you belonged to at the time。 Frances Hallowell is a seventeen year-old young woman working as a seamstress， when a shocking act of unexplainable violence catches the attention of law enforcement。 But instead of being arrested Frances is Witch stories are my fairytales， and I don’t think I’m ever going to get tired of them。There’s a lot of fascinating things going on in The Witch Haven。 It takes place in 1911 New York City， which is either very cool or very not cool depending on what demographics you belonged to at the time。 Frances Hallowell is a seventeen year-old young woman working as a seamstress， when a shocking act of unexplainable violence catches the attention of law enforcement。 But instead of being arrested Frances is whisked away to a sanatorium in Queens that is more than it appears。As it turns out， the sanitarium is a cover for a different kind of institution—a witch school for girls known as Haxahaven。 Frances and her new peers are housed， schooled in their craft and most crucially， shielded from an outside world that wishes to do them harm。 The more time Frances spends confined to her new home， though， the more she feels unfulfilled。 A yearning to expand her powers and explore beyond Haxahaven’s walls and locked gates leaves Frances with no choice but to start making her own rules。 After all， what’s the point in possessing power if you’re not going to exercise it？Historical fantasy is an interesting genre to me because there’s so many different directions you can take the story。 The only thing that’s predetermined is that at some point the historical precedent will diverge into the fantastical， but it’s up to the author to decide exactly when。 What pieces of history are you going to use to build this new world， and which will be strategically left behind？ The Witch Haven makes some early choices to view this time period through a more modern gaze。 Discriminatory and bigoted opinions are challenged by the author and characters， no matter how common they may have been at the time。 This kind of history-lite will be a less grating reading experience for fantasy fans who appreciate a historical atmosphere， but don’t necessarily want to deal with all the baggage that typically accompany it。What this book really centers is the female characters， with the era being more of a backdrop。 It’s a compelling story of a young woman trying to find her place in the world while searching to uncover the person（s） responsible for her brother’s death。 There’s a focus on the power of women， both soft and hard， and how women have chosen to wield that power to protect themselves and the people they love。 Sasha Peyton Smith also includes criticisms of the women’s movement of the time， not limited to: class， ethnicity， race， education， etc。 Though still making the argument that women are stronger together， these plot details do add a much needed context to stories like this。Overall I enjoyed The Witch Haven。 As a standalone historical novel it’s not going to have the expansive world-building that you may find in other fantasies， but it is still a fun ride！ Some of the plot twists were pretty easy to spot from a distance， but I like the final twist of the knife （view spoiler）[lol get it？？？ （hide spoiler）] in the last chapter & epilogue。 There’s also potential for a follow-up， but I think I like the open-endedness as is。*Thanks to Simon & Schuster Young Readers & Netgalley for an advance review copy！**For more book talk & reviews， follow me on Instagram at @elle_mentbooks！["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]> 。。。more
Sara
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I really liked this！It took me a bit to get through （not the book's fault， just busy life things，） and I didn't make notes so I'm not going to attempt a review。 （Need to stop here to yell that I LOVE Frances's character， though。）In a nutshell， I got the ARC via my job， and I'm going to pay to buy the physical book 'cause I want a copy for my shelves here at home。 I really liked this！It took me a bit to get through （not the book's fault， just busy life things，） and I didn't make notes so I'm not going to attempt a review。 （Need to stop here to yell that I LOVE Frances's character， though。）In a nutshell， I got the ARC via my job， and I'm going to pay to buy the physical book 'cause I want a copy for my shelves here at home。 。。。more
Beth for BPL Teens
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The Witch Haven was a solid debut and series starter。 Historical fantasy is so great if it's done well， and I loved escaping into this world。 Frances Hallowell is grieving。 Her brother was murdered four months ago， and her mother has been sent to an institution。 Frances works as a seamstress， surviving from one day to the next。 After her boss assaults her while she's working late one night， her pair of sewing scissors end up in his neck killing him， and Frances doesn't know how they got there。 T The Witch Haven was a solid debut and series starter。 Historical fantasy is so great if it's done well， and I loved escaping into this world。 Frances Hallowell is grieving。 Her brother was murdered four months ago， and her mother has been sent to an institution。 Frances works as a seamstress， surviving from one day to the next。 After her boss assaults her while she's working late one night， her pair of sewing scissors end up in his neck killing him， and Frances doesn't know how they got there。 The next day， she is rescued from police questioning by a pair of young women who whisk her away to Haxahaven， a school for young witches。 As Frances begins her magical studies， she can't help but be disappointed。 She thought her magic would help her make a difference in the world， but she is limited by the teachers who believe that all young women should be learning is how to keep a home。 Frances wants to do real magic， not needlework and sweeping。 Notes begin appearing on her pillow promising her answers about what really happened to her brother。 But as she begins to uncover these secrets， her world turns upside down， and Frances has to decide what she intends to do with the magic she possesses。 Like I said， this book was well done。 I loved how Haxahaven was disappointing--so often we get magical schools that are perfect and wonderful， but for a young woman in 1911 to feel boxed in and restricted works so well。 It feels authentic。 I also really loved the way the author build up the tension and foreboding。 As readers， we feel that something terrible is lurking right behind the scenes， and when the plot twists it is awesome。 She did a great job。 I loved the feminist themes too。 I also really loved seeing Frances grow as a character。 I do wish there had been more worldbuilding within the school itself， but the setting and characters were great。 I'm excited to add this to my collection and to give it to my teens。 CW: Some passionate kissing， and several instances of described murder。 。。。more
Van （Short & Sweet Reviews）
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Disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review。Books with witches are my jam。 Combine it with the early 20th century period and a boarding school setting and you have the perfect trifecta。 We all know the history of witches。 People fear what they don’t understand but what’s even more terrifying is an intelligent woman with powers。 Smith did a great job incorporating that theme and picking the perfect setting of 1911 New York。 While it was the turn of the Disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review。Books with witches are my jam。 Combine it with the early 20th century period and a boarding school setting and you have the perfect trifecta。 We all know the history of witches。 People fear what they don’t understand but what’s even more terrifying is an intelligent woman with powers。 Smith did a great job incorporating that theme and picking the perfect setting of 1911 New York。 While it was the turn of the century full of expansion， it was also a time of oppression of the lower-working class and women。 The world building was pretty straightforward and very easy to understand。 The world is divided into the haves and have-nots， those with power and without power， and male and female。 Frances， our heroine falls in the later。 After a triggering violent attack Frances discovers she’s a witch。 Immediately she gets whisked away to Haxahaven Academy。 Haxahaven teaches its students’ that their place in the world is in a home。 The magical spells learned revolved around domesticated routines in the home such as cooking， cleaning and sewing。 It comes as no surprise that Frances yearns more in life than becoming a dutiful housewife。 As her brother William once said， she was destined to change the world。 And that’s exactly what Frances set out to do， but as with life， things don’t always turn out how we thought they would。 Frances is your typical seventeen-year-old， curious， rebellious and thinks she’s invincible。 I liked that she did anything she set her mind to and never took no as an answer。 It was easy to see her growth and transformation from beginning to end。 I thought it was done well and best of all， actually believable。 All the secondary characters were also well developed and memorable。 I adored Frances’s confidantes Maxine and Leah。 They embodied loyalty and sisterhood。 I normally am not fond of love triangles but I kinda liked Oliver and Finn。 They were the complete opposite， the old childhood friend and the mysterious dream boy。 But unlike other cookie-cutter YA love interests， these guy had substance and piqued my interest。 The somewhat biggest surprise of all was Finn。 I guessed how everything was going to end but Smith definitely shocked me in the last chapter。 Talk about a cliffhanger！ The Witch Haven exceeded all my expectations。 I went in thinking it was going to be a regular ol’ story about a boarding school but it was so much more。 The story had a natural progression throughout the entire book and ended in an explosive climax that I think will surprise the reader and have them frantically turning the pages。 I flew through the last third of the book。 The Witch Haven is a great debut encompassing self discovery and acceptance， sisterhood/friendship， and of course a lot of heart。 I absolutely enjoyed The Witch Haven， it was one of my most anticipated read。。。and it didn’t disappoint！ I can't wait to see what’s in store for Frances and her friends。 。。。more
Brittany | chasingmrdarcy
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This was an unexpected fantasy read I absolutely loved。 It has so many aspects that make a fantasy novel good in my opinion - historical fantasy， dark academia vibes， and of course， witches！ I actually don’t read a lot about witches when I read fantasy books， so this was a refreshing breath of fresh air into my fantasy spectrum。 I thought this was book was really well done。 The characters were created very well， and I thought the plot was dark and twisty yet easy to follow for a reader （especial This was an unexpected fantasy read I absolutely loved。 It has so many aspects that make a fantasy novel good in my opinion - historical fantasy， dark academia vibes， and of course， witches！ I actually don’t read a lot about witches when I read fantasy books， so this was a refreshing breath of fresh air into my fantasy spectrum。 I thought this was book was really well done。 The characters were created very well， and I thought the plot was dark and twisty yet easy to follow for a reader （especially when set in a fantasy world， this is crucial）。 I enjoyed the boarding school setting， and I thought the twists and turns were crafted to perfection。 I guessed some of the twists， and some I didn’t， so I liked that the plot had enough to keep me guessing but gave me the self-satisfaction of being able to figure pieces out myself。 I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading fantasy。 。。。more
Shelley
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*Source* Publisher*Genre* Young Adult / Historical / Fantasy*Rating* 3-3。5*Thoughts*The Witch Haven is the debut novel by author Sasha Peyton Smith。 This story takes place entirely in New York City。 The year is 1911， 17-year-year-old Frances Hallowell spends her days as a seamstress， mourning the mysterious death of her brother months prior while her mother is sequestered in a sanatorium。 When her boss gets overly aggressive with her， the next thing Frances knows is that the man is dead with her *Source* Publisher*Genre* Young Adult / Historical / Fantasy*Rating* 3-3。5*Thoughts*The Witch Haven is the debut novel by author Sasha Peyton Smith。 This story takes place entirely in New York City。 The year is 1911， 17-year-year-old Frances Hallowell spends her days as a seamstress， mourning the mysterious death of her brother months prior while her mother is sequestered in a sanatorium。 When her boss gets overly aggressive with her， the next thing Frances knows is that the man is dead with her scissors sticking in his neck。 *Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*https://gizmosreviews。blogspot。com/20。。。 。。。more
Jessica Harrison
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3。5 StarsOn its face， The Witch Haven is a book about witches。 But the much deeper theme of female oppression is what sticks with you。 Frances and her classmates are expected to become “good little women/wives。” Their magic should never be more than a help for the normal tasks expected of them。 They should never be too powerful， too strong。But that’s not the life Frances or the other girls want。 As they begin to delve deeper， the girls realize they have the power to change a great many things。Th 3。5 StarsOn its face， The Witch Haven is a book about witches。 But the much deeper theme of female oppression is what sticks with you。 Frances and her classmates are expected to become “good little women/wives。” Their magic should never be more than a help for the normal tasks expected of them。 They should never be too powerful， too strong。But that’s not the life Frances or the other girls want。 As they begin to delve deeper， the girls realize they have the power to change a great many things。The Witch Haven has an atmospheric almost gothic feel to it。 Author Sasha Peyton Smith does a great job setting the overall tone and her pacing helps amplify the overall impression。Frances is a strong， but flawed， protagonist。 There were a few times when I questioned her choices， but otherwise felt she carried the story well。 Supporting characters are for the most part well-fleshed-out， adding dimension and interest。The Witch Haven is a dark read。 And there are some elements that could be triggering （attempted sexual assault， blood， murder， mutilation of corpses， alluded to child abuse， mental health issues）。 There are also a few plot holes and cliché’s that don’t need to be there。 Despite the above issues， Smith’s writing resonates， making for a fast and engaging read。 。。。more
Meghan Kurtz
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I absolutely loved this debut novel by Sasha Peyton Smith。 It was such an atmospheric read， I cannot recommend it enough to add to your October TBR。 This book incorporated fantasy， historical fiction， and mystery into one spell binding story。 I absolutely loved the setting of early 20th century NYC， and I’m personally a sucker for books that take place at schools。 I love a dark academia academic setting。 The book opens in 1911 New York， where Frances has been sent to a Haxahaven school for witch I absolutely loved this debut novel by Sasha Peyton Smith。 It was such an atmospheric read， I cannot recommend it enough to add to your October TBR。 This book incorporated fantasy， historical fiction， and mystery into one spell binding story。 I absolutely loved the setting of early 20th century NYC， and I’m personally a sucker for books that take place at schools。 I love a dark academia academic setting。 The book opens in 1911 New York， where Frances has been sent to a Haxahaven school for witches （disguised as a tuberculosis sanitarium）。 However， the school for witches concentrated more on female witches controlling their power， not growing it。 Along the way， Frances finds sisters in Lena and Maxine， ticking off another one of my favorite boxes: the found family trope。 There is also a love triangle， but I did not find it to take over the plot， as sometimes romance subplots tend to do。 The ending was not a cliffhanger， but I’m crossing my fingers for a sequel personally！Overall， The Witch Haven is a historical fiction fantasy novel with an overarching feminist feel。 If you enjoy any of those three themes， I recommend giving this book a go！ Thank you so much to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 The Witch Haven will be out this week on August 31！ Just in time for spooky season！ 。。。more
Jordan Pagel
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I am currently sitting here， reflecting， trying to put into words how wonderful this book truly is。 1900 New York， magick， badass females， romance， betrayal， plot twists， and so much action。 I felt a strong connection to the mc， Frances。 She always felt an innate drive within her to make a name for herself and do something significant to change the world。 I feel that same drive and I loved watching her work through her talents to make that a reality。 I adored all the magick elements and found my I am currently sitting here， reflecting， trying to put into words how wonderful this book truly is。 1900 New York， magick， badass females， romance， betrayal， plot twists， and so much action。 I felt a strong connection to the mc， Frances。 She always felt an innate drive within her to make a name for herself and do something significant to change the world。 I feel that same drive and I loved watching her work through her talents to make that a reality。 I adored all the magick elements and found myself captivated。 I basically binge read this book because each page kept the action and mysteries coming。 The ending。 The ending…。where do I start？ I can’t say much without spoilers but it has me shook to the core and I wanted very badly to believe that what I feared wasn’t true。 Such a remarkable debut novel by a very talented author。 I’m so blessed to have received an arc because my life is forever changed after reading this book。 This now takes the spot as my top fantasy novel， and trust me， I read majority fantasy。 Keep up the great work， Sasha and I cannot wait to see what you publish next！ 。。。more
Julia Pika
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Thanks to NetGalley & Simon and Shuster Children's Publishing for the early copy in exchange for an honest review。The Witch Haven is about a recently awakened witch Frances being taken to a school for witches， though the school isn't anything like she dreamed of。 The corruption and sexism is still prevalent at this school for witches and Frances finds herself disappointed by it。 She wants to learn useful magic beyond cooking and sewing， magic that would help her talk to her murdered brother。Hone Thanks to NetGalley & Simon and Shuster Children's Publishing for the early copy in exchange for an honest review。The Witch Haven is about a recently awakened witch Frances being taken to a school for witches， though the school isn't anything like she dreamed of。 The corruption and sexism is still prevalent at this school for witches and Frances finds herself disappointed by it。 She wants to learn useful magic beyond cooking and sewing， magic that would help her talk to her murdered brother。Honestly， this was pretty interesting from beginning to end。 I think the love triangle just made it really sour。 A great idea/concept but dang that love triangle was a snore fest。 It's weird because honestly the first 20% of the book is really interesting but then the two love interests show up and it's just。。。。zzz。。。I wish Frances was more focused on the different aspects of magic and finding her brother than thinking about how cute the two guys were。 Actually， Frances had more chemistry with one of her new friends， Lena， than the two love interests， ha。 Frances isn't really a fun protagonist to root for either， which is weird considering her tragic backstory。 I will say I appreciate how dark this book gets， but it's just so bogged down by the boring romances。。。。 。。。more
Etta
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The Witch Haven was a roller coaster of a mystery filled with compelling characters and a darker New York backdrop in the early 1900s。 The story opens with a murder where a boy is thrown into the East River of New York in May 1911。 I loved the opening as this is a story that illustrates the importance of the first lines as the reader immediately is drawn to find more about this boy， who he is， and why he was murdered。 The story then moves to the novel’s main character， 17-years-old Frances H The Witch Haven was a roller coaster of a mystery filled with compelling characters and a darker New York backdrop in the early 1900s。 The story opens with a murder where a boy is thrown into the East River of New York in May 1911。 I loved the opening as this is a story that illustrates the importance of the first lines as the reader immediately is drawn to find more about this boy， who he is， and why he was murdered。 The story then moves to the novel’s main character， 17-years-old Frances Hallowell who works as a seamstress for Mr。 Hues and lives at the facility with other girls。 She is dealing with the grief from the recent loss of her brother， William， and trying to get by with her life。 After her boss tries to assault her， she unknowingly uses magic to kill him。The following morning two nurses arrive to escort Frances to Haxahaven Sanitarium with a “tuberculosis” diagnosis before she can further the interrogation by the police about Mr。 Hues’s murder。 The sanitarium is actually Haxahaven Academy， which is a school for those with magical powers。 When she arrives at the school， she begins to think that this might be the perfect new home for her。 Mysterious notes start showing up when she sleeps leading Frances to believe that there is something more going on than meets the eye。 Her time at school is mixed with the mystery of her brother's murder， learning magic， and making new friendships。 It was interesting following Frances along on this journey as she was a well-written character and I enjoyed reading about her growth as the story progressed。 She has a lot going on as she grieves for her brother， balancing the newfound information that she is a witch， and learning to navigate new friendships。The characters in this story were enjoyable。 I loved the friendship that forms between Lena， Maxine， and Frances as they were all different personalities， but they balanced each other well。 Although the reader does learn about each character， I wish there was more as both Lena and Maxine were very interesting。 The three friends find a spellbook and begin to further their magical learning with the help of Finn， who also was a friend of William。 As there is a spell that can help them speak to the dead， the group sets out on a quest to search for the ingredients。 There are multiple dangers and obstacles to navigate with plenty of twists and turns for the reader。 Along the way， the group’s friendship continues to grow and there is romance brewing for Frances。Overall， this was an interesting read。 While the building blocks of the novel are not unique and can be found in multiple other novels， such as the gifted heroine， the multiple love interests， among others， but this story does put a nice twist on it to create a unique novel。 The world-building was great once Frances arrives at the school as the setting is well described。 I do wish there was a little more to reflect the time period with the sights and sounds。 The wording choices fit the atmosphere， but it still felt more modern than I would have expected。 I am not sure if this will be a series or remain as a standalone。 The ending is satisfying， but it still leaves room for a potential sequel。 This was an interesting read and is great for those who love historical fantasy in an academic setting with a twist of mystery。 [3。75 rounded to 4]**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher， Simon and Schuster Books， for the opportunity to read this enjoyable novel。 The opinions expressed are completely my own。** 。。。more
Kate Tremewan
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I have to say I really enjoyed the entire premise of this story。 Any kind of all girl Hogwarts witch story set in the early 1900’s is delightful in enough of itself。 But with the love triangle thrown into the plot， the book ended up being just meh to me。 However， I think I am in the minority of this opinion and would recommend to someone else。
Shari Suarez
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Frances Hollowell is a teenage seamstress in turn of the century New York。 After killing her predatory boss， she is sent to a witch academy masquerading as a tuberculosis sanitarium。 Haxahaven is a sanctuary at first until Frances meets Finn， an old friend of her brother who was murdered。 She discovers that New York has a dangerous magical underworld and she and her fellow pupils are woefully unprepared for what's about to come next。 This is a debut novel but it doesn't read like one。 I loved th Frances Hollowell is a teenage seamstress in turn of the century New York。 After killing her predatory boss， she is sent to a witch academy masquerading as a tuberculosis sanitarium。 Haxahaven is a sanctuary at first until Frances meets Finn， an old friend of her brother who was murdered。 She discovers that New York has a dangerous magical underworld and she and her fellow pupils are woefully unprepared for what's about to come next。 This is a debut novel but it doesn't read like one。 I loved the inclusion of someone from a Tribal school since that's been a familiar topic lately。A wonderful debut！ 。。。more
Auri
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Frances Hallowell is 17 and working as a seamstress when her sewing shears inexplicably end up in her late night attacker's neck。 The next morning she is whisked away to Haxahaven Academy， a magical boarding school disguised as a sanitarium。 Frances thought magic was going to open up a new， brighter side of the world to her。 Instead， Haxahaven comes with one simple message， magic is unpredictable and dangerous。 I don't think I can properly explain how much I loved this brilliant debut novel。 The Frances Hallowell is 17 and working as a seamstress when her sewing shears inexplicably end up in her late night attacker's neck。 The next morning she is whisked away to Haxahaven Academy， a magical boarding school disguised as a sanitarium。 Frances thought magic was going to open up a new， brighter side of the world to her。 Instead， Haxahaven comes with one simple message， magic is unpredictable and dangerous。 I don't think I can properly explain how much I loved this brilliant debut novel。 The context surrounding the early 1900's feminist movement added to the tension within Frances and witch community at large。 I loved how this book didn't gloss over the ugly truths for women or minorities either。 While the main plot centers around Finn and Frances investigating her brother's murder， I wouldn't actually call this a murder mystery。 Frances felt so appropriate for the time period， by which I mean she had accepted her hand in life。 There was an eerie resolve about her to swallow her emotions and just move forward。 Maxine and Lena were the kind of complex side characters that can exist on their own。 However， the real star power in The Witch Haven is the sisterhood--I mean this when I say I got literal chills。Thank you so much to @netgalley and @simonandschuster for this eARC。 The Witch Haven releases on August 31st！ 。。。more
gauri
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