The Hedge Witch by Cari Thomas

Book Review Sep 08, 2022

My review

4/5 stars

I grabbed this from the library on a whim, not realising it was part of a series. It didn't matter though, it read great as a short stand-alone story.

I really enjoyed the mystery of the story, it just the right level for me as I don't normally read this type of book. I was intrigued and it got me thinking, but I never felt threatened or scared by any of it; great for the young adult audience that I think the book was intended for.

Rowan was a lovely character. She was warm, but had just the right amount of teenage angst to make her rounded as a protagonist. The author writes well from a teenage point of view, as I totally bought in to her perspective of life in the small village she was sent to for the summer.

Winnie was a brilliant authority figure/moral guide weaving in and out of the story. I actually would have appreciated spending more time with her and hope for more exposure to her when I pick up the original book in the series (Threadneedle).

The pace of the story felt slow in comparison to a lot of what I read. Normally slow pace bothers me because I get bored easily, but it seemed to work surprisingly well in this story. It reinforced the idea that the village was sleepy and that Rowan was experiencing a real change in the pace of her life.

A surprising find. I've already downloaded the audiobook of the main story and will be starting on it soon, so check back for the review soon.

Book blurb

Rowan is visiting her aunt – Winne the hedge witch – in the Welsh countryside, to get back to nature and hone her skills, as well as taking a break from her annoying sisters and enjoying some peace and quiet. However, Rowan soon comes to realise that hedges are a serious business and this isn’t quite the opportunity to rest and escape she thought it might be.

Not only that, but mysterious events around the town are causing panic in the secret magical community and cowans – non-magical folk – are starting to take notice.

Can Rowan hone her hedge craft, try to make some friends and solve the riddle of the mysterious goings-on, or is magic about to be revealed to the world … or at least Wales?