I was looking forward to reading this title. The writing, however, was a little naive and the formatting was so bad it made the text harder than necessary to actually read. This spoiled the story even further

With thanks to Netgalley and the author for allowing me to review this book.

The Witching stone is a very spooky book that kept me engrossed (and a little scared) throughout. Also great to have a book that is set in the North East.

A lovely pacy witchy read that was very well grounded in its locality. Unfortunately, I've already forgotten a lot of what happened in it, even though I read it recently, but if you're looking for an easy cozy read this could be it.

The Witching Stone was a fun, quick read aimed at younger readers. 10 year old me would have absolutely adored this book and 40 year old me appreciates the style and story for the audience it's aimed for.

A small town, a legend, a woman scorned, and boy who didn’t think much of it until it came knocking.
Alfie follows his working dad on summer break to a small town and quickly gets himself into some unexpected trouble.
This book started out delightfully creepy, but struggled between a horror novel and a more contemporary one of a teenage boy and his teenage life. It left the pacing and story-telling rough, jolting, and inconsistent. Would move between humor and fright but didn’t explore the balance between the two enough to set a tone for the book.
A strong start but a disappointing read.

Such a fun read! Quirky wee village, a long dead witch, a heavy dose of mystery - consider me hooked! I thought the story flowed well and maintained a good pace, and introduced several enjoyable characters.

The combination of a quirky little village and a long dead witch with a mysterious back story was bound to hook me in. The story was the perfect kind of creepy without being so terrifying I couldn't read it in the dark! The plotting was solid and although I was fairly certain there was going to be a happy ending, it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story at all because I couldn't work out how that happy ending was going to come about. Alfie and Mia are fab characters with enough going on in their own lives to be believable, but my favourite character was Hannah who I think could have a book all of her own! I really enjoyed this - highly recommended!

A fantastic book for any young adult who is a fan of the supernatural and mystery. It’s got great pace, interesting back story and enjoyable characters.

I want to start by saying that I absolutely loved the plot idea for this book. It was so well constructed and interesting, it really kept me captivated.

I feel like the novel could have been longer. I think it needed a bit more depth, as the plot felt rushed which I think is a shame since it was such a good idea. Everything was explained, there were back stories for every character, and interesting twists in the storyline. As I say, my only complaint would be that it could have been a really amazing novel.

I enjoyed it and would recommend it, there was just enough supernatural elements to the plot that it didn’t feel overdone or ridiculous. It was written so well, like I could have believed this might have happened. But everything went too well, there were no real obstacles for the main characters to overcome, and the time limit imposed by Meg the witch rushed the plot forward where it could have been better developed.

Well, The Witching Stone was a read that at first I wasn't too sure about. It is aimed at a younger audience, however, there are parts within the book that I felt were rather spooky. I wouldn't give it to too young of a child to read. That is, of course, just my opinion. I have always been interested in witches so this is why I originally opted to apply for this read from NetGalley. It is based on the true story of Meg Shelton, aka, the Flyde Hag as she is otherwise known. I only know this, having researched a bit more about her having now read the book. She is suspected of being a witch in 1705 and consequently is buried upside down with a huge stone set above her grave, to prevent her from crawling out.

The story follows sixteen-year-old Alfie in the village of Woodplumpton, Lancashire and how he accidentally summons Meg. He is swiftly followed by all sorts of mischief caused by Meg in a bid to get Alfie to do her bidding, reuniting her with her long lost son and causing the inhabitants of the village some discomfort along the way.

I enjoyed this, although I felt that it could have been more gripping and sadly the end was somewhat of an anticlimax. That being said, I have to remember that it is a book for a younger audience and taking that into account, I think it was quite good. On a side note, the digital arc was not edited very well, there were lots of disjointed paragraphs and words that should have been incorporated into the text during the editing process which were not fully formatted into the digital copy.

I would like to thank NetGalley and UCLan Publishing for the digital ARC in return for an honest review

This story is perfectly pitched for the intended audience but also enjoyable for adults. The writing is immersive with vivid settings and good use of sensory imagery and suspense building. The characters are realistic, and their interactions relatable.

This story is a mix of coming of age, contemporary issues, folklore and magic.

I received a copy of this book from UCLan via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Publishers for this ARC

Unfortunately I did not get to read this book as I missed my chance. My apologises

This was a charming read. I requested an ARC because I thought the premise was intriguing, and the book surprised me. I do think that this is definitely aimed at the younger end of YA. The characters and their relationships, issues, etc. were very realistic and something to which readers can relate. However, I didn't find the plot as gripping as I would have liked, even though I did have a good time reading this.

Teenage Alfie accompanies his father on a short work placement in Lancashire. He foolishly accepts a dare by local girl Mia and consequently attracts the attention of the witch buried in the churchyard. She wants revenge and Alfie is forced to help her. It was fairly creepy at times but also very amusing - Meg in the shower and speaking in modern terminology. I didn’t realise until I started reading this that it was intended for Young Adults. It was engaging despite not being what I’d expected and no doubt 18 to 20’s will enjoy this book.

This was a wonderful young adult book, and had the perfect amount of horror within it. Would highly recommend for young teens (or adults) who love a good horror.

This is a great book for young adults or those young at heart.
Alife went through a mess break up so deicded to join his dad in a small town for his dads job. Alife meets Mia who tells him about the witching stone and after deciding he doesnt belive and circling the stone things start going wrong.
I really enjoyed this and it would be an amazing reading during the spooky season

Fab book for any young adult (or older adult such as me), who is a fan of the supernatural and mystery. It’s got great pace, interesting back story and enjoyable characters.

Alfie is a bit lost, nothing to do, when he arrives in Woodplumpton with his dad. Whilst his father works, he finds himself exploring the local graveyard and bumping into Mia, makes the biggest mistake of not taking superstitions seriously. That mistake means he summons a 18th witch who is set on revenging her untimely death.

Meg has her reasons and the more Alfie finds out about her life, the more willing he is to follow through (he has to or she’ll destroy all he loves – so that’s a good reason to do Meg’s bidding).

The only downside for me was the link between Alfie and Meg that has not been explored further, just hinted at and I found the story somehow missing a key piece of information about the characters.

Overall, this is a great, quick read; perfect for those drawn out autumn/winter evenings.

Thank you to NetGalley.

I found this book so good for picking up as times and being able to re-submerge myself in. Easy to follow with likeable characters and a decent plot. Not my usual read nut i enjoyed the story.

Based on the main characters called Alfie who summons a witch from 100's of years ago and has to help her solve the mystery of why she has failed to rest

At times creepy, at times making me smile, this is an enjoyable YA read in the fantasy/horror genre - more for younger teens 13-15 age group (having a 12 and 14 year old myself). A few threads that weren't tied up, and a few things that made me think hhmmm, but overall a good read.

Thank you for the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest opinion.

Author Danny Weston is a popular YA genre author and his latest novel “The Witching Stone”, is a wonderfully fun and highly entertaining read. Although aimed at a younger audience, as an adult I really enjoyed the escapism of this book. I’ve always had an interest and fascination in ‘witches’ especially the Pendle Witch trials and that particular era, so the premise of a witch who died in 1705, instantly caught my attention.
Set in the small real life village of Woodplumpton, Lancashire, sixteen year old Alfie is spending his summer holidays with his dad, after his dad starts a new job there. While visiting a local graveyard, he meets Mia who tells him about the local superstition surrounding a supposed witch, buried beneath an unusual boulder. “If you walk three times around the stone and say, “I don’t believe in witches,” Meg will come after you.” Alfie, showing off his reckless bravery, accepts the challenge, dismissing it as nonsense. But as he chants the spell, he soon realises it may not be as silly as he first thought and may just have made the biggest mistake of his life.....
Alfie is later visited by Meg who insists, that as he was the one who summoned her, he must help find her son’s grave or he will pay with the possible death of his loved ones. With the aid of a sceptical Mia and her aunt Hannah, Alfie races against time to do as he is tasked but will he discover in time what Meg wants and will the villagers suffer at her hands in the meantime?
There was a real spooky atmosphere at times, so I maybe wouldn’t recommend to readers younger than twelve. The characters are very likeable and realistic and the storyline engrossing and entertaining. The only very small criticism I have is that Alfie, although only sixteen, has a much older voice and an incident that is revealed from back home with a girlfriend, was slightly unbelievable and I’m not sure needed to be included. Though that is just my opinion as an adult. A YA audience might find it appropriate teenage content.
Meg Shelton better know locally as the ‘Flyde Hag’ was a true person and was accused of witchcraft in the early 1700’s. She was also rumoured to be buried head down under a stone boulder to evade escaping her grave. I vaguely remember knowing something about this and I was interested enough after finishing the story to do further research on her.
I personally think the author did Meg proud in his vision of her in modern times and the fact it is based on a true story (as far as it is to be believed) made the novel authentic and credible within its own right.

4 stars