This type of book is normally right up my street, and there were some parts that worked brilliantly, but I found that the tone of the book was a bit off. At least for me. Parts of the book, the comedic elements mainly, felt suited to a middle grade book, but then the violence of Meg’s death and the discourse about abortion felt wildly out of place. I hate giving bad reviews, but I’m not sure who I would sell this to because of that.

The Witching Stone is an enjoyable and compelling read about a teenage boy who unintentionally summons a 300 year old witch from her grave, in a bid to impress a girl, whilst on a summer holiday in Lancashire with his father.

This was phenomenally written! Growing up in a small village in the North of England myself, I believe the village of Woodplumpton was accurately and realistically described; this left me feeling rather nostalgic throughout the book. I also loved the characters. Particularly Selena and Malcolm, who were both so unique and unusual and part of the reason why I couldn't put the book down, even though they were only minor characters.

I was surprised to find out that Alfie was sixteen, I envisioned him as around thirteen or fourteen from his mannerisms and the language he used, and didn't realise his actual age until it was mentioned around 2 thirds into the book. Although this is not necessarily a critique of the writing and could just be a me thing. I also felt that the relationship between Alfie and Mia was a little forced, I don't think the narrative gave any clues about either of them feeling a connection towards each other.. Then all of sudden they were kissing!

I still thoroughly enjoyed the book and believe this unique story will be appreciated by many young adult readers. I would rate it 3.5 stars.

Sadly this wasn’t the best book I have ever read. I was excited about the idea of the story but for me it just didn’t come together

Weston's novel starts out in a rather creepy way but eventually has a lot of humour as well. I liked both the characters and the setting. Alfie and Mia were believable protagonists and I found myself rooting for them throughout. Meg herself was also wonderfully drawn and I especially enjoyed the early scenes with her and Alfie. The thing that didn't fully convince me were, on the one hand, the dialogues which sometimes felt a little stilted and, on the other hand, the motif for Meg's haunting. It was understandable, yes, but the solution came rather too easily and quickly for my taste. In general, The Witching Stone is an entertaining and atmospheric read which I enjoyed and finished in one day. If you are into folklore, witches and revenge stories, this may be the book for you.