The Witching Stone

Disclaimer- I was given the e-ARC to read and review. This does not influence my opinion or review of the book.

Overall, 4.5* - this was such an enjoyable read.

Writing:
While being a YA, this certainly doesn't read like it. It is written with the grace of maturity, and Alfie and Mia are so likeable as a result. The writing is enticing, with the necessary suspense that you'd expect from being haunted by a witch. If Danny Weston wrote his shopping lists like this, I'm sure they would still be enjoyable!

Plot:
The plot of this book follows sixteen year old Alfie who accidentally wakes the ghost of a witch. Accompanied with all sorts of witchy shenanigans, Alfie is left to deal with the witch, Meg, while no one believes his stories about her. Meg's story is profound and heartbreaking, and was captivating from her first word. Similarly, the journeys Alfie and Mia go on, both physically and metaphorically, are sweet and exciting, and I loved every moment.

Characters:
There is a certain air of maturity about Alfie that I didn't expect. Initially he seemed to be the typical teenage boy- angsty and uncaring. However, Weston expertly captures the sophistication of being a teenager that we all inevitably believed we had, and somewhat did. He is honest and sweet, and just in touch enough with his emotions to be self-aware, but not so much that he becomes whiny. He was characterised really well and I loved him as a character.
Meg's characterisation was also fantastic. She appears to be the stereotype of an evil, cackling witch, until her story gently unfolds. Her anger becomes understandable, her desperation expected. She maintains a complex character with complex background, while simultaneous keeping the antics of a witch, summoning toads and sending milk sour. Meg is undoubtedly one of the best witch characters I have ever read and I applaud Weston for capturing such complexity while maintaining accessibility.

Themes:
This book took me a little by surprise when themes of kidnapping, murder, and mental illness snuck in. What made this book so relatable was the very real experiences of many teenagers captured, such as overly nosy and very awkward parents, that awful first breakup, broken families... I instantly felt I could relate to Alfie more because the 'normality' of the book really captured the ups and downs of real life. Because of this, the story with Meg was all the more exciting, because I already believed in and was investing Alfie right from the start.

Overall, I'm so happy I got to read this book. I was going to buy this in October when it is due to be released (and still will!) so was excited to be given the opportunity to read the ARC. I was certainly not left disappointed.

A great fast paced spooky read with a real historical link to Lancashire and Meg Shelton. Definitely a must read.

What a fun book. The story is great and enjoyable. The characters are interesting. The writing is great. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I would definitely recommend it to people. Have to keep an eye for this author in the future.