Reviews for The Witches of Hogsback
It’s been a good few months since The Witches of Hogsback was published, so I decided to do a little Googling to see what readers have had to say about it.
Here are a couple of reviews I found online, Goodreads and Instagram.
The story is a teenage mystery and adventure with a gothic undertone, depicted by the isolated town, witches and dark forests, although the story is never really scary or dark. … it is an exciting young adult novel written with a fast pace and good, believable dialogue and events. Like a typical teenager, Zelda often makes impulsive decisions that put her in danger.
Favorite parts of the book are the descriptions of the arboretum, a garden with massive Californian redwood trees, oaks and Japanese cedars as well as other exotic trees, all already over a hundred years old.
The novel is a captivating and tense read that will keep you hooked until the end. The author creates a vivid and atmospheric setting that blends the natural beauty of Hogsback with the spooky and supernatural elements of the story. Having visited Hogsback myself, I could so clearly picture all the scenes.
The Witches of Hogsback is a novel that will appeal to fans of mystery, thriller and paranormal genres. It is a book that will keep you entertained, intrigued, in suspense and inspired. It is a book that will make you think about the hidden mysteries and magic of the world around you. It is aimed at the Young Adult market, and it is a good fit. It is always lovely to read this genre in a South African milieu.
The story had just the right amount of holiday rebound romance, mystery and uncertainty; the aura of menace hooked me and kept me reading through the night. For me the real star of the story was the landscape (I can’t help it – I miss South Africa, and this novel took me home for a few hours).
Overall I found The Witches of Hogsback to be an incredibly satisfying read, the ending felt like a beginning for Zelda and he new-found friends rich with hope and excitement.
This is such a great teen read, this author climbs right into the head space of our teenage heroine. Zelda is a little bit of an antihero, she cannot let a wrongdoing go past without investigating and as a result she is very unpopular at school. Also, she has had a horrible breakup from a boy she realises “now” wasn’t actually the best ever… She manages to manipulate her way onto the school-hiking-club annual adventure to the Hogsback. Hogsback is one of South Africa’s premier adventure spots, a wild mountainous area for exploring, adventuring and the wild outdoors.
Nobody believes Zelda, is there to hike, she hasn’t even take hiking boots… she has no intention of appreciating the great outdoors, she is there to heal her broken heart. BUT, Zelda is actually a girl with a passion for getting to the bottom of a crime, and when a local teen is killed, in a “fall” off a cliff, she is not going to believe the local newspaper when they mention “unfortunate accident.” In just a few days, Zelda manages to get under the skin of the locals, provoke them into revealing shadows of truth… there are twists there are turns… it is a great read. Not a sweet read, if you have a teen into dark crime and creepy stories, then this a really, really good one for them!!!
Rozanne Visagie
Outcasts, whodunit and cottagecore descriptions – I loved it all! The chapters are short and fast-paced and it’s interesting to see the group dynamic. I think teenagers will enjoy this read as they will be able to relate to the group of teenagers.
This book surprised me in so many ways and is definitely on my list of YA book recommendations. Spooky season is around the corner and this would be a great addition to any spooky TBR.
I think many South African readers will appreciate this book as there are familiar names and some readers who might have visited Hogsback will be able to experience the story on a different level as they are familiar with the area.
Shelves_by_sim
I absolutely loved this short story. I haven’t read much South African literature so I wasn’t sure what to expect from it but I saw that cover and I knew I had to read it. The read was fast and so well written. So many little things that made it authentically South African without being tacky. I absolutely loved the storyline, it took me right back to high school, it was immersive and nostalgic. There was so much mystery revolving around the plot that I wanted to keep reading until I knew everything!
Shalane Louw
This was such a page-turner. I loved that the book was descriptive and so atmospheric, the woods, the mist, the little town… I could so easily picture all of it. I loved reading about South African characters in a small SA town setting, there was something so ‘familiar’ about it 
The side characters were just as great. Zelda was not perfect but a very ‘real’ character to route for.
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catjuggles
The Witches of Hogsback is a great read for teenagers that crave an alternative to the usual reading material available to that age group. I would love to see another book where ZElda gets the chance to solve another murder.
