Reviews

For a debut novel, I'm super impressed. I can't believe I hadn't read this sooner and I loved the fairytale/fantasy combination. I thought the beginning was a little slow and it took me a bit to get into the story, but once it picked up I was hooked. Something about Schwab's writing for standalones is so lovely and lyrical and I quite enjoyed that. I liked the little setting of Near and how all the events were tied together. Lexi and Cole were a nice contrast for each other and it was fun to see their story develop in the background. Some of the events definitely felt spooky but I thought they were well done. Overall, I enjoyed this book and I pretty much love anything from her, so I'm not surprised.

kelly_olivia_11's review against another edition

Go to review page

slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

katbarbs's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

brattykimv's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark medium-paced

3.5

sundaynash's review against another edition

Go to review page

mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

oliviasantioni's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.5

This is what I was hoping “One Dark Window” would be like. I really enjoyed the spooky vibes of the town and the witches magical abilities. All of the relationships with the characters felt believable and I was rooting for our characters. I did have a feeling about the ending but it felt more like a cozy scary bedtime story because the beginning of the book let us know that the story would sound familiar so I honesty didn’t mind. The beginning also gave an opportunity for self reflection about the overall themes - like why does it all seem familiar - because we see these things happen so often? Maybe it’s happened to you? - things like: blaming the unknown instead of critically thinking, mob mentality, finding it easier to hate something than look for a solution, etc. I do think Schwab has gotten better at tackling big themes/topics in their later works but this was for sure a fun read. I would have just given it a 3.5 but the novels at the end about Coal/William bumped up my review!

More...