The Bookworm's Feast

“Fear is a strange thing,” he used to say. “It has the power to make people close their eyes, turn away. Nothing good grows out of fear.”

I meant to read this last year, as soon as it released. I’d wanted to read it for ages – it’s actually a re-release of her debut. But at least I finally got around to it!

I won’t lie, I was a little nervous going in. This is the book where it all began, and I love Schwab’s work so much. But writing styles change, and the craft develops. I was worried I’d find it lacking compared to the masterpieces she writes now.

I can confirm, it is not.

Schwab has written an introduction for this version, in it she calls it a quiet book. Compared to the wild adventures of ADSOM and the thrills of Vicious – it is. But it isn’t any less wonderful.

There are no strangers in the town of Near

The story feels like an old tale. Lexi talks about the stories her father used to tell – and I feel like the book could have been one of them. It’s eerie, feels almost like a ghost story. I love the stranger – and at the end of my copy (not sure if it’s all) there’s a short story showing his origins that I adored too.

Now, I do absolutely love Schwab’s work, so I could be biased – but I’d definitely recommend. There is one of my least favourite tropes, instalove, but I don’t mind it so much in this story. Probably as it’s reminiscent of a fairytale.