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The Witch by Freida McFadden
REVIEW

The Witch

by Freida McFadden

I Recommend!
4 Stars

At a Glance

Published10/06/2026
GenreMystery & Thriller
SubgenreHorror, Spooky Season
FormatDigital, Audiobook
NarrationSaskia Maarleveld and Marin Ireland
GoodReads4.02
My Score4
Spice LevelNone

Book Summary

Some secrets don’t die―they wait.

When Julia Barlow loses her job and her apartment, she has nowhere left to go but Pemberton, her family’s sprawling seventeenth-century estate in rural Massachusetts. Officially, she’s there to check in on her aging grandmother. Unofficially, she’s hoping the old house will give her a place to disappear.

Instead, Pemberton begins to unravel her.

Every night, the grandfather clock stops at exactly 3:41 a.m. The lights flicker without warning. And a disembodied voice cries for help outside Julia’s bedroom door.

As Julia digs into the house’s dark history, she uncovers the story of a woman executed for witchcraft in 1692―and realizes the past may not be finished with Pemberton yet. When decades of family lies begin to surface, Julia must confront a terrifying truth: Pemberton may be haunted by women whose voices refuse to stay silent.

[summary provided by GoodReads]

My Review

This was my second book by this author, and I have to say, I was pretty impressed! I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews online, but I really enjoyed this one.

The story follows two timelines, one set in the 1600s during the witch trials and the other in the present day. I loved how the author wove historical facts from this time period into the story, and I was equally invested in both sets of characters. It kept me guessing the entire time! I couldn’t figure out what was going on or how everything would eventually connect. The atmosphere was creepy, eerie, and wonderfully unsettling. There is some minor swearing, but no spice. I didn’t find it particularly scary, and there wasn’t much gore either.

I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by two of my favorite narrators, and they did a wonderful job bringing the story to life. I was completely immersed in this dark, compelling story about women and how they were treated centuries ago. There was definitely a feminist lens to the story, but I found it tolerable, and thankfully, it never became overly preachy or took away from the storytelling.

One thing I didn’t particularly care for was the romance subplot in the present day. I honestly think the story could’ve done without it. It didn’t really add anything to the overall plot, and I would’ve preferred more focus on the mystery itself.

But the twists and turns? I loved them! It wasn’t quite twisty whiplash, but it came pretty close! Just when I thought I might have something figured out, another revelation would throw me off. That being said, the ending did get a little confusing. So much information was being revealed at once that I had a hard time keeping track of everything. I actually had to look up an explanation after finishing the book just to make sure I understood exactly what happened in each timeline.

I can definitely see why readers describe this author’s books as bingeable popcorn thrillers. They keep you turning the pages and on the edge of your seat! I especially loved the short chapters, which made it so easy to fly through the story. I was captivated from beginning to end and couldn’t wait to find out how everything would come together. And that ending? I couldn’t have guessed it in a million years! I love books that can surprise me like that.

Despite a few minor issues, this was such an entertaining read, and I had a great time with it. If you’re looking for a spooky, atmospheric mystery that will keep you up late because you just HAVE to know what happens next, I definitely recommend picking this one up. It’s a perfect read for the Halloween season!