Welcome to Blackbirch. It’s a place no one forgets. Except for Josh Taylor.

The fatal car crash took more than 17-year-old Josh’s parents. It stole his memories and returned him to his birthplace, Blackbirch, a tourist town steeped in a history of witchcraft.

Amongst friends he’s forgotten and a life he doesn’t want, Josh is haunted by nightmares so believable he swears the girl in his dreams is real. Kallie is so captivating he ignores her blood-stained hands, but he can’t overlook the blue glow summoned to her skin.

Kallie says it’s an ancient magic they share and a secret worth hiding, because as Josh discovers, they aren’t the only gifted ones.

To restore his memories and find the true cause of the car accident, he must learn what’s real. And what secrets Blackbirch has buried in its woods.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I’m going to preface this review by saying I don’t generally enjoy YA magic-centred novels. Many lean towards being a bit too light for my liking. Blackbirch: The Beginning, however, could not be more different. It’s a fast paced, action-packed novel that hooked me from the very beginning.

As a starter for ten, the setting, the sleepy town of Blackbirch, felt like somewhere I’d love to go. It gave me small town vibes. The kind of place where everybody knows everyone, and all the business are small mom and pop outfits rather than big corporate entities. It’s the kind of place I’d love to see during autumn and winter.

And then there’s the story, following Josh, a young man that’s experienced incredible trauma, losing his mother in a car accident he survived as a toddler. It follows his experiences in uncovering a hidden magical ability within him, while dealing with visions and dreams of a girl his age, Kallie. Trapped somewhere, she seems to try and help him. Along with his close friend/sister if not by blood Sarah, the local witch in training Eve and Max he seeks to find answers to the truth of the accident that changed his life, and of the darker, malevolent visions he’s been having. A fight to the death in the creepy, burned heart of the black birch forest really sets the tone for the book and the series.

My rating: