Overall, this was… okay. I think I liked the first half more than the second, though.

As a protagonist, Frances is fine, but not all that distinctive. She’s not boring, but I don’t know that she’s much different than most other teen leads in young adult novels. Finn is a decent love interest, mostly because of his backstory and the magic he possesses, but I didn’t feel that invested in their developing relationship. I did, however, like Lena and Maxine, and would have loved to have even more time with them. This book had a good amount of friendship between women, but I wanted more.

The friendships and relationships aside, I think the story was interesting. The idea of a secret magical society right beneath people’s noses has certainly been done before, but it’s still fun. This is a dark and gritty universe, overshadowed by the harsh realities of factory life and being beholden to big business owners. And Haxahaven is an intriguing but slightly ominous place, both keeping girls safe but also keeping them cloistered.

That said, I think some aspects of the story—particularly the backstories of some significant characters like Boss Olen, and the history of the Sons in general—could have been given more information and development. And the plot twist involving a certain antagonist didn’t, to me, feel earned. There didn’t seem to be enough leading up to it, and it fell flat. (Also, I thought this was going to be a standalone novel, but now that I’ve finished the book, I can’t see that there won’t be a sequel. Why are standalones so underrated?)

In the end, The Witch Haven is a decent, but not extraordinary story. The setting is excellent, and I liked several characters, even if the plot and some of the world-building could have been better. I’m not sure I personally will read the next book (which surely is going to exist), but anyone who likes magic, dark academic settings, and historical fantasy might want to give this a try.