Series: The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #1
Published by Scholastic Inc. on July 9, 2019
Genres: Horror, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 288
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
It's the summer before her sixteenth birthday, and Sabrina Spellman knows her world is about to change. She's always studied magic and spells with her aunts, Hilda and Zelda. But she's also lived a normal mortal life - attending Baxter High, hanging out with her friends Susie and Roz, and going to the movies with her boyfriend, Harvey Kinkle.
Now time is running out on her every day, normal world, and leaving behind Roz and Susie and Harvey is a lot harder than she thought it would be. Especially because Sabrina isn't sure how Harvey feels about her. Her cousin Ambrose suggests performing a spell to discover Harvey's true feelings. But when a mysterious wood spirit interferes, the spell backfires in a big way.
Sabrina has always been attracted to the power of being a witch. But now she can't help wondering if that power is leading her down the wrong path. Will she choose to forsake the path of light and follow the path of night?
I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Season of the Witch is a dark and chilling coming-of-age prequel story based on the Netflix show The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, which is based on the original comics of the same name. While it does have horror elements, it’s on the lighter side. If you enjoy dark fantasies, you may enjoy this one.
This book alternates between Sabrina’s life by day and things that happen in the dark. The latter explores additional perspectives through the side characters’ secrets and fears. I love how the contrast between light and dark reflects Sabrina’s own conflict between her love for her human life and her desire to live up to her family’s expectations.
In addition to Sabrina’s coming-of-age tale, this book is about what it means to be family. Sabrina desperately needs her family as she faces the changes in her life, but it feels like she’s losing her grip on them. Over the course of the novel, as the other perspectives are revealed, we learn the various ways the Spellman members need their family and their individual attempts to hold the family together. In particular, I love the cousin relationship between Sabrina and Ambrose. It’s so sweet to see Ambrose’s perspective from meeting baby Sabrina to protecting teenage Sabrina.
Season of the Witch seems to serve mostly as a setup for the adventures to come in this book series. While it introduces important individuals in Sabrina’s life, it doesn’t delve into any of them in much detail. What it does do is build up to Sabrina’s decision on what to do about her conflict between her human nature and witch nature. I look forward to what Sarah Rees Brennan brings us next in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. I’m curious to see what Sabrina’s enemies have in store for her and how the side characters’ complexes will play out.
Notes on the Netflix Show
While I can see this book appealing to fans of the show who want to see more of Sabrina’s life, you don’t have to have watched the show to jump into this book. In fact, I found this book especially fascinating because my only experience with Sabrina are the 90’s cartoon and live action shows, which are far from dark and chilling. I’ll likely try out the show because I’m interested in this darker take on Sabrina, but regardless of whether I get around to it, I look forward to book 2 in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina!
Content
- Language (some cussing)
- Kissing
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Interview with Sarah Rees Brennan
1. Tell us about yourself and how you got into writing.
I was born blind and then had my sight partially restored by operations, so throughout my childhood, my parents often tested my sight by seeing what words and pictures I could make out in books. That started a life-long love affair with books. I wrote my first book when I was seven, about my prevailing interests at the time, ponies and ninjas!
2. Before writing this book, what was your experience with Sabrina?
I was a big fan of the TV show Sabrina the Teenage Witch when I was little. (Salem was my favorite character. I believe he was the favorite of all right-thinking people, since he had all the best lines!) When I heard Sabrina was being revived, and by the creator of Riverdale, I was so excited even before I was involved!
3. How did you get involved with this project?
My editor at Scholastic approached me because she’d read my Lynburn Legacy series, so she knew I liked magic mysteries and an independent heroine, and asked if I’d be interested in writing a tie-in novel for an upcoming TV show. I said to a friend ‘Man, wouldn’t it be THE DREAM if it was Sabrina’ and was stunned and delighted to find out it really was.
4. What was the process like writing a book based on a T.V. show? How is it similar to and/or different from writing an original novel?
It was a really fun challenge to write a book based on a T.V. show! I was very nervous at first, but I think you always are at the start of writing anything, going ‘Can I pull this off? Well, I have a few ideas. Let me try!’ There are of course restrictions to writing a book set in a TV show that there aren’t with an original novel—you must follow the show’s lead, and you can’t take a wild hair and do anything that will break the world or the story, but there are also great privileges involved: a really fun world to play in, and fabulous characters to explore further. I think of it as A Wrinkle In Time described writing a sonnet—there’s a strict form, but freedom within it. There’s still the delight of discovery to be found with all kinds of writing, the feeling of a story opening up before you even as you write it.
5. The novel alternates between Sabrina’s narrative and chapters that reveal what happens in the dark. What led you to tell Sabrina’s story in this manner, and what do you hope to convey to readers through this?
In the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina graphic novels, there’s a section from the point of view of the wild woods, and I thought that was such a fascinating way of storytelling, and adopting it was a way of honoring the graphic novels as well as the show. In a movie or a TV show, you mostly see people from the outside, with hints about what’s going on beneath the surface. In a book, you can go inside people’s heads and find out what they really think and feel, and I wanted to seize that opportunity while at the same time—dipping into other characters’ heads, and locations where Sabrina isn’t, was my way of both seizing the opportunity and still trying to give the effect of a moving camera in a TV show. In book 2, I went for the same effect through different means, choosing four PoV characters, two witches and two mortals, to tell the story. And in book 3, I tried yet another method!
6. In addition to telling Sabrina’s story as she reconciles her mortal life with her witch life, the book explores the innermost thoughts and desires of many of the characters. What was your purpose in revealing this information about the characters? What can we expect from these characters in Sabrina’s future adventures?
My aim by showing the inner lives of the characters was to enrich the characters, showing their inner lives and complicated feelings and hopefully causing readers to invest in them further by learning more about them, and enhance the experience of watching the show. By finding out more about Tommy Kinkle, for instance, View Spoiler » By seeing Ambrose and Sabrina have problems constructing a new relationship where they’re more equal, we appreciate the unshakable loyalty they built between them more, and we see what Sabrina’s ready to do for love—of family or otherwise. When we know what characters want, we know what motivates their actions, and there’s much action to come—for instance, Prudence setting her sights on an unexpected person in the Spellman family.
7. What surprised you writing this novel?
I knew I’d have a great time writing the characters I already loved. But with some of the characters who I found trickier, writing my way into them and thinking about how they saw the world or what made them tick made me come to love them a lot too. Being surprised by love is always the best kind of surprise!
8. If you could spend a day with any of the characters, who would you hang out with and what would you do?
Ambrose! I love that he’s bone-deep loyal, but also a debauched party boy. He’s got so many layers, Ambrose: you might not think he takes things seriously, but he’d risk his life for Sabrina, and he writes poetry. And he definitely knows how to have a good time. He’s been stuck in his house for seventy years, so I feel he’d have a lot of ideas for a fun day out: champagne in Florence or paragliding in Peru, whatever, I’m up for it. Call me, Ambrose.
9. What are you working on right now? Is there anything else you’d like us to know?
I’m working on many things right now! An adult novel whose heroine used to think she was the star of a YA novel who would save the day through love and magic, until things went terribly wrong for her. A tie-in novel in the world of the graphic novel series Fence, about boys who love the art of the blade—and maybe each other. And the third Chilling of Adventures of Sabrina novel, in which Sabrina and her friends go on a dangerous quest to View Spoiler »
Let’s Chat
📚 Have you read the comics or watched any of the shows?
📚 Thoughts on Sabrina?
Natalie Aguirre says
So interesting on how Sarah got into writing. I’d be nervous about taking on a project like this too.
Crystal says
It’s so interesting to learn about what goes on behind the scenes with a book. I really enjoyed reading Sarah Rees Brennan’s responses too!
Dani @ Perspective of a Writer says
oooh the show is really great for those who love darker versions that are more about the atmosphere and following a character. I really love it!! I didn’t realize there was at tie-in book. It was really neat reading about how the author came to write the series. ❤️❤️❤️
Crystal says
That’s great to hear, Dani! I look forward to checking out the show. It’s always fun to learn about what goes on behind the scenes with a book ❤️
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction says
I really enjoyed the first season of Sabrina and I’m excited to see a prequel. The show is so dark and atmospheric. Can’t wait to check out this book!
Crystal says
I’m so glad to hear that, Nicole. I hope you enjoy Season of the Witch!
Melliane says
I saw that they translated it in French too
Crystal says
That’s neat to hear, Melliane!
Grace Louise says
Ohhh I’ve heard so many people say so many amazing things about it!!! x
Grace Louise || http://www.gracelouiseofficial.blogspot.co.uk/
Crystal says
I’m glad to hear that, Grace. I hope you enjoy this one if you get the chance to read it! 🙂
Sophia Rose says
I’ve not seen the show, but good to know that I can jump in with this one. It does sound appealing. 🙂
Crystal says
I love when a book adaptation is written in a way readers can jump in! 🙂
Ethan says
The show has been on my list of things to watch forever, and I really love the sound of the book too!
Crystal says
That’s great to hear, Ethan. I hope you enjoy the show and the book if you get the chance to read it!