The Bell Witches by Lindsey Kelk

Book Review

26th September 2024

The Bell Witches marks a turn to a new genre by Lindsey Kelk, who is well known for her “chick lit” titles. I absolutely loved I Heart New York, it’s such a fun comfort read. I was excited to see what the author would do in the realm of fantasy.

The book follows the recently orphaned sixteen-year-old Emily Caroline James. She is spirited away to Savannah in the Southern US by her long-lost aunt and grandmother. The story is essentially a long buildup to Emily’s ‘Becoming’, a ceremony taking place on her seventeenth birthday where she will fully claim control of her magical powers. Her grandmother Catherine is constantly sketchy about the details, so several uncanny events lead Emily to worry about what will happen if the ceremony doesn’t go according to plan.

The setting is where the book shines. I loved the descriptions of the clammy heat, the Spanish moss, the historic town squares and the spooky cemetery. Bell House feels absolutely underutilised – the moving wallpaper is such a cool idea, as is the idea the house reflects the state of the incumbent witch. I wish there’d been more time spent there.

Which leads me to my main critique. Even at 400 pages, the book feels like it’s got too much to do. In particular, the romantic subplot between Emily and Wynn moves at lightning speed and is under-baked for how important it is to the story’s climax. Everything around Wynn felt too predictable, whereas the magic and family secret plots could have gone in several directions. Emily discovering the truth about her past and getting to know her magic are much more compelling plot threads.

Read The Bell Witches if you’d like an atmospheric coming-of-age tale. It’s not a ground-breaking fantasy, but a neatly put together story well-told.