Book Review: The White Raven by Carrie D. Miller

It’s Halloween month! My favourite time of the year after Christmas. Do you know what makes this Halloween more special? I actually have a book review which ties into the theme!

The White Raven by Carrie D. Miller takes place during the thirteenth life of witch Aven who has recently settled in Salem. Aven is finally enjoying a positive existence but something haunts her – why is she forced to live over and over again in the bodies of strangers? Plus, who is this elusive white raven by her side, whom she can sense but never see?

If you are interested in witchcraft you will love this book and, if you are not, you will still love it anyway. Let’s start with the witchcraft element. Miller writes about it as it should be and you will not find the cheesy clichés usually found on this topic. She also doesn’t force the subject on readers, or her characters for that matter. Everybody is given a chance to decide if they believe or not, and the way she writes about the craft had me leaning on the opinion that it is not all “hocus pocus”.

But, what I liked most about the theme of witchcraft in this book is how it was used to touch on other issues. As we learn more about Aven’s past lives, we realise that she has not had it easy as a witch, shunned continually as an outcast and made to believe she would never fit it. Most of us, witches or not, can relate to this and will come to see that being different is good, you just need to find your own space, like Aven did in Salem.

Apart from the magic element of the story, The White Raven is also a charming love story and one of the importance of close friendships. It is also about loyalty and doing all you can to help a friend, wonderfully brought to life with Aven and Jo’s friendship.

A negative aspect of this book was that it was missing one strong storyline. Yes, there were many things happening throughout the pages but I felt that they were mentioned here and there, always concluded but never really touched upon continually throughout the story. Whether that is a good thing or not, you can decide.

Overall, I really enjoyed this easy read and I would certainly recommend it to others. I am excited to see what Miller has to offer next and hope she brings us further into the world of witchcraft.