So, I have been a fan of Helen Oyeyemi for a while. Her talent for taking fairytale ideas and giving them a unique modern spin is actually one of the reasons why I started to read more contemporary fiction. With [b:White is for Witching|6277227|White is for Witching|Helen Oyeyemi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328020246l/6277227._SY75_.jpg|6460728], the end result is a bit of a mixed bag with a number of highs and lows, but otherwise it is a solid read.

The strongest element of this novel is easily its characters and use of the haunted house as antagonist. Focusing on the Silver family, we largely see events through the eyes of Miranda Silver, whose mother dies when she is young, and suffers from a pica eating disorder. Her father and twin brother Eliot do their best to support her, but trauma is hard enough when your house isn’t also trying to kill you. Miranda is a really interesting protagonist; she is fading away, but won’t fail to draw people in before doing so.

“Don’t turn to look at me. I am only tangible when you don’t look.”

As events unfold, I can say I enjoyed the style and prose, but I think I may have found a few too many loose ends to really enjoy the good as much as I would have liked. That, and tonally, this story is exceptionally bleak, perhaps too much even for my tastes. I think Oyeyemi was going for a vibe similar to [b:The Icarus Girl|139724|The Icarus Girl|Helen Oyeyemi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320554010l/139724._SY75_.jpg|1010571], but this plot of White is for Witching simply is not as polished as this earlier work. This is also not to mention some unfortunate stereotyped tropes that take root by the novel’s end, but there is no way for me to gripe about that without getting into spoiler territory, so I will leave it at that.

Overall, there were things I liked, and others I disliked—give it a read and decide for yourself.