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100pagesaday's review against another edition
4.0
Lady Elizabeth Clifford is on the run in the newly settled area of Arnn, New York in 1670. She is accused of murder and has taken off into the thick woods. Her attackers have lost her, and are calling her a witch. So, Lady Clifford decides to settle into her patch of woods and become exactly what they called her. As time passes and Arnn becomes more settled, several people wonder into Witchwood and never return making Witchwood Hollow fully steeped in folklore. In 2001 15 year old Honoria, her brother and aunt and uncle move to Arnn in order to escape the City and the tragedy of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed her parents. Honoria is drawn into the woods by some friends at her school; she makes it through and is continually drawn back by a feeling in the woods- something in Witchwood Hollow might be able to bring her parents back and Honoria would be willing to do it.
This young adult paranormal/ historical crossover drew me in from the beginning with the legend of Witchwood Hollow. The historical aspect and being able to learn about Lady Elizabeth Clifford and her motivations made this very interesting for me, although I am also a huge sucker for dual-time stories. Honoria's character was intriguing to watch as she learned about the Witchwood,, I was unsure if she was going to fall victim or be healed by it. From the historical end, the mystery of the Witchwood expanded as lost characters came together. This was a shorter read that I devoured in a shorter setting, but I think it would have still kept my interest if the lives of each of the lost characters was expanded upon. While the ending was very shocking, it was a little too serendipitous in some aspects . Although, I do appreciate the parallels between Honoria and Elizabeth. I do wish that I would have learned how the Witchwood reacted after everything.
This young adult paranormal/ historical crossover drew me in from the beginning with the legend of Witchwood Hollow. The historical aspect and being able to learn about Lady Elizabeth Clifford and her motivations made this very interesting for me, although I am also a huge sucker for dual-time stories. Honoria's character was intriguing to watch as she learned about the Witchwood,, I was unsure if she was going to fall victim or be healed by it. From the historical end, the mystery of the Witchwood expanded as lost characters came together. This was a shorter read that I devoured in a shorter setting, but I think it would have still kept my interest if the lives of each of the lost characters was expanded upon. While the ending was very shocking, it was a little too serendipitous in some aspects . Although, I do appreciate the parallels between Honoria and Elizabeth. I do wish that I would have learned how the Witchwood reacted after everything.
lauraew333's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you to the author, Jordan Elizabeth Mierek, for gifting me with a copy of Escape From Witchwood Hollow in exchange for an honest review!
1. The plot. I really liked the idea of this story. It's so different in the fact that there isn't much focus on the actual witchcraft, it's more of what happens to the people that disappear and if it's real or not. I think the author did a splendid job of fitting that idea into a plotline. While it isn't really a rollercoaster ride, it has the mystery feel that kept me wanting more.
2. The characters and POV. The characters were adequate. While they weren't fully developed and complex, they certainly held down the plot and kept everything moving. I especially loved the different POV's from the different time periods so it was a little easier to understand what had happened over the years and how it impacted Honoria in the present day.
3. The ending. I have semi-mixed feelings about the ending. On one hand, I loved it so, so much because it brought together all of the threads perfectly. Elizabeth, Shane, Allison, Lynn, and Honoria's stories were brought together perfectly and there's such an amazing 'ah-hah' moment near the end that I so cherish in mystery books. However, I do think it was brought together a bit quickly and could have been infused with a bit more emotion.
4. The history/idea. I mentioned this a bit in the plot section but I wanted to emphasize how much I loved this idea. The history of the hollow is so intriguing and getting to put the pieces together was really fun for me. Just the idea of a mysterious place where people have disappeared and don't age is so cool and I loved how the author kept dropping little pieces of the puzzle.
The Final Verdict:
This book has such an intriguing concept and the execution is wonderful. However, the characters could have used a bit more emotional-attachment and the ending was slightly rushed.
4.5 stars
1. The plot. I really liked the idea of this story. It's so different in the fact that there isn't much focus on the actual witchcraft, it's more of what happens to the people that disappear and if it's real or not. I think the author did a splendid job of fitting that idea into a plotline. While it isn't really a rollercoaster ride, it has the mystery feel that kept me wanting more.
2. The characters and POV. The characters were adequate. While they weren't fully developed and complex, they certainly held down the plot and kept everything moving. I especially loved the different POV's from the different time periods so it was a little easier to understand what had happened over the years and how it impacted Honoria in the present day.
3. The ending. I have semi-mixed feelings about the ending. On one hand, I loved it so, so much because it brought together all of the threads perfectly. Elizabeth, Shane, Allison, Lynn, and Honoria's stories were brought together perfectly and there's such an amazing 'ah-hah' moment near the end that I so cherish in mystery books. However, I do think it was brought together a bit quickly and could have been infused with a bit more emotion.
4. The history/idea. I mentioned this a bit in the plot section but I wanted to emphasize how much I loved this idea. The history of the hollow is so intriguing and getting to put the pieces together was really fun for me. Just the idea of a mysterious place where people have disappeared and don't age is so cool and I loved how the author kept dropping little pieces of the puzzle.
The Final Verdict:
This book has such an intriguing concept and the execution is wonderful. However, the characters could have used a bit more emotional-attachment and the ending was slightly rushed.
4.5 stars
megz88's review against another edition
3.0
I'm sure it's a great book..I've just been having a hard time focusing on it.
georgilvsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book focuses on 3 women, Lady Clifford from the 16th century, Albertine from the 18th century and Honoria from 2001.
Witch wood Hollow, those who enter never seem to return.
There was quite a few creepy moments and the ending was not what I expected at all.
My favourite character would be Albertine. I admired her courage and strength. Least favourite being Lady Clifford. Although I did feel very sorry for her.
3***
This book focuses on 3 women, Lady Clifford from the 16th century, Albertine from the 18th century and Honoria from 2001.
Witch wood Hollow, those who enter never seem to return.
There was quite a few creepy moments and the ending was not what I expected at all.
My favourite character would be Albertine. I admired her courage and strength. Least favourite being Lady Clifford. Although I did feel very sorry for her.
3***
dolcezzina21's review against another edition
4.0
What an intriguing, exciting, suspenseful, unique story! This was a very fast paced read that gripped me from the first few pages. The author did a great job in writing non linear chapters to move the book forward. The book flowed seamlessly from one character and point in time to the next...Not an easy thing to do. My only gripe would be to check for editing issues, specifically the reference to the World Trade Center as the "World Trade Centers." This is incorrect and was done repeatedly. World Trade Center is the entire entity, but the buildings were called the "Twin Towers" by many. Maybe this is the source of confusion.
Overall, a fun read that I would recommend to anyone!
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, a fun read that I would recommend to anyone!
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
kim3100's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. The book handles a heavy theme as the protagonist is the daughter of two victims of 9/11. The story switches between the current time and the past. This switch is done very wel en dan pace of the story is lovely. The characters are well written and I loved the story. It's about the difficulty of letting go on different levels. I was very happy to be able to read this (original) story.
lachese's review against another edition
2.0
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Before my review, let me just put a wee bit of a disclaimer up here. Some reviewers treat indie books or self published authors differently than traditionally published ones. I am not one of those reviewers. I have read indie books that blow traditionally published books out of the water. I have also read traditionally published books that are utterly cringe worthy. I am reviewing this book, like all books I read, fairly based upon the guidelines on my page.
When I read a good book, I expect to be transported into that world, to see through the characters eyes, feel what they feel, and experience what they experience. A good book will make you forget you are reading; you transcend the text. This is known as immersion. Anything that pulls you away from the narrative and makes you remember what you see is merely text on a page is an immersion breaker and is a cardinal sin of writing. Unfortunately, this book was full of them.
I came across the first immersion breaker in the first chapter. The main character, Honoria, was outside during art class, drawing a forest. Because of her thought processes and her seeing faces in the sunlight, I pictured her as young. Ten, maybe eleven. When the next page talked about her classmate's cleavage, I realized she was actually a teenager. So I had to mentally wipe the slate clean and reimagine her. This broke immersion for me, but it was just one instance. The rest of the chapter was well written and very interesting, so I didn't have any issues getting back into the story.
When the historical flashbacks started, that's when everything fell apart. First and foremost, that dialog! To emulate the speech of the 1600s, the author just removed all contractions. Instead of making the dialog seem authentic, it just made it awkward and stilted. Here is an example:
"You are not a farmer. You cannot help." Mary-Anne caught the paper and squinted at the cursive. "I cannot believe he finally wrote. Is not this exciting? We are going to America."
Let's compare that to dialog from Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (which is the first historical fantasy that comes to mind): "A cousin of mine -- a tedious, embroidering sort of girl. No one ever paid her the least attention until I married Mr Bullworth. Yet now I hear she is to be married to a clergyman and my father has given her a banker's draft to pay for wedding clothes and new furniture."
See the difference? Making dialog feel authentic is more than just removing contractions. It's language and sentence structure. It's the feeling that put into the dialog. It's making it flow.
The basic premise of the scene is the sisters received a note from their father in America with a single ticket for the elder sister Albertine. She was to come to America and marry his neighbor. So first, the sisters open the letter together. Albertine is shocked that father mentions the prospect of her marrying his neighbor, who is a farmer. Mary-Ann is excited they are going to America together. They talk a bit about Albertine marrying this guy. Then Mary-Anne realizes that only one ticket is there. She asks who the ticket is for. Wait, what??? Isn't it obvious it's for Albertine? They had been talking about her marrying the neighbor for a whole page!! URGH! Either Mary-Ann has the intelligence of a rock, short term memory loss, or that's a mistake. A few chapters later, there is a very similar mistake where a character asks another character for his name and he answers. A half page later she asks again and he answers once again with the same name. Okay, so either every character has amnesia in this book, or there are some editing errors. Either way, these mistakes ripped me right out of the narrative. Immersion breakers. Both the stilted dialog and the tendency for the characters to have short term memory loss happen over and over and over and over.
The characters are also not very developed. In order to make a sympathetic and three dimensional character, each must have personality traits and flaws. Each of the three main characters had quirks (thigh tapping, lip smacking, and lip licking), which are not the same as flaws. I didn’t get attached to any of these characters. With a little more development and an injection of personality, the “twist” of the story (which I will not spoil) could have been much more impactful. Instead, it merely came of as an “oh that’s interesting” moment.
Despite these shortcomings, the book does have some redeeming qualities. The descriptive sentences are decently written, a stark contrast to the awkward dialog. The second half of the book is stronger and much of the dialog became more natural. Certain moments shine, showing the novel’s true potential. As it is now, it doesn’t feel consumer-ready. It isn’t really sure what it wants to be. The lack of intellect and maturity of most of the characters fit better with a middle school level book, however, it also contains young adult themes (romance, marriage, cleavage, etc). This causes a disconnect. With some reworking and polish, this could be a really great book.
Before my review, let me just put a wee bit of a disclaimer up here. Some reviewers treat indie books or self published authors differently than traditionally published ones. I am not one of those reviewers. I have read indie books that blow traditionally published books out of the water. I have also read traditionally published books that are utterly cringe worthy. I am reviewing this book, like all books I read, fairly based upon the guidelines on my page.
When I read a good book, I expect to be transported into that world, to see through the characters eyes, feel what they feel, and experience what they experience. A good book will make you forget you are reading; you transcend the text. This is known as immersion. Anything that pulls you away from the narrative and makes you remember what you see is merely text on a page is an immersion breaker and is a cardinal sin of writing. Unfortunately, this book was full of them.
I came across the first immersion breaker in the first chapter. The main character, Honoria, was outside during art class, drawing a forest. Because of her thought processes and her seeing faces in the sunlight, I pictured her as young. Ten, maybe eleven. When the next page talked about her classmate's cleavage, I realized she was actually a teenager. So I had to mentally wipe the slate clean and reimagine her. This broke immersion for me, but it was just one instance. The rest of the chapter was well written and very interesting, so I didn't have any issues getting back into the story.
When the historical flashbacks started, that's when everything fell apart. First and foremost, that dialog! To emulate the speech of the 1600s, the author just removed all contractions. Instead of making the dialog seem authentic, it just made it awkward and stilted. Here is an example:
"You are not a farmer. You cannot help." Mary-Anne caught the paper and squinted at the cursive. "I cannot believe he finally wrote. Is not this exciting? We are going to America."
Let's compare that to dialog from Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (which is the first historical fantasy that comes to mind): "A cousin of mine -- a tedious, embroidering sort of girl. No one ever paid her the least attention until I married Mr Bullworth. Yet now I hear she is to be married to a clergyman and my father has given her a banker's draft to pay for wedding clothes and new furniture."
See the difference? Making dialog feel authentic is more than just removing contractions. It's language and sentence structure. It's the feeling that put into the dialog. It's making it flow.
The basic premise of the scene is the sisters received a note from their father in America with a single ticket for the elder sister Albertine. She was to come to America and marry his neighbor. So first, the sisters open the letter together. Albertine is shocked that father mentions the prospect of her marrying his neighbor, who is a farmer. Mary-Ann is excited they are going to America together. They talk a bit about Albertine marrying this guy. Then Mary-Anne realizes that only one ticket is there. She asks who the ticket is for. Wait, what??? Isn't it obvious it's for Albertine? They had been talking about her marrying the neighbor for a whole page!! URGH! Either Mary-Ann has the intelligence of a rock, short term memory loss, or that's a mistake. A few chapters later, there is a very similar mistake where a character asks another character for his name and he answers. A half page later she asks again and he answers once again with the same name. Okay, so either every character has amnesia in this book, or there are some editing errors. Either way, these mistakes ripped me right out of the narrative. Immersion breakers. Both the stilted dialog and the tendency for the characters to have short term memory loss happen over and over and over and over.
The characters are also not very developed. In order to make a sympathetic and three dimensional character, each must have personality traits and flaws. Each of the three main characters had quirks (thigh tapping, lip smacking, and lip licking), which are not the same as flaws. I didn’t get attached to any of these characters. With a little more development and an injection of personality, the “twist” of the story (which I will not spoil) could have been much more impactful. Instead, it merely came of as an “oh that’s interesting” moment.
Despite these shortcomings, the book does have some redeeming qualities. The descriptive sentences are decently written, a stark contrast to the awkward dialog. The second half of the book is stronger and much of the dialog became more natural. Certain moments shine, showing the novel’s true potential. As it is now, it doesn’t feel consumer-ready. It isn’t really sure what it wants to be. The lack of intellect and maturity of most of the characters fit better with a middle school level book, however, it also contains young adult themes (romance, marriage, cleavage, etc). This causes a disconnect. With some reworking and polish, this could be a really great book.
madirowa's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
I received an ebook of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for that, by the way, I really appreciated it. I am so glad that this book was brought to my attention because as I write this now, I am still blown away taking this all in.
Wow. In the end I am left speechless. This book is full of so many shocks and surprises. For the first quarter of the book I was a bit hesitant. I just didn't really connect with the characters right away. As in any fantasy book, it took me some time to get used to the ideas, but after a certain amount of building up the book just took off. It had me really thinking about what could happen and everything going on.
Escape From Witchwood Hollow followed the story of three girls in three different time periods. That was quite a fascinating way to weave a story. You have Honoria, Lady Clifford, and Albertine. Honoria is a girl who has just moved to Arnn, where she is introduced to the legends surrounding the town. After going to investigate this hollow in which a with supposedly resided, she became very invested in learning more. Lady Clifford, who was from the 1600s, was a very interesting character, to say the least. I didn't know how I was supposed to feel about her. She was very complex and ultimately a captivating character to read about. And then we have my favorite, Albertine. She was a girl from 1850 who happened to get caught up in Witchwood Hollow. Her chapters were, for me, so intriguing. But when you put all of the perspectives together, it truly made for one heck of a story.
You would think that with these characters from completely different time periods, that it would be three stories being told alongside each other rather than just one. But that is not at all true. The three stories were woven together to make the bigger picture. It was incredible. The writing and the plot was just fantastic. You would realize more and more as the book continued, and you would connect the dots between the different plot lines. Something would happen in one of the time periods that would then directly correspond to something that happened in another. Again, it was amazing.
It felt like all of these big twists were coming your way, but honestly it was just making realizations and putting it all together. It was always there it's just a little more information was needed to really see it. It was so good. The more I found out the more I just couldn't function anymore. I remember numerous times having my jaw drop as more revelations were made. It was really quite a masterpiece of writing. Then the ending, oh my goodness I wasn't expecting that. What a way to end it. Just kill me now.
I can't give it the full five stars. I just can't bring myself to do it. This is only because at first, I wasn't really loving it that much. It was just meh. At first, the characters were not appealing to me, some more than others, and I didn't think I would be able to look past that. However, once the plot really took shape I saw the greatness of this book. In the end, I would so recommend it. Especially to those who like a bit of fantasy and historical fiction. There is definitely a paranormal vibe so those whose enjoy those might want to take a look at this. I'm so glad I read this. It was a quick read so it is really worth giving it a shot.
iheartfictionalpeople's review against another edition
5.0
Review originally posted on my blog: I Heart Fictional People
INITIAL THOUGHTS
This was one of the first review requests I got when I started my blog. I initially had mixed feelings because the fantasy genre has always been a hit or miss for me and witches aren’t my favorite topic, but I wanted to give it a try. Plus, the cover and book blurb intrigued me!
WHAT I LIKED
The writing. I had never read this author, so I set my expectations fairly low. Turns out I didn’t need to. This book was so well-written. It felt like I was reading a book by an author who has been writing for 30 years. I was very impressed. This story could’ve easily gotten confusing because there were about three different time periods, and unfortunately, this is not usually done well in my experience of reading these types of books; however, Jordan Elizabeth nailed it. I never once questioned which time period I was in. And the writing style was awesome. Just enough detail, not too much or too little. The dialogue felt natural and didn’t seem forced. Plus, the story flowed so smoothly.
The mystery. Wow. I didn’t expect to get so sucked into this story and the mystery behind it all. I couldn’t stop reading once I started. I just kept asking myself: what is going on with these woods? Is there really a witch? What is she doing? Who are all these different characters? How are they all connected? And once I gradually began to figure things out, I had to pretty much put the book down and clap because it was amazing. Kudos to the author for keeping me guessing and keeping the mystery alive until the very end.
The characters. I really liked Honoria and Albertine. They both suffered yet were so determined in their own unique way. And I was so attached to them. I cared so much about what happened to them and the other characters. I just HAD to know how it ended, which kept me up late reading. And I LOVE when that happens. It’s no fun reading a book if you don’t care about the characters.
WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED
Maybe adding an epilogue. I would’ve liked to see how the characters are doing afterward, even something very short. I just got so attached, so I wanted to know more. BUT, this is such a minor issue. It didn’t even have an impact on my rating or my thoughts on the book. It’s just a personal preference of mine.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
Omg, I loved this book! I’m so glad I was contacted by the author, and I’m so glad I gave it a chance. I was beginning to think that the only books I would enjoy would have a romance at the center of the story, but I’m glad this story proved me wrong. It was full of mystery, suspense, intrigue, and so much more. I could go on and on. What a great first impression I got of this author. I can’t wait to read more from her!
*I received an eBook copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
INITIAL THOUGHTS
This was one of the first review requests I got when I started my blog. I initially had mixed feelings because the fantasy genre has always been a hit or miss for me and witches aren’t my favorite topic, but I wanted to give it a try. Plus, the cover and book blurb intrigued me!
WHAT I LIKED
The writing. I had never read this author, so I set my expectations fairly low. Turns out I didn’t need to. This book was so well-written. It felt like I was reading a book by an author who has been writing for 30 years. I was very impressed. This story could’ve easily gotten confusing because there were about three different time periods, and unfortunately, this is not usually done well in my experience of reading these types of books; however, Jordan Elizabeth nailed it. I never once questioned which time period I was in. And the writing style was awesome. Just enough detail, not too much or too little. The dialogue felt natural and didn’t seem forced. Plus, the story flowed so smoothly.
The mystery. Wow. I didn’t expect to get so sucked into this story and the mystery behind it all. I couldn’t stop reading once I started. I just kept asking myself: what is going on with these woods? Is there really a witch? What is she doing? Who are all these different characters? How are they all connected? And once I gradually began to figure things out, I had to pretty much put the book down and clap because it was amazing. Kudos to the author for keeping me guessing and keeping the mystery alive until the very end.
The characters. I really liked Honoria and Albertine. They both suffered yet were so determined in their own unique way. And I was so attached to them. I cared so much about what happened to them and the other characters. I just HAD to know how it ended, which kept me up late reading. And I LOVE when that happens. It’s no fun reading a book if you don’t care about the characters.
WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED
Maybe adding an epilogue. I would’ve liked to see how the characters are doing afterward, even something very short. I just got so attached, so I wanted to know more. BUT, this is such a minor issue. It didn’t even have an impact on my rating or my thoughts on the book. It’s just a personal preference of mine.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
Omg, I loved this book! I’m so glad I was contacted by the author, and I’m so glad I gave it a chance. I was beginning to think that the only books I would enjoy would have a romance at the center of the story, but I’m glad this story proved me wrong. It was full of mystery, suspense, intrigue, and so much more. I could go on and on. What a great first impression I got of this author. I can’t wait to read more from her!
*I received an eBook copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
wolfshine's review against another edition
5.0
Honoria and her brother had to move after the loss of their parents in the twin tower attacks. As they get adjusted to their new town, they become familiar with the legend of the Witchwood Hollow. In an alternate timeline, we’re introduced to the witch and her victims.
I have very quickly become a fan of Jordan Elizabeth’s works. This is my fourth read by her, and I haven’t been disappointed yet. Like her other works, her characters are full fleshed out with believable backstories and wonderful relationships. Worldbuilding is always thorough and there’s plenty of suspense.
This book had something the others hadn’t so far, a time period jump of centuries between the two major timelines. Jordan did a fantastic job of outlining life in the old times as well as managing the story of the characters in the present time. While I was listening, I wasn’t sure how the two timelines would eventually converge but the author did not disappoint.
Another five star listen!
Narration was perfect.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
I have very quickly become a fan of Jordan Elizabeth’s works. This is my fourth read by her, and I haven’t been disappointed yet. Like her other works, her characters are full fleshed out with believable backstories and wonderful relationships. Worldbuilding is always thorough and there’s plenty of suspense.
This book had something the others hadn’t so far, a time period jump of centuries between the two major timelines. Jordan did a fantastic job of outlining life in the old times as well as managing the story of the characters in the present time. While I was listening, I wasn’t sure how the two timelines would eventually converge but the author did not disappoint.
Another five star listen!
Narration was perfect.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.