Scan barcode
ettegoom's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I picked this up on a whim at the library, and then didn't read it until it was overdue. I nearly took it back before I read it. I'm glad I didn't.
I've been finding things a bit rough, with all the genocide, racist government policy and losing a place that was complicated and stressful but also really important to me, so grabbed this off the pile as a reprieve from non-fiction. It immediately sucked me in.
I love the hideous cruelty of the Hinterland, and can't help wishing that Stories of the Hinterland was a real book that I could read. There's something about a vicious fairy tale that makes them so much more appealing than the sanitised stories of my childhood.
I enjoyed the way that the book reminded me a little of The Seven Thousand Doors of January, yet was somehow darker and more satisfying.
I'm really looking forward to the sequel.
I've been finding things a bit rough, with all the genocide, racist government policy and losing a place that was complicated and stressful but also really important to me, so grabbed this off the pile as a reprieve from non-fiction. It immediately sucked me in.
I love the hideous cruelty of the Hinterland, and can't help wishing that Stories of the Hinterland was a real book that I could read. There's something about a vicious fairy tale that makes them so much more appealing than the sanitised stories of my childhood.
I enjoyed the way that the book reminded me a little of The Seven Thousand Doors of January, yet was somehow darker and more satisfying.
I'm really looking forward to the sequel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
mimlleigh's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Gun violence
pasame's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, and Kidnapping
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
saskiajva's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
The author has created an incredibly intriguing world full of mysteries and surprises. It starts pretty slow in my opinion but really ramps up by the last 100 pages! I will say, the treatment of the one BIPOC character felt gratuitously racist and disturbing at points. particularly, at one point the main character does some things that put the side character in danger particularly due to his race, and when he calls her out on it she becomes so angry she literally attempts to crash her car with him in it in an attempt to threaten and intimidate him. Less than a chapter later the BIPOC character is murdered in a very senseless manner, and although he comes back to life later, the author never addresses her abuse and racism beyond “her magical curse makes her mean”.
Outside of that, I was surprised that the characters spent the majority of the book in New York trying to prove this world even existed. I almost stopped reading around page 200 when they hadn’t gotten to the actual fairy tale world yet, but around page 220 or so the book kicked into high gear and didn’t stop until the very end. I would’ve loved to have gotten to spend more time inside the magical Hinterland as it’s truly the intriguing writing. The set up did pay off in many ways, and maybe if I reread it I’d find more interest, but I just don’t think this book is for me.
Outside of that, I was surprised that the characters spent the majority of the book in New York trying to prove this world even existed. I almost stopped reading around page 200 when they hadn’t gotten to the actual fairy tale world yet, but around page 220 or so the book kicked into high gear and didn’t stop until the very end. I would’ve loved to have gotten to spend more time inside the magical Hinterland as it’s truly the intriguing writing. The set up did pay off in many ways, and maybe if I reread it I’d find more interest, but I just don’t think this book is for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Racism, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Gun violence and Suicide
Minor: Alcohol
clarabooksit's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Classism
Minor: Racism
sunnydale's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
As someone who loves fairy tales and fairy tale scholarship, I felt so seen. Beneath the story, which was compelling on its own, was the author's clear understanding of why we tell fairy tales and why they hold power over us.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Blood, and Kidnapping
Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Gun violence, Suicide, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism
The protagonist is kidnapped as a child, but is unharmed and not sexually abused in any way. The kidnapper's identity is later revealed, and he never intended to hurt her.sssssoup's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This is one of my favorite books of all time. I read it for the first time a few years ago, and I’m so glad I decided the read it again for spooky season this year.
I’m a huge fan of the dark fairy tale aspect of the story. It’s very well developed and interesting, and I love how the author incorporated a story within a story; it’s not something you see very often.
The characters are what really sell it for me. Alice is a very well rounded and complex protagonist; she may not be the most likable character, but her story is engaging and I love how well developed her backstory is. Her memories from her childhood really help to develop her personality for the audience and a lot of depth to her. Finch is one of my favorite characters from recent YA because he’s entertaining and deep at the same time. Like Alice, his trauma and backstory are very well written and really help show his depth.
The writing style is fantastic as well and it’s beautiful to read. It feels very poetic and deep yet realistic at the same time.
I’m a huge fan of the dark fairy tale aspect of the story. It’s very well developed and interesting, and I love how the author incorporated a story within a story; it’s not something you see very often.
The characters are what really sell it for me. Alice is a very well rounded and complex protagonist; she may not be the most likable character, but her story is engaging and I love how well developed her backstory is. Her memories from her childhood really help to develop her personality for the audience and a lot of depth to her. Finch is one of my favorite characters from recent YA because he’s entertaining and deep at the same time. Like Alice, his trauma and backstory are very well written and really help show his depth.
The writing style is fantastic as well and it’s beautiful to read. It feels very poetic and deep yet realistic at the same time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Mental illness, and Blood
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide, Stalking, and Car accident
frozengh03t's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
the start of the book is super boring, really the only thing good about this book is the ending, other wise it felt like it was being dragged out. like how a 9th grader will add in fancy words to their essay so get the word count higher
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Death of parent
Minor: Drug use and Gun violence
library_of_alexandra_'s review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I WANT MORE FINCH!
The first half of this book was great. The resolution was okay. The second half where Alice runs into weird fairytale things in a pile was confusing and excessive. I didn't know who I was supposed to remember and who I wasn't. I think it had lots of potential and a great premise, just didn't stick the landing.
The first half of this book was great. The resolution was okay. The second half where Alice runs into weird fairytale things in a pile was confusing and excessive. I didn't know who I was supposed to remember and who I wasn't. I think it had lots of potential and a great premise, just didn't stick the landing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Gun violence and Kidnapping
Minor: Suicide
onceuponabookcase's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Quick fire review:
- When I first heard of The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert, I didn't think it was going to be my bag. I think I associated the Hinterland with a world of fae, and I really don't like stories about the fae. But when I read author Katrina Leno recommended it to readers who enjoyed her own book Horrid, I decided to give it a go. And I loved it!
- I loved the way Albert seamlessly manages to combine the contemporary with the fantasy/fairy tale in The Hazel Wood! It reminded me a little of The Waking Forest by Alyssa Wees in that regard, but Albert pulled it off better.
- Albert's writing style is very atmospheric, perfect for the fairy tale aspect of the story, especially when we get to the Hinterland, but it blends perfectly with the contemporary element. It's storytelling at it's best.
- I adored the world Albert created with the Hinterland. It's so imaginative! A fairy tale world where stories exist, like plays happening in front of you, but with characters who have no choice in their actions - despite not realising it. The story must play out. It was quite dark and distubing, and I loved how Albert showed us the reality of fairy tales, what they actually look like, how they affect the characters in the story, the disparaity to how fairy tales are told, and what the characters are going through.
- The Hazel Wood was absolutely gripping! Sinister, dark, but magical and beautiful, and completely brilliant!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Vomit, and Murder
Minor: Sexual violence