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cyanlizc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
but about the book: the story was so great and fun with plenty of twists and turns, none of them felt cheesy or shallow. the writing was great, I loved the author's metaphors. She wasn't trying too hard but she also wasn't just slapping words down (like some of these other authors.....). A really cool story within a story within a story and some cool characters on a cool journey.
The only reason I rated it a little lower than I would've is because fantasy is not a genre I normally read.
Moderate: Suicide and Murder
lawbooks600's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Score: Five points out of ten.
One year ago, I mistakenly read The Hazel Wood's sequel, The Night Country, which I initially enjoyed but later repulsed. One year later, it was time to read The Hazel Wood, which initially looked promising until I checked the ratings and reviews, thus lowering my expectations. However, nothing could prepare me for how disappointing it was. Did I mention The Hazel Wood was also on the BookTok shelf?
It starts with the first character I see, Alice Proserpine, or Alice for short, forced to move to The Hazel Wood estate after her grandmother dies. I would classify this novel as a contemporary urban YA fantasy, which appeals to me since I like fantasy stories, but unfortunately, it didn't work out. The Hazel Wood's most prominent flaws lie in its pacing, worldbuilding and characters. For starters, the pacing is too monotonous and not engaging enough to keep me reading. It makes The Hazel Wood less like under 400 pages and more like 500 pages. All the characters are two-dimensional, and Alice is the most infuriating because how she talks to people comes off as irritating at best and frustrating at worst. The worldbuilding is nonexistent. There's no reason why everything is the way they are. I'm done with this author.
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Full trigger warnings: Blood depiction, physical injury and assault, death of a parent from suicide and other people in the pastlyricallit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Moderate: Violence and Death of parent
Minor: Suicide
tangleroot_eli's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Blood
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Suicide, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Murder
inkysplodge's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Moderate: Suicide, Violence, and Blood
bookishgia's review against another edition
Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, and Gaslighting
bookishthea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Death and Violence
Minor: Confinement, Suicide, Kidnapping, and Abandonment
theyellowbrickreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Moderate: Suicide
saskiajva's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Racism, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Gun violence and Suicide
Minor: Alcohol
dreamofbookspines's review against another edition
3.5
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, and Suicide attempt
I had a hard time getting into it, though that may have been my fault; I'd started reading before I was ready for a new book.