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A review by emmareadstoomuch
The Night Country by Melissa Albert
4.0
I am my own worst enemy.
Here’s the thing. I have this huge rereading fixation. I’ve gotten it under control a bit this year, but before that, like one in three books I read was a reread. I would read books for the second time mere months after the first. There are MULTIPLE books on my shelves I’ve read over three times.
It’s an issue.
And yet. Every. Single. Time a sequel to a book I enjoyed comes out, do I read the first book?
NEVER. I never do.
I just stumble through the first 100 pages hoping for a recap, and if one doesn’t come, too bad! I suffer through it.
All of this is to set the stage for my reading of this. I couldn’t remember ANYTHING about The Hazel Wood...but I couldn’t put this down.
Like, legitimately couldn’t. I dozed off while reading due to pure exhaustion in the middle of the night.
This is so beautifully written, so creative, so well-constructed. The world is gorgeous, unique nonsense, and yet somehow it makes sense. I love it. (I never ever want to go there and if I found myself in the Hinterland I would, like, impale myself on the sharp thing on a spinning wheel or otherwise die in some princess-y way, but still. I love it.)
It reminds me, in some ways, of The Starless Sea - which is the highest possible compliment I can give a book. It’s a love letter to fairytales, and boy oh boy do I love me some fairytales.
I also love Alice, our spiky tough brave protagonist, and I’m not even just saying that because the fact that her name is Alice tricked me at first into thinking that the first book was a retelling of my very favorite one. (Good thing it wasn’t. I hate, like, every Alice retelling. If you can’t do it justice don’t do it at all!!)
And while this romance happened pretty suddenly - and unnecessarily if you ask me - I didn’t hate it. Shock of the century, really.
I can’t wait for Tales of the Hinterland, which is the book that, if anyone asks, sprung fully formed straight out of my brain.
Sorry, Melissa Albert, but also just…let me have this.
Bottom line: Bloody dark magical fairytale-y badassery. What more could you possibly need?!
-------------
pre-review
talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before
review to come / 4.5 stars
-------------
currently-reading updates
my hobbies include: reading sequels so long after i read the first book that i can't remember anything and just hoping for the best
-------------
tbr review
to whom it may concern:
yours with great sincerity and gratitude,
emma
Here’s the thing. I have this huge rereading fixation. I’ve gotten it under control a bit this year, but before that, like one in three books I read was a reread. I would read books for the second time mere months after the first. There are MULTIPLE books on my shelves I’ve read over three times.
It’s an issue.
And yet. Every. Single. Time a sequel to a book I enjoyed comes out, do I read the first book?
NEVER. I never do.
I just stumble through the first 100 pages hoping for a recap, and if one doesn’t come, too bad! I suffer through it.
All of this is to set the stage for my reading of this. I couldn’t remember ANYTHING about The Hazel Wood...but I couldn’t put this down.
Like, legitimately couldn’t. I dozed off while reading due to pure exhaustion in the middle of the night.
This is so beautifully written, so creative, so well-constructed. The world is gorgeous, unique nonsense, and yet somehow it makes sense. I love it. (I never ever want to go there and if I found myself in the Hinterland I would, like, impale myself on the sharp thing on a spinning wheel or otherwise die in some princess-y way, but still. I love it.)
It reminds me, in some ways, of The Starless Sea - which is the highest possible compliment I can give a book. It’s a love letter to fairytales, and boy oh boy do I love me some fairytales.
I also love Alice, our spiky tough brave protagonist, and I’m not even just saying that because the fact that her name is Alice tricked me at first into thinking that the first book was a retelling of my very favorite one. (Good thing it wasn’t. I hate, like, every Alice retelling. If you can’t do it justice don’t do it at all!!)
And while this romance happened pretty suddenly - and unnecessarily if you ask me - I didn’t hate it. Shock of the century, really.
I can’t wait for Tales of the Hinterland, which is the book that, if anyone asks, sprung fully formed straight out of my brain.
Sorry, Melissa Albert, but also just…let me have this.
Bottom line: Bloody dark magical fairytale-y badassery. What more could you possibly need?!
-------------
pre-review
talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before
review to come / 4.5 stars
-------------
currently-reading updates
my hobbies include: reading sequels so long after i read the first book that i can't remember anything and just hoping for the best
-------------
tbr review
to whom it may concern:
yours with great sincerity and gratitude,
emma