A review by erin_j
The Hazel Wood, by Melissa Albert
3.0
3.5 stars
Alice and her mother have been dodging bad luck her whole life. When her reclusive grandmother, an author of dark fairy tales, dies they believe they are free of the bad luck. Unfortunately, they are not. Alice’s mother is taken by people claiming to be from the dark fairy tale land of her grandmother’s stories, the Hinterland. It seems answers can be found at her grandmother’s estate, the Hazel Wood. But she can’t take this journey alone. She enlists the help of classmate and superfan of “Tales from the Hinterland”, Ellery Finch. But things get strange when they start noticing hints of the Hinterland where they shouldn’t be.
This was a really interesting concept, but the execution wasn’t my favorite. The writing is beautiful and the characters are interesting. Alice can be a bit rude and protective, but she has a big heart for those she cares about. And Ellery was great. I loved his role and his ending was fascinating and so perfect for him. The plot and pacing of the story wasn’t what I expected. The main portion of the book is the journey to the Hazel Wood. Once there, it felt like a rush to the end. Glossing over what I was most interested in, the Hazel Wood and Hinterland. It was disappointing.
This book did have its good moments, but in the end I felt pretty “meh” about it. I do wonder if it would be better as an audiobook. I think you could get more wrapped up in the journey and spookiness when listening to it.
If you enjoy a strong mother/daughter bond, new friendship, and going on a winding journey to find a dark fairy tale land, then you might enjoy this book.
Alice and her mother have been dodging bad luck her whole life. When her reclusive grandmother, an author of dark fairy tales, dies they believe they are free of the bad luck. Unfortunately, they are not. Alice’s mother is taken by people claiming to be from the dark fairy tale land of her grandmother’s stories, the Hinterland. It seems answers can be found at her grandmother’s estate, the Hazel Wood. But she can’t take this journey alone. She enlists the help of classmate and superfan of “Tales from the Hinterland”, Ellery Finch. But things get strange when they start noticing hints of the Hinterland where they shouldn’t be.
This was a really interesting concept, but the execution wasn’t my favorite. The writing is beautiful and the characters are interesting. Alice can be a bit rude and protective, but she has a big heart for those she cares about. And Ellery was great. I loved his role and his ending was fascinating and so perfect for him. The plot and pacing of the story wasn’t what I expected. The main portion of the book is the journey to the Hazel Wood. Once there, it felt like a rush to the end. Glossing over what I was most interested in, the Hazel Wood and Hinterland. It was disappointing.
This book did have its good moments, but in the end I felt pretty “meh” about it. I do wonder if it would be better as an audiobook. I think you could get more wrapped up in the journey and spookiness when listening to it.
If you enjoy a strong mother/daughter bond, new friendship, and going on a winding journey to find a dark fairy tale land, then you might enjoy this book.