I received an ebook ARC from Flatiron Books and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so so much! This is a spoiler free review.
The Hazel Wood
Written by Melissa Albert
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Release Date: January 30, 2018
Pages: 368
Source: ebook ARC provided by Flatiron Books and NetGalley
Places to Get this Book: Amazon Barnes and Noble Book Depository
Recommended Age: 15 and up!
Summary:
Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set. Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”
Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong.
Review:
This was/is one of my most anticipated books of 2018 and I am so glad that I got to read it before its release date. Thank you to Flatiron Books for providing me with an ARC.
That being said, this book was very slow-moving and a lot of the action didn't arrive until the late half of the book. This book also has some Alice in Wonderland vibes which was very exciting and something I clearly enjoyed. The Hazel Wood is a dark YA fantasy novel that is very reminiscent of the original dark Grimms' fairytales.
Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set. Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”
Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong.
Review:
This was/is one of my most anticipated books of 2018 and I am so glad that I got to read it before its release date. Thank you to Flatiron Books for providing me with an ARC.
That being said, this book was very slow-moving and a lot of the action didn't arrive until the late half of the book. This book also has some Alice in Wonderland vibes which was very exciting and something I clearly enjoyed. The Hazel Wood is a dark YA fantasy novel that is very reminiscent of the original dark Grimms' fairytales.
COVER
The cover is one of my favorite parts of this book because it is so artistic. The cover has a bit of a creepy aspect to it that just make it that much more beautiful. I love the small designs all along the sides and the colors that are used.
The cover is one of my favorite parts of this book because it is so artistic. The cover has a bit of a creepy aspect to it that just make it that much more beautiful. I love the small designs all along the sides and the colors that are used.
WORLD-BUILDING
The world-building is very slow and was a little bit confusing as there is a world completely hidden within our own. This world is called the Hinterland which comes straight from the pages of her grandmother's book of fairytales. All the characters in the fairytale book Tales from the Hinterland, are real and many of them are out to get Alice. The Hinterland is a very dark place and almost reminds me of a dark Wonderland where everything is not what it seems.
The world-building is very slow and was a little bit confusing as there is a world completely hidden within our own. This world is called the Hinterland which comes straight from the pages of her grandmother's book of fairytales. All the characters in the fairytale book Tales from the Hinterland, are real and many of them are out to get Alice. The Hinterland is a very dark place and almost reminds me of a dark Wonderland where everything is not what it seems.
Then there are the characters.
ALICE
Alice, has never had a proper home as she and her mom have never settled in one place for very long. Her mom Ella is sure that bad luck follows them and they must move on whenever they get too comfortable. Alice wasn't a very likable character but she was very compelling and I felt myself reacting to situations in a very similar way as she did. Alice is very self-centered and seems to focus on the fact that she grew up poor and didn't have somewhere to call home. Throughout the book she is a little bit demanding and doesn't acknowledge her mistakes which causes other characters to have problems with her. Overall she wasn't my favorite heroine in a YA novel.
ELLERY FINCH
Ellery Finch was a more likable character. He comes from a family with money and is a super fan of Althea's (Alice's grandmother) work and wants nothing more than to visit The Hazel Wood which is Althea's vast estate in upstate New York. He forms a shaky bond with Alice and they set off on a journey to visit the Hazel Wood which is the one place that Alice's mother told her never to go. I thought he was funny and sweet. By the time I finished this book, I was really missing his character.
Alice, has never had a proper home as she and her mom have never settled in one place for very long. Her mom Ella is sure that bad luck follows them and they must move on whenever they get too comfortable. Alice wasn't a very likable character but she was very compelling and I felt myself reacting to situations in a very similar way as she did. Alice is very self-centered and seems to focus on the fact that she grew up poor and didn't have somewhere to call home. Throughout the book she is a little bit demanding and doesn't acknowledge her mistakes which causes other characters to have problems with her. Overall she wasn't my favorite heroine in a YA novel.
ELLERY FINCH
Ellery Finch was a more likable character. He comes from a family with money and is a super fan of Althea's (Alice's grandmother) work and wants nothing more than to visit The Hazel Wood which is Althea's vast estate in upstate New York. He forms a shaky bond with Alice and they set off on a journey to visit the Hazel Wood which is the one place that Alice's mother told her never to go. I thought he was funny and sweet. By the time I finished this book, I was really missing his character.
FRIENDSHIP/FAMILY
The whole plot centers around Alice wanting to find her mom who she believes has been kidnapped. She believes that this journey will also lead her to the Hazel Wood which is where her grandmother lives and she has never seen. Alice loves her mom even though her mom has made her move around constantly causing Alice to not have a steady home and she knows that she will do anything so her mom can be with her.
The whole plot centers around Alice wanting to find her mom who she believes has been kidnapped. She believes that this journey will also lead her to the Hazel Wood which is where her grandmother lives and she has never seen. Alice loves her mom even though her mom has made her move around constantly causing Alice to not have a steady home and she knows that she will do anything so her mom can be with her.
PLOT
The first few chapters of The Hazel Wood give us some background on Alice, her mother (Ella) and her grandmother, Althea Prosperine, who wrote a book of fairytales which were widely popular. This book was called Tales From The Hinterland, which contained twelve fairytales which were very dark and different. Alice remembers that she was kidnapped when she was six years old, by a man with red hair who said he was taking her to her grandmother. She was not harmed and was found very quickly by the police and her mother. A decade later, Alice spots the redheaded man who looks the same as before and strange things start happening. She and her mother receive a letter that informs them that Althea has passed away. Shortly afterwards, Ella disappears under very strange circumstances and Alice turns to a classmate named Ellery Finch who agrees to accompany on a journey to visit the Hazel Wood and find her mother.
This book is certainly for an older teenage audience as it was disturbing, unsettling and had a lot of graphic violence/gory horror within the fairytales and novel itself. I was warned beforehand that it was very dark but I didn't feel truly uneasy until I started reading this alone. And the story was not wrapped up in a light sort of way so if you are looking for a happy ending, you better turn around.
The first few chapters of The Hazel Wood give us some background on Alice, her mother (Ella) and her grandmother, Althea Prosperine, who wrote a book of fairytales which were widely popular. This book was called Tales From The Hinterland, which contained twelve fairytales which were very dark and different. Alice remembers that she was kidnapped when she was six years old, by a man with red hair who said he was taking her to her grandmother. She was not harmed and was found very quickly by the police and her mother. A decade later, Alice spots the redheaded man who looks the same as before and strange things start happening. She and her mother receive a letter that informs them that Althea has passed away. Shortly afterwards, Ella disappears under very strange circumstances and Alice turns to a classmate named Ellery Finch who agrees to accompany on a journey to visit the Hazel Wood and find her mother.
This book is certainly for an older teenage audience as it was disturbing, unsettling and had a lot of graphic violence/gory horror within the fairytales and novel itself. I was warned beforehand that it was very dark but I didn't feel truly uneasy until I started reading this alone. And the story was not wrapped up in a light sort of way so if you are looking for a happy ending, you better turn around.
ROMANCE
There is no romance in this novel.
There is no romance in this novel.
WRITING
The writing is truly wonderful. I loved how Melissa Albert incorporated some of the fairytales from Tales from the Hinterland which were very dark and unsettling but written very well. Melissa Albert has a way to create a detailed, dark, and complex tale that will intrigue the reader and I really liked that.
The writing is truly wonderful. I loved how Melissa Albert incorporated some of the fairytales from Tales from the Hinterland which were very dark and unsettling but written very well. Melissa Albert has a way to create a detailed, dark, and complex tale that will intrigue the reader and I really liked that.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I did have some issues with this book as it was slow-going and very very dark but I ended up enjoying it and rating it a little over 3.5 Crowns. I thought the whole concept was really original, and I thought the plot was very intriguing. I recommend that you read this book if you like darker YA novels and like fairytales.
I did have some issues with this book as it was slow-going and very very dark but I ended up enjoying it and rating it a little over 3.5 Crowns. I thought the whole concept was really original, and I thought the plot was very intriguing. I recommend that you read this book if you like darker YA novels and like fairytales.
Quotes from the Book:
None At this Time
None At this Time
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Crowns
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