This book was a huge - and pleasant - surprise! From the cover, I expected the standard horror story however, I ended up with an ancient magical forest, time portals, the fae and an 18th century dork.

This book wasn't what I initially expected it to be and I feel like it may have altered my overall feeling on this title. I was looking for a horror/thriller book but got a very different fantasy story when I started reading. While it was a relatively decent read, it wasn't what I was looking for at the time. I may go back and read this again in the future because I did enjoy the writing but I don't think I was in the right mindset while initially reading. I would definitely recommend this to fans of the fantasy genre because I feel like it would be very enjoyable for many readers!

The Wood by Chelsea Bobulski definitely feels like it needs a sequel. I rarely, if ever, say that. BUT FOR REAL YOU GUYS. The way this book ends has me still asking some questions. Like, I am satisfied and not feeling as though I wasted my time. However, I want more. So, you should know that I picked this book up because I am a basic B and saw the leaf on the cover and got excited for a fall themed book. As it turns out, that’s not really the entirety of this book.

Chelsea Bobulski’s The Wood is about this girl named Winter. Winter lives on the edge of the woods with her mother. Her father has disappeared. Winter has always held out hope that he would come back though. She now has the duties her father once did which is to patrol the wood and help travelers back to the path and back to their own time. One day, a guy who is clearly from the past shows up in the wood. His name is Henry and he refuses to go back onto the path. He’s got some information that may help Winter find out her father’s fate. This book provides such an interesting twist on time travel, ranking it up there with Passenger for me.

The romance in this book is alright. I mean, there’s definitely chemistry there between Winter and Henry. Both know about the wood and all the implications of the wood. Winter has never really been into anyone before Henry. However, she’s quite attracted to him. She tries to fight it, but we all know how it works out. I did not mind this romance in the least. There’s also a little bit of danger and impossibility to it, as Henry belongs to another time.

The Wood is a pretty quick read. It’s exciting and you do find yourself drawn in by wanting to find out what happened with Winter’s dad. And then we go into possible conspiracy. Plus, there’s the feel of fall with a bon fire and a party scene. I think that this book is just a fun autumn sort of read and I want a sequel as there seems to be more story left to tell.

This book was interesting, but ultimately it felt disjointed and unsatisfying. I know lots of middle school students who would still find it enjoyable and entertaining, but it just felt shallow to me. I felt nothing for the bad guy and his evil plan. The overall world building and conflict left me feeling disconnected.

Since her father disappeared in the Wood, Winter has been the guardian. She must stay on the path, and return the travelers she meets to their time, because the Wood is a gateway. When the same traveler, a man from a time past in Brightonshire, reappears more than once, and tells Winter that he might know something about her father's disappearance, Winter decides she needs to break the rules.

By the cover, I thought this would be a horror story - I love a good horror story set in the forest! I wasn't expecting time travel, although I really liked that concept of "thin places" where one could wander into some other time. For me I would have liked to know more about how the Wood worked, and less about Winter's attempts to live a normal life at school, where she has one friend who seems only concerned with Winter getting a boyfriend. I also feel like Winter's mother could have developed more as a character - she's a freaking professor (I don't know if I'm remembering it right, but of history?) and her knowledge could have come in very handy. With just her parents and her Uncle Joe teaching her, I still have a hard time thinking that she could learn enough of every language to converse with travelers and send them back (well... I suppose if all the travelers are saying is, "Where am I?" then I guess she wouldn't have to learn that much of the language). It's a fun, thrilling story if I don't let myself think to hard about it, or about the ending and what, if anything, Winter learned from all this.

I received an ARC of this book through netgalley.

So this was a 3.5 stars for me. The concept was what hooked me. Admittedly, I expected it to be more on the horror side of things than on the straight urban fantasy/paranormal side. This may have been due to my somewhat recent reading of "And the Trees Crept In" which also involves a sinister wood. But in a very different way.

So this is to say, that this book is nothing like that. Again, I loved loved loved the concept: The woods as a liminal space between time periods with portals to various times/places. Willow acts as a guardian after her father went missing on patrol. The guardians' jobs are to send people who fall/stumble into the woods back through the portals to their own times. How cool is that?

So my one big beef was with some of the anachronisms. There are things that Henry seems to know about that didn't exist in his time period (in ways that don't make sense for the character), and there was another moment when he was seen wondering at something that was very prevalent in his era. These are small things, but I'm a history nerd and so they took me out of the story. Some of these can be explained away by the fact that (view spoiler) but it was still enough to disjoint my own reading.

I really liked how Bobulski dealt with the issues of duty and responsibility. I think this is actually a more realistic depiction of a real-world portal fantasy. Just because there are magic portals in the woods behind your house and you have to patrol them daily doesn't mean that you don't also have to take an algebra test on Tuesday That said, I would have liked to see more of the "other" worlds because that part didn't feel as fleshed out as Willow's real world.

On the whole, the concept was great. I found some of it a little predictable and slow at times, but it was definitely an enjoyable read!

The Wood is a extremely hard book to describe. I liked the unique and original story. Winter is being taught by her Dad how to patrol the Wood next to their house. It is her father's job to help those who wander the wood to get back to their gate. Winter will one day take over for him and will have to walk the path herself. As the book progresses you learn that certain families have been chosen to be "caretakers" of the Wood in their area. Winter soon finds herself caretaker of the Wood when her father goes missing. Winter believes that something bad took place in the Wood and now she is trying to find her father while learning the ropes of being caretaker of the Wood. I like the character of Winter, but the book skips around too much and you are given so much information that it is hard at times to follow. I think that the book will appeal to more science fiction audience than mainstream fiction.

I really enjoyed this book. I haven't been hearing too much about it, but some reviewers that I trust really loved it, and the premise sounded right up my alley, so I requested it straight away. And I was not disappointed! This book really captivated me. The world was super interesting and cool, I loved the idea of the forest connecting places and times, and the guardians who look after the portholes. I wouldn't necessarily describe this book as scary, but it certainly was sinister and creepy, which just added to it's depth. I was really drawn to the character of Winter - she felt honest, and empowering, and I was rooting for her the whole time.

My only criticism is that the book ended in such a way that I really need MORE! I really hope that Chelsea writes more books in this world, because I need to read more!

This was a fantastic book! I could not put it down! The characters and story line where great!

I received a copy of The Wood by Chelsea Bobulski in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.

Rating:4.5 Stars

The Wood is a suspenseful supernatural debut book. Winter is a guardian redirecting any travelers back to their portal when they accidentally step from their time and place into the wood. She is the only one after her father went missing. He stepped off the path. That is impossible for a guardian leading Winter to suspect there is something off about his disappearance than she is told. One day she comes across a boy in the wood who is not there by accident and is determined to pass through. It’s her job to keep him in his time. But when he believes his mission may be connected to her father’s disappearance and why the wood has started to change, Winter determines it may be worth the risk to work with him.

Going into this book I was intrigued by the cover and the summary but I didn’t know fully what to expect. It had so many elements woven together into this story with the Old Ones, guardians, the wood and all that fill it, time travel, and more. The wood managed to play both an eerie and dangerous backdrop to the story but also a character itself. Always changing and evolving almost as if it has its own personality. I enjoyed the way we learned about the wood and this world. Everything seems normal on the outside but inside the wood things are very different. I understood it and it made perfect sense to me.

Winter is easy to relate with. She has this huge responsibility on her shoulders. She didn’t choose this life but was born into it. She is just trying to make the most of her life as she tries to balance normal things like school and friends with running off to take care of travelers. She has a complicated relationship with her mother that has ups and downs. Henry is likable from the start. He’s cute and sweet trying to find those he loves. He is a man out of time (and I admit to having some Kate & Leopold flash backs) and has the childlike amazement of seeing the world and things we take for granted as the miracles they are (showers and electricity). He was determined on his journey but he is also very protective.

“What is this infernal contraption?”
“It’s an alarm clock,” I say, my voice deep and sleep-scratchy. “It wakes you up.”
“Evidently not.”

This is one complete story that manages to bring an entire little world to life and wrap things up in the end. It was a neat standalone that I could easily see having more books with different parts of the world. While most things did wrap up nicely there was one specific part I had been hoping for a bit more on, though I have since come up with my own little epilogue in my head to resolve that. Aside from that little thing, that may be in part to my selfishness I loved this book. I loved all the different layers wrapped inside this one story of the wood.

Interesting, but felt a bit hollow in some places. Character relationships were not fleshed out enough, and got a little repetitive. Very creepy and fresh concept, and I think the idea had a lot of potential but fell flat.

I had the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for this review. I loved this mystery story of time travel and romance! Winter and her father are guardians of The Wood, a magical forest that contains time portals leading to different places and times. If travelers enter The Wood through these portals, it’s the guardian’s job to return them immediately to their own place and time. There are strict rules governing The Wood and time travelers that guardians are compelled to follow. When Winter’s father disappears under mysterious circumstances, a strange time traveler appears with information, and the forest itself seems to be dying, Winter is forced to break the rules and risk everything to find answers.

I was sucked into this story from the very beginning, and couldn't put the book down until I finished it! I loved that the plot places the characters in modern day central Ohio, dealing with contemporary issues of school, dating, and relationships. But, the moment the characters enter The Wood, “real world” problems are set aside so that the focus is on the larger matter of protecting the time-space continuum from those who would alter it for personal gain and risk destroying everything.

Because the plot develops in both the contemporary world and the magical woods, the author does a good job of giving an authentic voice to Winter, a sixteen-year-old high school student, her friends, and her mother. There's also the fun of bringing characters from the time portal world into Winter’s home life that made me keep turning pages to see how it would all turn out.

This book is YA fiction aimed at high school students. There is violence and some mild expletives, but it's within the context of the war in The Wood. There is some romance in the book, but it remains appropriate for kids this age. In fact, I would be comfortable recommending it for interested mature middle grade readers as the content is no more provocative than what's found in books like The Hunger Games or even Harry Potter.

A completely unique story unlike anything I've ever read. I enjoyed everything about it! Magic, time travel, mystery, and just the right amount of creepy...this book had me staying up late reading multiple nights in a row. Also, I can't believe this is Chelsea's first book. The book certainly doesn't read like a debut novel. I can't wait to read more from Chelsea in the future...and not-so-secretly hoping one of her future books is a sequel to The Wood. There are so many stories left to tell!

After Winter's father goes missing in the woods they're family have been bound to protect, she is forced to take his role as guardian. With so few answers, Winter is unable to let go of her father's disappearance and she begins a quest to look for him she also discovers that the wood is changing, becoming even more dangerous and the arrival of mysterious stranger causes her to have more questions than answers.

I have to admit that this book surprised me. I really had no expectations or even a clear picture of what it was about, but right from the very beginning Bobulski grabs her reader's attention and doesn't let go. Additionally, I loved that this was a mish-mash of so many variation of folklore and while, initially, I thought it would feel clunky, the author navigates it beautifully and her writing style complements the mysterious nature that often encapsulates folklore. Winter herself is also a compelling character, one who is strong and strong-willed but has an unwavering loyalty to those she loves most.

I can definitely see this being popular with teen audiences because it takes bits and pieces of beloved YA genres to create a new type of story that is equal parts compelling, entertaining and thrilling. Definitely worthy of a purchase for YA library collections.

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

The Wood by Chelsea Bobulski
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: August 1, 2017
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

After her father goes missing in the woods that they protect, Winter tries to seek the truth in what happened, why the wood is changing, and what it all has to do with the arrival of a mysterious stranger in this thrilling YA debut.

When Winter’s dad goes missing during his nightly patrol of the wood, it falls to her to patrol the time portals and protect the travelers who slip through them. Winter can't help but think there's more to her dad's disappearance than she's being told.

She soon finds a young man traveling in the wood named Henry who knows more than he should. He believes if they can work together to find his missing parents, they could discover the truth about Winter’s dad.

The wood is poisoned, changing into something sinister—torturing travelers lost in it. Winter must put her trust in Henry in order to find the truth and those they’ve lost.

Bobulski’s eerie debut is filled with friendship, family, and the responsibilities we choose and those we do not.

What I Liked:

I'm not sure what interested me in this book in the first place, but by the time I picked up the galley, I'd forgotten what the book was about or why it appealed to me months ago when I requested it. Nevertheless, it was an intriguing and curious read, and I didn't stop reading until I was finished. I will be looking out for more books by Bobulski in the future.

When Winter's father disappeared mysteriously 20 months ago, Winter became the new guardian of the wood. As guardian, like her father and grandfather and so many generations of the Parish family, Winter must protect the wood, and direct travelers who have lost their way. The wood is full of thresholds from different times and places, and travelers sometimes wander into the wood and need to be shown their way back to their threshold. Winter is forever tied to the wood, now that she is the new guardian. But something strange has been happening in the wood. Darkness has been creeping in, and two council members have disappeared. What's more, the son of the council members wants Winter's help to find them. Henry is no guardian or council member, but he knows about the wood, and he has more knowledge and power than Winter thought. It is up to Winter and Henry to find out where Henry's parents went, what is happening to the wood, and how the events are related.

One of the strongest and best aspects of this book was the setting. The wood is no ordinary forest. After first glance, it is, but after walking further into the wood, it becomes something else. The wood is eerie and magical, haunting and beautiful. It is its own being, alive and with a mind of its own. And with a dark force moving with the wood, the wood has become sinister.

I liked Winter almost immediately. She has a difficult life, being tied to the wood at all times, unable to tell her best friend why she can't go to college or stay over for dinner. Winter has accepted her fate but she never stops trying to find out what really happened to her father - because she and her mother both now that he didn't simply disappear. Winter is an extremely smart girl, in academics and in general. She is clever and quick-thinking. She also has a good heart and a trusting nature, though she is also protective of her guardian duties.

Henry is such a sweetheart. He comes from eighteenth-century England, and he is desperate to find his parents (the missing council members). He isn't a guardian so he shouldn't know anything about the wood, but his parents taught him everything. Henry has impeccable manners and practically lives by chivalry. He isn't without his faults but he also isn't a bad guy. He's the upstanding sort of old-fashioned British boy that we American gals like to swoon over. He is definitely a swoony lad.

The story is a little on the predictable side - in which Winter and Henry try to find out what is happening to the wood, and where his parents went. They discover a lot of bad history in the council and the wood, and they discover some truths about Winter's father.

This book doesn't just focus on the conflict in the wood. Part of the story is rooted in Winter's relationship with her mother. Since Winter's father died, she and her mother have gone through the motions. When Winter starts sneaking around, hiding Henry and going into the wood more, her relationship with her mother begins to become a little strained. I love that the author made Winter's relationship with her mother an important part of the plot, because it was significant to see how they became even closer.

The same can be said about Winter's friendship with her best friend Meredith. Meredith knows nothing about the wood, which makes their friendship a strange and difficult one. Meredith knows something is wrong but Winter won't ever tell her the truth. This was another important relationship for the author to hone in on, and I'm glad she did.

And of course, the subtle, slow-burn romance. From the minute Winter lays eyes on Henry, she has a crush, though it's not totally obvious to her at first. I liked the romance - it's slow-burn, and sort of hate-to-love. Well, more like they got off to a rough start. But Henry is a protective sweetheart and Winter is a nurturing intellect and they mesh together really well. They have great chemistry and they get along well. I adore these two. I wanted more kissing and a little more something in terms of their ending but I was satisfied overall, with the romance.

I was satisfied with this book in general! It's an intriguing and eerie story, with a tough heroine, a nice hero, and a high-stakes climax (though it won't appear that way, at first). I'm glad I gave this book a chance!

What I Did Not Like:

There is this aspect of the ending that, well, let me leave it at that. The ending in general is good and fits the story. But there is one thing that I personally wanted to see, and it didn't happen. That's okay though! It would be cool if the author wrote some sort of epilogue. But only if that epilogue featured That Thing that I wanted (and others readers will probably want too).

Would I Recommend It:

YA paranormal readers might like this one. Fantasy readers too. It is set in modern times, but it deals a little with time-travel, and a creepy forest. And a hot British boy from the eighteenth century who is a sweetie but also excellent with a sword. Not to forget our smart heroine who is selfless and kind. I recommend this book if you're looking for an intriguing and somewhat quick read!

Rating:

4 stars. I believe this is a standalone but I wouldn't mind seeing another book follow this one! Or maybe an epilogue. In any case, I will definitely look for more books by Bobulski in the future (related to this one or not).

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"Dad tells me the wood is not a place to play. It is a place for business, and it is more powerful than I could ever imagine. He tells me I cannot forget the rules of the wood. There are three.

Do not travel from the paths.
Do not linger after dark.
Do not ignore the calling."

PLOT ➳➳
Winter's family has long been tasked with guarding The Wood, a magical piece of forestry behind her house that appears normal to non-Guardians... but for Guardians, it is a dangerous, living, breathing place, full of thresholds and doorways to other times and places. The Guardians are given the responsibility of monitoring the wood and ensuring that no wanderers get trapped in it after accidental threshold crossings. After all, the wood after dark is a wicked and hungry place.

When Winter's father disappears mysteriously, the job falls to her, but nothing he told her could have prepared her for the day when a boy showed up intentionally, and refused to go home. She knows she should force him to leave, but he might be connected to her father... Wouldn't you give anything to save the one you loved if you could?

WHAT I LIKED ➳➳
This book is beautiful. It somehow manages to perfectly balance being dark, yet whimsical, and Chelsea's writing is light and enjoyable. I found myself wishing the wood was a real place that I could visit (during the daytime, of course), because it sounded so incredible. When dark falls, it turns into a vicious and terrifying place full of creatures that would strike fear into anyone's heart.

Winter is a really enjoyable and authentic MC, and Henry is such a fun friend and love interest. I loved their banter and his complete state of confusion over most of the modern world, as well as the very "real" feeling of Winter's constant dilemma between getting close to him and keeping things on the surface. The only other characters we get to spend much time with are Winter's mother - who is not very fleshed out, admittedly - and her "Uncle" Joe, who I found to be an enjoyable, albeit sketchy character from the first time we met him.

The entire plot is just really captivating and the setting is so beautiful that I found it pretty easy to lose myself in the story, and I was definitely rooting for Winter and Henry the whole way!

WHAT I DISLIKED ➳➳
Here's the tough part. This book was actually a 5-star read for me, hands down, until about the 90% mark. I wish I was exaggerating. Rarely, I find a book that I adore until the ending, but the ending just ruins the whole thing for me. While the ending doesn't ruin the whole story in this scenario, I would have been ecstatic for this story to have ended entirely differently. I won't spoil anything, but the last few chapters felt so rushed; at one point, I actually felt like either Chelsea may have gotten tired of writing and was hurrying to finish, or was facing down a deadline? I'm no writer, so I never try to judge an author's process, but I was just so... disappointed by the end of this book.

Please, though, don't let this stop you from reading The Wood. The story was honestly so enjoyable that it was worth it.

FINAL VERDICT ➳➳
If you like dark, magical stories that mix a little fantasy, a little magical realism, and a bit of romance together, pick this one up. Chelsea really shone as a debut author, and I can't wait to read more from her. If this book was a series starter, I would be first in line to pre-order the next title - sadly, however, Goodreads says it's a stand-alone. If anyone has heard otherwise, LET ME KNOW! If that doesn't tell you how much I wanted more of this story, I don't know what will. Seriously, just ignore the fact that the ending might bum you out and go grab a copy when it comes out on August 1st!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the lovely folks at Feiwel & Friends for granting me an ARC of this book! All of my opinions are entirely my own.

I feel like I'm in that in-between place with this book where I feel like I should have loved it more than I actually did. The Wood is one of those books that blends reality with fantasy, a bit more than what I'd consider magical realism but not enough to really fit in urban fantasy.

We begin with Winter, one of the Guardians of the Wood, a task passed down in her family. She's also a teen trying to do normal teen things like go to school and hang out with her best friend and talk to boys. But the Wood is more important than anything. I liked how you could see the way her duty wormed its way into every aspect of her life even though she clearly didn't want it to. As a character, though, I didn't think Winter was anything special. I neither liked nor disliked her which left the world-building and plot to pick up the slack when it came to engaging me as a reader.

And the world was beautiful. I loved the idea of the Wood and the Guardians, how the Wood was both alive but not, almost sentient in nature, with all the portals to different points throughout history. I'm not one for time-travel books and there's very little in The Wood regarding the protagonist traveling but she's charged with sending "travelers" (those who wander through one of those portals) back to their own time. I liked that twist since so often it seems like the main character's the one doing all the time-traveling.

I can't say the plot held up as well as the world. It took the first quarter of the book before I was interested. Prior to that I put the book down several times to read something else. I think the point where Henry is introduced was when I started to become really invested in the story, and not because of the romance blossoming between him and Winter. They finally started working toward the end goal, and the action (and tension) was ramped up.

Honestly, based on the synopsis and the opening pages of this book, I thought it was going to be a lot darker, maybe a bit gory. Those pages reminded me a bit of And the Trees Crept In and though I'm not one for horror, usually, I got excited. But The Wood isn't dark or creepy. You get your typical bad guy mixed in with a little mystery. Which is a shame.

There's also a tie-in to the Fae and when I read that I got excited again only to find that the Fae don't make an appearance in the way I expected (I was hoping for some sort of allusion to folklore but didn't really get much of that).

At the end, I had to double check that this wasn't a series because though some of the storylines wrapped up, there were a couple that didn't and I didn't understand why they were introduced in the first place only to be left like that. Granted, I'm not sure where this would go as a series but I wanted more of a definite ending for certain subplots.

This book was good but not great. I wanted a dark tale and got a unique take on YA fantasy so brownie points for that but I felt The Wood was just... lacking in some areas.

I am not exactly the best reviewer out there, but I knows what I likes and often, I will judge a book based on how angry I am when it’s over. If I’m sitting there, looking at a book going “that can’t possibly be the end. Where are the rest of the pages? Why isn’t there more? Where’s book 2 and why isn’t it in my hands right now??” Then I think it’s fair to say I enjoyed that book rather a lot and would like to read more from the author.

That said, I don’t necessarily think The Wood is going to be a series, it works pretty well as a standalone novel, but I just…I want more, damn it. I want to know more about the magic of this world and the wood and…and…and…can I just please have a sequel?

Anyway, this book is about a magical wood somewhere in Ohio (they have woods in Ohio? I have no idea, but I bet there not as cool as our Pacific Northwest woods…). Anyway, this wood is not of our world - it’s got all sorts of creepy magical shit going on. Like portals to other times. And sometimes people walk through one of these portals and end up in the wood and they’re all “what the hell just happened?” Enter our protagonist, Winter Parish, who is part of a long line of guardians of the wood, whose role is to assist the “travelers” who end up in the woods. Winter’s dad was a guardian, too, but he disappeared under some veeery mysterious circumstances a couple years back, leaving Winter with a ton of unanswered questions about the wood and now she has to do her patrol alone.

Also, there are immortal beings who look after the wood and the mortal guardians. Because…reasons…don’t look at me, read the book.

Anyway: something’s up with the wood - the trees have some kind of weird disease, freaky stuff happens in there at night and under no circumstances is Winter supposed to be there after dark, and there’s this really persistent guy from the late 18th Century who keeps coming through a portal and into the wood who will not listen to Winter when she says “don’t do that.” But, as it turns out, he’s looking for his missing parents, and their disappearance might just have something to do with the disappearance of Winter’s dad…

In all, The Wood is a highly enjoyable YA fantasy and a good debut novel. I wish I knew if there were going to be a sequel or not…please…?

A bit strange but still very fun! I liked the characters and the overall plot. Some parts were underdeveloped and the writing was a bit choppy, but overall, The Wood was an enjoyable novel!