i found the idea of a modern roanoke mystery absolutely intriguing. i love the way gwenda bond has twisted this historical tale into a modern paranormal mystery. it's very different from what i was expecting and completely surpassed my expectations.

in all honesty, i thought this involved time travel of some kind. i thought it was a historical, not an urban fantasy. i didn't realise it was a modern version of what had previously happened. after reading some reviews on goodreads for blackwood, the original version of this book, i was a little weary. i thought i wouldn't like it at all. i think going in with low hopes helped me to enjoy it more (it's hard to be let down if you already expect it to be crap, y'know?).

the writing style was almost zombie/post apocalyptic in the sense that everyone's disappeared. i found it very interesting the way strange alchemy was set out. i wish there was a little more backstory with the blackwoods and the whole roanoke thing. there were many cool ideas that gwenda bond presented.
i really liked miranda. i found her cool and relatable. some of the other characters (mostly the adults) were kinda just shoved off to the side and weren't fleshed out very much. because of this, they're hard to connect and relate to.

overall, strange alchemy was a good book that i'm glad i had the opportunity to read. it's not the usual sort of book that i'd normally pick up, but i found it very interesting and made me think more about the actual plot rather than everything being handed to me on a silver platter.

I'm sorry that I will not be able to approve this book as it's not available in Kindle format. Thank you for the consideration.

Cannot review as it never downloaded in a format that I could view on my kindle touch. I wish I'd known it was going to be put out to be reviewed in PDF format prior to requesting.

Strange Alchemy
March 23, 2017


Gwenda Bond’s first book Blackwood has been reimagined and brought back to life with new vision.

Roanoke Island, the legend of the Lost Colony—and the 114 colonists who vanished without a trace more than four hundred years ago — still haunts the town. But that’s just a story told for the tourists. When 114 people suddenly disappear from the island in present day, it seems history is repeating itself—and an unlikely pair of seventeen-year-olds might be the only hope of bringing the missing back. Miranda Blackwood, a member of one of island’s most infamous families, and Phillip Rawling, the sherrif’s son, who has demons and secrets of his own, find themselves at the center of the mystery. As the unlikely pair works to uncover the secrets of the new Lost Colony, they must dodge everyone from the authorities to long-dead alchemists as they race against time to save their family and friends before they too are gone for good.
If you spend much time in an American history class at some point you are bound to hear the tale of Roanoke and its lost colony.

Gwenda Bond took that historical fable or real life mystery depending on your point of view and turned it into one of the most original and thrilling stories in the YA genre I’ve read in quite some time. To give you some perspective I’ve read nearly 200 books in 2017 thanks to a darling genetic quirk that enhances my reading comprehension and speed and I am seriously NOT KIDDING when I say if you want to see what originality and talent combined can create then check out this book.

She has created a well written and seemingly well researched plot, as accurate as you can get considering the complete lack of reliable information that has been found thus far. The lack of verifiable truth plays in Bond’s favor as she has free reign to use fantasy and the supernatural to fill in the holes with a masterful twist.

Her dialogue sounds decent although it does have its “nonsensical” moments but when it comes to the YA genre that little flaw seems to be a requirement and she does still make it work for the characters personalities.

I think readers will enjoy the main characters of Miranda and Phillip thanks to Bond’s ability to create characters you can attach to and become interested in enough that you want to see how their story plays out plus she has a great mystery element that will pique your curiosity.

Mystery abounds in Gwena Bond's STRANGE ALCHEMY and will leave readers guessing. The tale of the "Lost Colony" has fascinated generations. What really happened to the settlement at Roanoke? Gwena Bond gives an interesting theory into the disappearances of the 114 settlers. Readers will be drawn into the book and eager to read more. The characters Miranda and Phillip are both battling demons that the legacy of the Lost Colony has left in their lives. Readers will enjoy seeing their characters development and come into their own as they try and solve the mystery surrounding the island. Definitely recommend!

This is 100% one of the most original concepts I've read in YA in quite a while, and it was so well done!
Miranda Blackwood--an outcast from a cursed bloodline--and Grant Rawling--a delinquent who hears dead people--find themselves caught up in a scheme centuries in the making as Roanoke Island experiences it's second mysterious disappearance.
This book is a paranormal mystery thriller (with the teensiest bit of romance thrown in for good measure) and every aspect of those genres is handled masterfully! Some of the dialogue gets cheesy but never in a way that feels awkwardly inauthentic for the characters' ages, but other than that I have no complaints. 10/10 do recommend!

The low rating is due completely to the publisher's failure to allow this book to be uploaded to my Kindle. Too bad.