Melissa Albert’s The Hazel Wood brings dark fairy tales to life with beautiful writing and eerie tales that leap off its pages. Alice is not used to staying in one place for long. Her mother has often whisked her off at a moment’s notice and so Alice is not used to putting down roots. Even her mother’s new marriage feels temporary as bad lucks seems to follow them everywhere. When Alice discovers that her mother has been kidnapped and that her disappearance may be tied to the recluse grandmother she’s never met, Alice sets out in search of her grandmother’s estate the Hazel Wood. But the closer Alice gets to the mysterious home of her mother’s youth, the more she begins to realize that the book of fairy tales written by her grandmother years ago may not just be stories.

One of Alice’s defining characteristics is the underlying darkness she’s constantly trying to keep at bay. I wanted the author to explore this more as I felt that those scenes where this darkness takes momentary control came across as Alice being more bratty than trying to quench this inner hostility. What I did find fascinating about who Alice is is the way in which the author showed how one woman’s life experience trickled down through generations and impacted all their lives. Althea had shut herself in the Hazel Wood years ago with her daughter Ella. This means for years Alice’s mother was essentially trapped in a make believe world of her own mother’s making. This explains a lot about Ella and her flightiness. Alice has adopted a similar mindset. Her world is very small because she’s only ever had her mother to love. When she finds out her mother is missing, it isn’t a matter of just calling the police, she must physically find her or else her whole world will come apart. It is this kind of desperation that would have had me more invested in this character, but scenes between Alice and her mother were too few considering the importance of this relationship to Alice’s character.

Aside from Alice, the novel spends most of its time on her classmate Ellery Finch. A bit of an outcast, Finch recognizes something familiar in Alice that he sees in himself. A fan of Althea’s work, Finch becomes a window by which Alice is able to connect with the grandmother she never knew. I really liked Finch, but felt that there were so many more layers to his character that we didn’t get a chance to explore. His own storyline seemed to end far too abruptly and his arc’s resolution didn’t feel justified based on the level of development his character received. We were often told there was a side to his character that he didn’t let other people see, but we were never given enough insight into this for certain choices he made to feel authentic.

I can’t say enough about the writing in The Hazel Wood. Albert’s imagery shines best when she narrates the dark stories from Tales from the Hinterland. With titles like Twice-Killed Katherine and The Door That Wasn’t There, these stories are unique and compelling and sometimes sinister. I enjoyed these strange fairy tales so much that there were times that I wish I was reading Althea Prosperpine’s novel instead of this one. As much as I enjoyed this aspect of the novel, Albert’s writing seemed to falter when it came to characterization and most notably that of her lead.

Alice and her mother Ella are as close as can be, mostly because it seems they can only rely on each other. They're plagued by a lifetime of terrible luck, and it only gets worse when they find out Ella's mother, Althea, has passed away at her home, the Hazel Wood. Alice has never met Althea, and Ella doesn't really speak of her. All Alice knows is that Althea was the author of Tales from the Hinterland, a book of dark fairy tales that has developed a creepy cult following. When Ella is kidnapped, Alice is determined to find her, and knows it must have something to do with the Hinterland. She soon meets Ellery Finch, a Hinterland groupie, and lets him help her against her better judgment. Can they navigate this dark world to find Ella and make it out alive?

I love all things fairy tale, and magical realism, and creepy stuff, so this one checked a lot of boxes for me! I think it's a pretty original concept, which is difficult to do in the fairy tale genre. The "twist," while not altogether shocking, was satisfying. Alice's bitter musings were a little over the top, and I'm truly surprised this is a YA novel.. As a middle school librarian, I read a lot of those, and this has a distinctly adult vibe, not because of content, but because of the way the characters speak and interact.

All in all, I enjoyed this different, dark, and edgy tale!

Unique and creative take on urban fantasy, fairy tale tropes, fan culture and adventures, I couldn't put it down!

Honestly I was kind of let down by this book. Which bugged me since it was one of my most anticipated reads. I just didn’t find it as amazing as I hoped it would be. I was a bit confused for a portion of this book, and it ended in a way I wasn’t expecting and normally that’s s good thing but this time it just didn’t sit well with me.

Rating: 4.5/5

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, blood, some language)

Pages: 368

Author: Melissa Albert

Amazon

I received a free copy of this book on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Flatiron Books!

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. – Amazon.com



I love fairy tales and I’m sure almost everyone in the world has heard the phrase “once upon a time” uttered once in their lifetime. But what if there were tales that were dark, like darker than the Grimms Brothers fairytales? Enter Tales From The Hinterland! A book about those very dark, violent, and haunting tales. And enter Alice, a girl who is trying to figure out who she is, why her and her mother keep having to leave their homes, and who kidnapped her mother. She, along with superfan Ellery, travel to find her grandmother, the author of Tales From The Hinterland, to discover the answer to those questions. So, let’s start off by saying that this book was actually really great! I thought the characters were all very well developed, the plot was intriguing and very well developed, and the world building was fairly well done as well. I thought that I could see these fantastical places pretty clearly in my mind.



However, I did feel that the pacing was a bit off in some spots. The book definitely has its high and lows in terms of action, but for the most part it’s mostly action. I managed to read the book in a day. That’s how fast of a read it was for me. On the subject of action, I did think that the action bits (like fighting and high stakes scenes) were a bit muddied. They weren’t that clear to me as a reader and I felt that if those scenes were expanded a bit more then they could have made a bit more sense. The language is also flowery in places and while it didn’t bug me I know it does some people which is why I mention it.


Verdict: If you’re looking for a dark and action-y read this February I’d definitely choose this one! It was one of my favorite reads so far this January and I think that this will be a favorite read for a lot of other people too this year. Definitely one of the most anticipated reads that is worth the hype in my opinion.

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. (via Goodreads)

I received an eARC from the publisher courtesy of Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

The Hazel Wood really surprised me in a lot of ways. I went into it expecting a typical fairytale, and to an extent I got it, but there was also so much more to this book than I was expecting.

I read this on my Kindle in two sittings and really, really loved it. It's a little bit Grimm, a little bit fanciful, and a whole lot of a great story. If you were a fan of stories like Naomi Novik's Uprooted or Tell Tale's The Wolf Among Us, this is probably a good book for you.

There's one quote that I loved from very near the end of the book.

"I made a whole world just for you, and in it you get to do what nobody gets to: you get to live, and live, and live. And everything will come out the way it's supposed to, no matter what."

If this sounds up your alley, check it out on Amazon or Indiebound!

Disclaimer: All links to Indiebound and Amazon are affiliate links, which means that if you buy through those links, I will make a small amount of money off of it.

Blog post set for January 23, 2018 publication

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
Meet your new addiction. The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert will cast an immediate spell on you and keep you awake long into the night frantically turning pages. This frantic, pitch-black, twisted fairy tale hits bookstores January 30 and will no doubt land on a lot of ‘best of’ lists for 2018 by the end of the year. A movie adaptation is reportedly already in the works. Go buy a copy the day it comes out, read it, and pass it around. You can thank me later.
Alice and her mom Ella have been on the run for as long as Alice can remember. Alice has never met her grandmother, Althea Proserpine, who was briefly a famous author and has now retreated to the her estate in north woods of New York called The Hazel Wood. Althea’s book Tales from the Hinterland became a cult classic that is now virtually impossible to find, or way too expensive to purchase when a copy emerges. Strange stories abound about bad luck regarding those who have read the stories or who own the books.
When Alice and her mom get a letter saying that Althea has died, Ella thinks their days of running are over. Alice, now 17, has only been dimly aware of what exactly they’ve been running from. Then Ella disappears, and Alice fears that it’s either the strange and obsessive Hinterland fans who are responsible, or worse, characters from The Hinterland itself.
Alice enlists the help of classmate and Hinterland fan Ellery Finch, who helps Alice piece together the few clues she has. Ellery is very willing to help Alice, especially when all trails point to a visit to The Hazel Wood, a place every true fan of Tales from the Hinterland wants to go.
Author Melissa Albert expertly weaves fragments of Althea’s twisted fairy tales into Alice’s reality, and all of it is terrifyingly familiar and realistic. These fairy tales not only have teeth, they are infectious and get under your skin. Albert’s prose is literary, lilting, and addictive. This is a tale that you can’t leave behind even once you’ve finished it; it resonates long after the last page. While there have been plenty of YA books that rework old fairy tales, Albert has taken the fairy realm and deconstructed it. There are no princes coming to the rescue, and no happily ever afters in this dark tale. But there is some form of redemption in Alice’s strength to fight her own battles and use her own grit to rewrite her future.
I plan to buy several of these for the library in various formats (print, ebook, e-audio book), and fully expect to add additional copies as this novel explodes into the YA world. Go buy yourself a copy and pass it around. You’ll love it, and your friends will think you’re the most awesome reader ever for passing it on to them.

I think this will be one of those books that stays with me for a long time. I didn't want it to end, but I needed to know what was going to happen. Normally, I'm not really big on the whole magical world in reality/urban fantasy thing, but Albert does a great job and really pulls it off.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.

The story follows Alice, and her mother, Ella. They've been on the road as long as Alice can remember, jumping from couch to studio apartment, because if they stay too long in one place, the bad luck finds them. People associated with them get hurt. Ella believes that the bad luck is because of her mother, Althea, reclusive author of a collection of dark fairy tales that has accrued a cult-like following with fanatic followers.

Alice has never met her grandmother and when news of her death reaches them, Ella believes they are finally free. But soon Ella goes missing, apparently taken by someone from the Hinterland, the fairy-tale world Althea wrote about. Armed with determination and Finch, a boy who claims to know all there is to know about the Hinterland, Alice sets off on a mission to find her mother. But things are not all that they seem and Alice soon finds out that she is a part of a story much larger than herself.

I think part of the reason I enjoyed this book so much, especially at first, was because it didn't seem much like an urban fantasy. I would say the first two-thirds were just (fairly) normal city-living, setting the stage for the last part, where more of the fantasy elements come in. This story was also really unique and quite original. I've never read anything like it before.

I also really, really loved the book themes throughout the novel. Both Alice and Finch are book lovers and there were parts where Alice would talk about going to a bookstore or just doing bookish things like that. The portrayal of the feelings of trying to track down one of the few remaining copies of Althea's book was really fun as well. There were fan theories and just so much talking about books and stories - I just really enjoyed it! It made me want to start Googling to see if I could find a copy, even though it's a fictional book!

I was surprised to see this book was only a standalone. The story wraps up nicely in the end, but I wasn't sure Albert was going to finish telling the story by then. Nothing felt too rushed, but I just remember looking and seeing that there were only 50 pages left and feeling like there was so much left to address.

I think that the magical elements were fairly well explained, I was able to follow the ideas for the most part. I will say that I wish there was a copy of the fiction book, either as part of this or with better integration in the story, as like a chapter header or something. We get a retelling of a couple of the more relevant stories but I just wish I was able to read them, not only for my own interest but also because they were such a big part of the book but left fairly unknown. I do really appreciate that this is sort of a fairy tale retelling, but not based off a fairy tale anyone would know I think sometimes I spend so much time comparing a retelling to the original that I forget to enjoy the story. There was no worry of that here.

Overall, a really fascinating read, highly recommend!

Alice in Wonderland plus Dark Fairytales conjures up some expectations. Action, fun magic, meaningful fairy tales.

That's what The Hazel Wood promises. It's what I expected.
But that's not what I read. Maybe this review is going to sound ranty?

There’s certain crimes books can’t get away with. Boring is at the top of the list, am I right? Boring books are the worst. Problematic books are also on the list. The Hazel Wood has both strikes against it.

The Hazel Wood counts as the MOST boring book I’ve read in 2018. This review will break that down, hopefully without giving away spoilers. Though, this book is so slow, and tedious, there’s practically nothing to spoil. *frustrated tears*

What I really can’t believe, is how hyped this book is. Book boxes are sending it out in February & it seems to be a big hit. I was trying to decide whether I should kindly rate this book 3 stars because it’s slightly interesting.

But I can’t get over the major problem I have with the premise. This book gets away with blatant abuse. Not abuse dealt out by a villain.
The main character is manipulative and abusive, and we’re supposed to ignore her behavior. Even writing that statement is painful to me.

I simply don’t understand why such a hyped book is allowed to get away with these basic problems?

Most of the time I try to be temperate, even kind with my reviews. I’m not attempting that today. I’m just listing my major problems, and yes, I’m a bit salty.

Weird, Just Really Weird Relationships

The very first thing I noticed was the weird mother-daughter relationship. Alice calls her mom by her first name, and that insistently was weird.

If it was explained, I might not think it was weird.

I've seen characters call their parents by their first name before, but it needs an explanation. Like Eustace in Voyage of the Dawn Treader. We're told within 5 paragraphs that Eustace's parents believed that using titles was outdated.

But we're not given any insight into Ella and Alice's relationship. Just a weird dynamic.

One dimensional characters

Alice was the most dull narrator I have yet to read. She goes on weird loops, that don't make much sense to the story. I had a hard time following her train of thought for much of the book.

Ellery - Could we have made Ellery the narrator? That would have helped SO MUCH. He's actually slightly interesting.

He's also philosophical. Which Alice roast him about, for NO GOOD REASON. Why? Just more abuse,

Unexplained Anger, Bordering on Abuse

I'll go into why this really, really bothers me in my last point. But for now, I'm going to say this.

People should have reasons for being angry. Don't just tell me it's part of who they are. And then let them get away with practically anything, "Because I was mad"

WHAT???

Also, small spoiler. But a character threatened another character with a gun and NOTHING was done about that. Are you kidding me? Just dropping gun violence into a story for NO REASON. And then doing NOTHING about it. I don't even know what to say.

SLOW, SLOW, SLOW

I don't know why we spent half the story hanging out in NYC. And the other half on a very tedious car trip. Neither the trip or time in the city added much depth to the story.

Once we reached the Hinterland, things picked up. But I looked down when the Hinterland, and I was 75% done. Barely reached the cool, weird story place, and story DONE.

That was a ripoff.

The premise



Official Rant Moment

A story teller that writes horrible stores about abusive people. I hate abuse, ok? Dark things happen, believe me, I know.

But why are you writing dark stuff just for the sake of being dark??? This is extremely personal to me. Shock value writing make me sick.

I don't want to be simply shocked by evil. I've experienced evil up close and personal in my life. I know what it is to fight PTSD, Reactive Detachment Disorder & all kinds of abuse.

I love characters who go through horrible things and come out stronger. This is part of my life story. It's part of who I am.

But if you're just throwing people into a mess, just for the sake of giving your readers chills, I AM MAD.

I don't have a problem with bad things. But give characters the moral strength to fight bad things.

Alice doesn't fight in this story. She nearly kills her friend, reacting from senseless anger all the time, and is just plain cruel. Because the story teller created that story for her.

Are you serious? Are you kidding me? She gets away with violence bordering on abuse, just because that's the story?

What???

Sorry if that's incredibly ranty, but I just couldn't stand that premise.

I'm giving The Hazel Wood one star because the entire book was a headache. And wishing I had NEVER read this book.

ARC Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

My review can be seen on RT Book Reviews / 4.5 stars TOP PICK

This grimdark debut is chock full of brilliant original fantasies that are as dark as anyone who truly loves the originals could hope for. With a twisted-Narnia feel to the portal world of the Hinterlands, the story is moved by Alice's agency, something that is always refreshing to see in a YA novel. Her character arc doesn't shy away from the "unlikeable" actions she takes to survive and find her mother, and I love how Alice unapologetically put herself and those closest to her first. Will definitely be book talking this story to classes.

The Hazel Wood is probably the creepiest book I’ve read in awhile. There were some parts I actually had to pause in the middle of reading because I couldn’t believe what was going on! It definitely hooked me in from the beginning.

If you’re a fan of Alice in Wonderland or other fall-through-the-fabric-of-earth books, then this book is for you.

The Hazel Wood opens in New York City with seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother, Ella. Alice and Ella have been on the run since Alice was a little girl, hiding from Alice’s grandmother Althea Proserpine who wrote a collection of dark fairytales, Tales from Hinterland, that sparked a cultish following. Alice has never met her grandmother, but Ella insists on constantly moving around and running away from the bad luck that has something to do with Althea’s book.

When Ella gets kidnapped by people from Hinterland, Alice races to save her mother and along the way gets help from her classmate and Tales from Hinterland super-fan, Ellery Finch. Finch uses his knowledge of the fairytales to help Alice eventually find her grandmother’s estate The Hazel Wood.

I would use this book as a supplementary text for students to draw connections and parallels to Alice in Wonderland.

The main idea behind this book is so appealing and interesting, I was fully into it when we were finding out about the book, the two stories we got to read, the mystery around it, the darkness surrounding it... and yet when we met the darkness I felt it was not dark enough. I enjoyed more the build-up than the actual outcome.

“Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”

That’s the last message from Alice’s mother, Ella, who’s finally been captured by the hidden enemies she’s been running from for as long as Alice can remember. Alice has lost count of all the rented apartments, houses, and motel rooms she’s called home over the years as her mom moved from place to place, but the one place she’s never been is her famous grandmother’s equally famous country estate, the Hazel Wood. Alice knows that’s where her mother has gone, and despite her mother’s desperate message, she’s determined to follow her and bring her home. But the Hazel Wood is more dangerous than Alice understands—a place where dark, twisty fairy tales are alive, a place where princesses are doomed, and danger lurks around every corner.

This is one of the slow, spooky books that you don’t realize is freaking you out until you’re trying to fall asleep and all you can think about is Twice-Killed Katherine. It’s genuinely eerie, first as the fairytale folk stalk Alice and her mom through the city and then as Alice ventures into her grandmother’s mysterious estate, where the darkest story of all is waiting for her. Great for teens who love the gory original Grimm stories or who are in the mood for a spooky, atmospheric book tinged with horror.

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert is one of the books I've was dying to read, between the cover and the blurb, I thought this was going to be an easy home run for me, but now that I've read it, I've got mixed feelings about somethings. The main problem I had with it was that it fantasized kidnapping. It's a big part of the story, I just didn't care for the dreamlike feel that was written about the kidnapping. The only other problem I had with this book was that the balance of it was a little offbeat; other than that it's an enjoyable read.

The world she's written is great, the mix of dark and light. The way the stories within this book plays into the world is one of the best parts of this story. The mixing of a fantasy world into the real world is one of my favorite themes to read about. The characters fit together like puzzle pieces that play well off each other.
Melissa's writing is beautiful, that's my favorite part of this book, and I will for sure be reading other books by her. It takes a bit to get into this story but it's still a good read.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC copy from Flatiron Books and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book had been on by radar for a bit, mostly because of its gorgeous cover but also because of the dark fairy tale aspect that was promised in the synopsis. Still, I wasn't sure what type of story this would be, but I certainly wasn't expecting the type of story I got. It was much better than anticipated!

First things first, The Hazel Wood is beautifully written. Albert's style is incredibly musical and fluid. The words just seem to sing and rift off one another to the point where the text flows effortlessly from line to line. The descriptions are hauntingly vivid and, at times, brutal and dark. 

Alice as a protagonist is a strong yet flawed character who's relatability lies in her sense of belonging, or her lack thereof, as well as her close relationship with her mother. I can't say that I was incredibly attached to Alice, but I was fully interested in both her existential and physical situation. She's incredibly determined to find her mother and she's willing to do whatever is necessary to save both her mother and herself. The character I most connected with, though, was Finch, as he seemed to be a generally more likable character due to his charm, kindness, determination, and surprising cunning.

The plot unfolded in a completely unexpected way. One moment we're grounded in a drama that could take place with any character in any place and in the next, sensibility gives way to nonsensicalness, and realism transforms into magical realism which then becomes complete fantasy. The introduction of Althea's fairy tales and her creatures into the real world is odd and jarring. However, once the Hinterland takes center stage and the Hazel Wood becomes the setting, the writing flourishes.

Albert suddenly gives us an Alice in Wonderland-esque story that is topsy-turvy, mystifying, grotesque and deliciously disturbingly. I will admit the story becomes a bit hard to keep follow as whimsy and rationality are used simultaneously. Absurdity becomes the norm with no warning whatsoever. It's very well done but also very unexpected, and in some cases, one can argue that such a sudden change of pace and tone can be slightly off-putting.

Besides the writing and world-building, I'd have to say the strongest aspect of this book lies in its depiction of Alice and her mother's relationship. In some ways, Alice's relationship on her mother is overly-dependent, mostly due to circumstances. But there's a genuine connection between them that has nothing to do with circumstance and everything to do with who they are as people. And reading Alice's thoughts on her mother and what she means to her were some of the most touching and messed up parts of the book.

There's so much to love about this book. At times it was frustrating, because of the bizarre descriptions and confusing series of events, but most times it was enthralling, enchanting, and even humorous. The story is moderately trippy and chaotic but beautifully so. I wouldn't say this is the type of story for everyone to enjoy, but I most certainly did! I can't wait to read whatever else Melissa Albert may write.

Alice and her mother have spent most of her 17 years on the road. Always a step ahead of the bad luck that seems to find them wherever they go. When Alice’s grandmother, an author of popular dark fairy tales, dies on her estate The Hazel Wood. Then her mother ends up being taken by a supernatural creature from the Hinterland. Alice’s luck couldn’t get worse.

She has one lead- a message her mother left behind to stay away from the Hazel Wood. Now Alice must ally herself with a hardcore Hinterland super fan in her class, Ellery Finch, in order to get her mother back.

I’ve been dying to get my hands on a copy of this book. I got lucky and was given a copy via Netgalley (yay for Netgalley!). I’ve definitely been in a fairy tale reading mood and I’ve seen this book with its amazingly gorgeous cover all over the bookstagram community so I had to read it. This is definitely going to be one of my most favorite books from 2018.

It’s dark. Honestly the Hinterland scares the crap out of me. Reading this book late at night and going downstairs to get fruit loops alone was terrifying for me haha. I loved how the author has extremely unique fairy tales written into the book. Honestly the twist about 3/4 through the book absolutely blew my mind. Drop whatever you are doing and get your hands on a copy ASAP!

I'll start off my saying that I really really wanted to like this book. This book has gotten a lot of hype and sounded right up my alley. I love fairy tale books (especially dark ones) and Alice in Wonderland remakes, I thought I was sure to enjoy "The Hazel Wood." With all that being said... I couldn't finish the book. I read 60% of it (it took over a month) and I had to stop.

The Characters: I had no connection with the characters. I found Alice to be mean, her mother you barely see and Ellery Finch is often described negatively. It was hard to like Alice when she's so self-centered, demanding and angry. Finch is the only character of color in the story (maybe there are more later but I never got that far). Alice treats him poorly and states that he "inspired her to loudly complain about extreme wealth being wasted on non-hot guys." Also, at one point when they get pulled over by a cop Alice starts to yell at the office and doesn't understand why Finch is so upset about it (he's afraid of being racially profiled). It's hard to become invested in a book if I don't care about the characters.

The Writing: I couldn't get past the style of this book. There are so many crazy metaphors that I actually laughed out loud at one point (and no it was not humerous). In one sentence there's an egg metaphor and the next a baseball one. That's two nonsensical metaphors in one paragraph. I couldn't focus on the plot because I was too busy rolling my eyes at all the crazy metaphors.

The Plot: I enjoyed the very beginning of the book, learning about Alice, her mother Ella and the reclusive fairy tale author. It was interesting to hear about the cult following of "Tales from the Hinterland" and the mysterious Althea Prosperine. I found the beginning to be intriguing because it teased a lot of strange occurrences (Alice and Ella having to move around a lot and Alice being kidnapped). I read over half of the book and learned little more about those instances. The pace of the plot was very slow and things happened just because that's what happens in fairy tales. Some events occurred just because it's a fairy tale. One of the characters even makes the comment: "Maybe it's a fairy-tale thing." I couldn't get past the fact that the author couldn't come up with a better explanation for events besides that's how it works in fairy tales. I think if the events had greater explanations it would have made the story more cohesive and flow better.

This book was not for me. I feel bad that this review is so negative, I try to find something good in each book I read whether or not I liked it. I will say that I have a co-worker who absolutely loved it and raves about it. I'm sure some people will enjoy it but I really struggled through it.

*HUGE thanks to Fierce Reads, Netgalley, and Melissa Albert for the early review copy in exchange for my honest opinion

***2.5 STARS***

My Review...

I’d like to preface this review by stating that no one is more surprised & bummed out by my reading experience with The Hazel Wood. I stayed clear of other reviews while reading once I caught wind of the divide in readers. This book feels like it will be a either you LOVE it or REALLY WANTED TO BUT JUST DIDN’T type of read & I fall into the latter. This has all the ingredients I look for in my Fantasy books however, the promise of “pitch dark fairy tales” was the real hook line & sinker. This is a very slow paced read & I for one am Ok with that because some of my favorite books have been and as long as the pay off is worth it I roll with it. The problem became evident when at the 60% mark I started eyeing the remaining pages wondering if there were enough left to transport me to the Hinterland & when that exactly was going to happen. It was like waiting for Lucy to find the door in the wardrobe that would take her to Narnia only she doesn’t discover it til the very end & at that point there really isn’t much time for world building. Although The Hazel Wood is labeled Fantasy, a large chunk of it is set in modern day.

We follow Alice and her mother who are always on the move trying to stay ten steps ahead of their “bad luck” & so a lot of the story is set on the road. Alice knows only that her mom doesn’t have a good relationship with her grandmother and as such has told her to stay away from her & The Hazel Wood where she lives. This all changes when Alice’s mother is kidnapped & she’s left with a last ditch warning from her mom to again stay away from The Hazel Wood. Alice of course disregards & starts searching for clues that will lead her to her mom, eventually all roads lead to the Hinterland and the passageway is The Hazelwood. Alice has never read her Grandmothers most famed written work Tales from the Hinterland but not for lack of trying. The hunt for this rare edition leads her to her classmate Ellery Finch who is OBSESSED with her grandmother & Tales from the Hinterland. Typically, Alice steers clear of all fans but she’s feeling really desperate & Ellery has read the book which gives them an advantage. Now, the way this relationship progresses was probably one of the main reasons I came to the conclusion that I really dislike Alice as a character. Yes, it’s clear that Ellery has a hidden agenda but we don’t know if he has ill intentions towards Alice or is just a super fan who will do anything to get into The Hazel Wood. The dialogue between these two is always abusive from Alice’s side. One specific instance is when they’re on the road & Finch makes up a game in order to break the ice & get to know each other better, maybe even help Alice remember important childhood memories that can help them. The game is called Memory Place and Ellery starts of with A is fo Amsterdam because that’s the place he lost his “V-card” & they continue through the alphabet only Alice gets exasperated & says she no longer wants to play…

“I don’t want to play your stupid game anymore”

“and who uses a car game as an excuse to brag about having sex with some bitch in a park”

“some bit**? she was my girlfriend for eight months. It’s so ugly when girls call each other that word”

“Oh, my God, Finch, go get a liberal arts degree”

Awkward…but this is very much who Alice is and although we get a better understanding for her character at the very end, it didn’t change the cringe worthy moments throughout the book where she was just downright unlike-able.

To be honest, I probably would’ve fared better in the tolerance department had the majority of this story been set in the Hinterland. I really did not enjoy Quentin Colwater’s character in The Magicians but once we were in Fillory, he got plenty of passes from me. Alice may not have been my favorite MC however, I’m a sucker for A+ world building & the glimpse that I got just wasn’t enough. There were two stories within The Hazel Wood that were from Tales from the Hinterland that were absolutely engrossing! Dark & twisted, I couldn’t get enough & found myself powering through the pages. However, these were short stories at the very end and I can’t judge my enjoyment of this book on just these two amazing short stories (I thought about it but I just can’t). The ending however, leaves much promise for the sequel and I found my interest piqued. I really enjoyed the story behind Alice once it was revealed at the very end, but don’t want to discuss for fear of spoilers. I will say that in the short amount of time I spent in the Hinterland, I found it to be filled with interesting characters & the land itself had a very dark & atmospheric vibe. The kind of place I would’ve loved getting lost in the pages with. I’d still encourage those who want to read this book to do so since I know blogger buddies who LOVED it to pieces. I myself wanted to LOVE it but ultimately it didn’t work out that way. Will I read the sequel or any of the authors future works? I’m going to say yes for now, it’s clear Melissa Albert knows how to write dark Fantasy. I’m very curious to see whether the sequel let’s us full out immerse ourselves into the treacherous world of the Hinterland and enjoy her story-telling in a fantastical setting…

I wrote about this book here: http://www.bethfishreads.com/2018/01/8-new-speculative-fiction-books-for.html