The Hazel Wood is genuinely the first book I read in 2017 that I'm excited to promote. This dark, original book of fairy tales spliced with a contemporary mystery hooked me and made for a satisfying standalone read. The fairy tales hit all the notes of an original Grimm or Perrault tale, the contemporary parts were compelling, and their mixture reminded me of the best Charles de Lint novels but with an original voice that I can't wait to read more from.

I don’t usually gravitate toward the fantasy genre, but with this book, I’m glad I did. It’s actually a fantasy within a fantasy. Alice and her mother, Ella, are constantly on the move because bad luck seems to follow them. When Ella is forcibly taken from her apartment, Alice’s adventure begins and does not slow down. At this point, it’s difficult to put the book down. Alice desperately searches for her mother despite the dangers that she knows await her... she has been warned to stay away from the Hazel Wood. However, Alice is undeterred in her quest to save her mother from whatever evil that seems to be lurking along the way. The reader is then introduced to a myriad of characters: real and story book. There are some crazy, creepy, creative stories within this story like Alice -Three-Times and The Thief; they are definitely not your typical predictable fluffy fairytales. These fairytales have a darkness and edge to them that will pull you in and ignite your curiosity. This story is extremely well written and very visual. I highly recommend it, but not before bedtime…unless you want to experience some bizarre nightmares.

Excellent fantasy novel. I will highly recommend the book to my students.

Many thanks to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this title for review.

This was SO GOOD and very different from what I have been reading recently. I loved it. Disregard how long it took me to finish this book; once I really started it I was done in less than 24 hours, even staying up past my bedtime to read more about Alice's adventures in the Hinterland, the place where dark and gruesome fairy tales originate.

Alice has always known that bad luck follows her and her mother Ella. She is pretty sure this bad luck originated in some way with her grandmother Althea, the reclusive author of a collection of dark fairy tales about the Hinterland. Now, Althea is dead, her estate The Hazel Wood is falling apart, and the bad luck has found Alice and her mother again. When Ella is taken by fairy tale creatures, Alice knows she must find her way to The Hazel Wood. Armed with only a comb, a bone, and a feather, items left for her by the man who kidnapped her when she was young, Alice heads out on a quest to find her mother and learn the secrets of her past.

This story is dark, and twisty, and feministy and angsty. I loved the characters. I loved that it was a fairy tale set in today's world, but also a story of what happens when we let others write our stories. If you are a fan of Grimm's fairy tales and the original, bloody versions, this is for you. I cannot recommend it enough. For those looking to purchase for school libraries, there are a few curse words, but nothing outrageous. I would recommend this easily for grades 8 and up.

5 Stars 

There are not enough words to describe this gorgeously horrific fairy tale stole. If you think this is a fun, heartwarming fairy tale, you're very wrong. This was a book about a girl finding herself, an almost love, and deciding what really matters in the world. 

This book had the most delicious prose I've read in a long time. I was completely immersed in the world, so much so I swear I could taste the air sometimes. The background of New York made it even more magical. A city where anything and everything is possible. Where else would fairy tales occur? 

Ella and Alice's relationship was the main part of the book. A mother who would do anything for her daughter, whether moving across country overtime something turns bad or marrying a man she only slightly loves.

Alice is an angry girl who can't fit in wherever she goes, though she doesn't usually stay long enough to even try. She loves her mother more than anything in this world, and all the worlds she explores. Her mother is her person, her other half. It was so refreshing to see such a great relationship between mother and daughter. 

Ellery Finch is still a mystery to me. I'm not sure how I feel about this boy. But I did fall a bit in love with him and his kindness. He played more of a part in this story than I could of ever guessed. 

The Hazel Wood is a terrifying place of gritty, violent fairy tales that put Grimm's to shame. It's lush and her journey through felt like a horror story version of The Wizard of Oz. 

There's a casual mention and showing of a queer relationship between two women. It's not emphasized or made a big deal of. It just is. I nearly cried when I saw this. We need more of this in YA books, especially genres that aren't contemporary. Queer relationships don't have to be made a big deal of or exploited. They're just there and they're like any other relationship. 

I suggest reading this one with the lights on. And maybe you're pet nearby too. This book gets under your skin and stays there, terrifying and lush at the same time. You won't want to put it down.

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.- Goodreads

I cannot tell you enough how much this book pissed me off and was a disappointment. Alice is a crappy person. She is mean. She is selfish and she is ungrateful. Even at the end where there is some form of justification about why she is that way, it really is no excuse.

The majority of the book is Alice showing no interest in anything other than saving her mom and using people to get to that goal. She doesn't make an attempt to find information on her own but relies on someone else to do so. She screams and yells and wants to run into things blindly at the risk of others.

The overall story was slow and the best part of the book was the fairy tales written by her grandmother. I honestly would buy that book. They were creepy, didn't have a lesson to be learned (kind of) and were memorable. I loved them and wished that there was much more of it in the main story. Also the author did a pretty good job making the fairy tales real life. I think that their involvement with the modern world was short lived and there should have been more of it.

But let's get to the part of the book where I almost threw my kindle across the wall. So Finch is bi-racial and there is a scene, a powerful scene that showed how much of a scumbag Alice is. Was this scene necessary, no not really but I can see why the author added but there was almost no context before the incident and it was pretty much brushed aside after a page and Alice's BS excuse. You cannot add something like that and then do nothing with it. You really cannot.

After that I was completely discouraged to continue the book but I did keep going and Alice is still crap. But the author did something purely amazing when Alice got to Hazel Wood. Slightly predictable but some really good stuff comes out of that. I was disappointed in this book mainly because of Alice and there wasn't enough fairy tale aspects in this novel.

2 Pickles

The Hazel Wood is gorgeously written, a twisty dark fairy tale. I could rarely tell where it was going, but I was along for the ride. I loved it.

Dark and delicious this gorgeously written story accomplished what few books have, it surprised me and did not go where I expected it was leading. Incredibly engaging and creative it is full of wonderful descriptions and homages to fairy/folk tales and other literary greats. It feels both exciting and new, yet familiar and comforting, like a blanket constructed from your old t-shirts.

Alice and her mother, Ella, have been moving around since she can remember. They stay in one place only so long and then Ella says it is time to move again. Alice feels this is a normal way to live. She is aware that she has a grandmother, Althea, who she has never met, but other than that she knows of no other family. When Alice was younger, she was "abducted" by the redhaired man who told her he was taking her to meet her grandmother, Althea. She was not with him for long and she often dreamed he might have been her real father taking her on an adventure. She lived to "live" inside her daydreams. One day, Ella receives a letter stating Althea has passed away. Ella tells Alice they are now free. Free from what she does not understand. Soon after, Alice sees the redhaired man in the coffee shop where she is employed. She tries to follow him, but loses him. Soon after Ella is abducted. With the help of her friends Ellery Finch, she begins her adventure to Hazel Wood to locate her mother. I am not going to say more about the story from this point as this is where it really gets good!! This book is about the darker side of fairy tales. While many fairy tale retellings are being published at this time, this is not a retelling. This is a new fairytale and a whole new take on the genre. I totally loved this story and give it a 4.5 rounded to 5 stars.

What a awesome book. The storyline was complex and still easy to follow. Usually I have YA fantasy storylines figured out half way through the book but congratulations you had me fooled. The characters were well thought out and relatable. Would recommend this book to persons that enjoy fantasy set in modern times.

Alice Prosperpine is the grand daughter of a famous novelist with a mysterious allure. She wrote a strange collection of fairy tales about the "Hinterland" and then lived as a recluse in her estate called the Hazel Wood. Alice and her mother have been on the run all of Alice's life going from city to city like gypsies until her grandmother's death. Alice is back on the run after her mother is taken and strange people are after Alice. Joining forces with a Hinterland groupie, Alice goes out in search of Hazel Wood and her mother. What she discovers is not what she expected. This Alice, like the other fairy tale, tumbles head first down a very dark rabbit hole into a spirit world she didn't know existed.
This is a fairy tale turned horror story - a dream sequence that is worse during the day than at night where reality is what you fear the most. Great young adult crossover this will appeal to anyone who likes their fairy tales dark and fearful. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

Certainly unlike anything I've ever read before, The Hazel Wood has suspense, romance, kidnapping, murder, and fairy tale-like characters. When Alice and her mother Ella run from town to town to get away from bad luck, the reader becomes impatient with Ella. But as Alice gets older, meets Finch, a fan of her author grandmother, we begin to see another side of both Ella and Alice. The Hazel Wood takes the reader on a wild ride, and at times it is difficult to know if we should root for Alice or not. I'm so thankful to the Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to be an early reader in exchange for my fair and honest review. I've wanted to read this one for months and it did not disappoint. I hope to read more from Mimi Albert.

I had a really difficult time getting into this story due to the abusive nature of the narrator's relationship with her mother, but I know several patrons that would eat up the creepy atmosphere and dark fairy tale nature of the writing.

I enjoyed this book overall. It was well written and had a good pace. I loved the protagonist and some of the twists. However, I wish it had more of a magical element to it. Based on the cover, I was anticipating more fantastical parts and was left still wanting them.

5/5 Stars

It is rare when I find a book that completely captivates me. Miss Albert's story takes the genre of the fairy tales to its roots. The Hazel Wood is dark, creepy, cunning and most of all exciting.

The Hazel Wood is the story of Alice, who has such bad luck that her mom and her have to live on the move. When Alice's grandmother dies, they finally settle down to a life in New York City, thinking that their bad luck is over, only to find out the opposite. When Alice's mother is kidnapped, Alice must delve into the dark cult surrounding her grandmother and venture into the world of the fairy tales.

What I loved the most about this book is that it reminded me of the original fairy tales. Any English major knows what I am talking about, the dark fairy tales that make your skin crawl and your sense prick. The ones that I still remember to this day. It felt like a breath of fresh air to read about the fairy world that was not glittery, or hot, or romanticized. This is what a fairy tale story should be like.

My second favorite aspect of the book is the writing itself. The book is fast paced yet uncomplicated. It is beautifully written. No words are wasted needlessly and no descriptions are too long. I honestly couldn't put it down and I think finished it w/in hours.

I certainly hope that Miss Albert writes more, especially if she writes the actual tales which Alice's grandmother was suppose to have written because they sound deliciously dark and dangerous.

Not one of my favorite books, but I definitely loved the uniqueness of this story. Never before have I read a story that involved such a relationship between humans and the fair folk. Readers will be delighted and surprised by this change in style.

This book is dark, haunting and unsurprisngly, a page turner. I picked this up, already drawn in by the promise of dark fairy tales and couldn't put it down. There were twists and turns and before I knew it I was deep in the Hinterland wanting more.

I really liked this. This is a very strange creature that I didn’t always understand, but I stuck with it and I’m glad I did. But, I will say, this book isn’t for everyone. I like strange, quirky books A LOT!!! And this is extremely strange & quirky....and there’s a lot going on!! I would definitely like to read it again!! It’s got a lot of layers, and I get the overall, but I’d like to peel back some of those layers!!

~I would like to thank Netgalley and the Flatiron Books for a copy of this book. My views are my own honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me a digital ARC of “The Hazel Wood” by Melissa Albert. This book is perfect for those who love fairy tales. It is twisty and dark and fantastic. The characters are magical! This book will definitely find a home in the high school library where I work.

Maybe I hyped myself too much on this one, and I didn't realize it was going to be so much modern day. The thing is... I actually liked the stuff that took place in the modern day world better. I have seen review after review after review saying how creepy this is. I don't know if these people have ever seen a horror movie, but I will say I didn't find it creepy, but I did find the tales interesting. There was some creepy stuff that went on, and I was gearing myself up for the Hazel Wood, but it failed me. Alice sort of drove me nuts. She was cool at first, but slowly went down hill. I will say that Ellery was magnificent. I absolutely loved him. The writing was fantastic, but I wanted so much more from this world!