I want to start off this review by saying THE WICKED DEEP was one of my favorite books, and that story is what had me racing to read Ernshaw's sophomore novel. That being said, WINTERWOOD, disappointingly, feel flat for me. Don't get me wrong—the atmosphere and the writing itself were amazing. I felt sucked into this world and could feel the cold bite of the forest air even though it was sunny and warm outside. I just felt no connection to anything. The plot was slow and sometimes felt a little pointless, as if nothing was really going anywhere. It was one of those stories where I'm halfway through and have no idea how I could've possibly read so far into a book because it felt like nothing had yet to happen. By the time I got to the end, it was both predicable and also totally out of nowhere at the same time. I also didn't care about the characters much at all. I've heard that the final copy of this story differs drastically from the arcs, and I truly hope that if that's the case, it has to do with the characterization. I can get past a slower plot if I'm invested in the characters, but there was just nothing there for me to grasp onto, and I feel sorry to say I really struggled to get through this story. Based on what I've heard, I'm willing to give the final copy a second chance in the future, and will definitely be purchasing Ernshaw's work in the future (the writing truly is just so beautiful.) But this version of this book left me wanting more than what I was given.

Arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Going into the story, I was a little hesitant because of the issues I had with Shea Ernshaw’s debut novel The Wicked Deep, and I was interested to see how I felt about this book and if any of those issues showed up again.

Once again She Ernshaw delivers the perfect atmosphere to fit the story, the writing was so beautiful, and it transported you to this dark wintery wood. I think it’s official, I would say Shea Ernshaw is the “Master of Atmosphere”.

I enjoyed this book more than I was expecting, the one major issue I had with her previous book did show up in this one but not to the same extent. There was one thing about the plot to be a bit predictable, I missed out on the intended impact of the plot twist was meant to have because I deduced it, but everything following it came as a complete shock to me.

At first, I wasn’t very attached to either of the characters, but both Nora and Oliver did grow on me, but I felt like we could have gotten to know them better.I also felt there should have been more of Oliver’s perspective because the whole mystery that we’re trying to solve for most of the book surrounds him.

There were a few minor things that bothered me. but the ending redeemed a lot of the book for me. The ending probably was my favorite part of the book and everything about it was completely unexpected. I’m officially here for whatever Shea Ernshaw writes next, you know I’ll be picking it up.

I want to thank @netgalley #netgalley for an early copy of #winterwood in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
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This novel was my first by Shea Ernshaw (and now I can’t wait to read her other one I have (Wicked Deep.) She has an amazing talent of pulling your heartstrings from the beginning!! I smiled, I cried, I went through all the emotions with these characters as they did. That to me is pure talent! I love reading books like this one. They resonate with you long after reading it! Although, it lost one star for the repetitive “whining” through three-quarters of the start of the story. That’s my ONLY complaint. But, I had my heart attached regardless.
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This book takes you on a journey with Nora Walker, a witch of the oldest haunted woods whose ancestors belong to the land. She meets people and love in strange circumstances, but an adventure worthy of a standing ovation! A haunting, beautiful, and heart-pounding story that I absolutely adored.

This novel was almost every thing I needed to get me through this hot California fall. The beautifully descriptive ambiance of a west coast forest in the middle of a cold, dark winter had me wishing so hard I lived further up north. Honestly, I think I was most in love with the setting and the general plot of the book. It was engaging and though I was able to guess the direction it was taking, it still kept me invested until the very end.

Thanks so much to Netgalley for the digital ARC!

I have not read The Wicked Deep so I was unfamiliar with the author's writing style and it took a little getting used to. The repetitive sayings were a little annoying and the plethora of metaphors and similes were distracting at times.

I enjoyed that the Wicker Woods were there own character and reading of the different Walker women ancestors. The ending was thoroughly enjoyable even if it was a little predictable.

Winterwood, Shea Ernshaw's follow up book to her popular release The Wicked Deep, cements Ernshaw as a premiere young adult author of dark, dreamy, magical realism.

In Winterwood, the Wicker Woods come alive as our heroine, Nora, traverses the haunted hills of her home outside of Fir Haven. Nora, descended from a long line of witches, enters the wood during full moons to find things that have been lost; one month, she has her biggest find yet - a boy named Olivier, lost from a boys camp nearby. As Nora tries to unravel the mystery of Oliver, the story speeds toward an heart pounding end.

Ernshaw has mastered the art of making environments come alive. The Wicker Woods is its own character, clearly interacting with the characters and serving justice when necessary. The whole story is atmospheric, eerie, and perfect for a fall/winter read. Some of Ernshaw's plot lines are hard to follow and things can get a little muddled, but that blurriness seems built-in to the story intentionally.

Overall, I'll be recommending this novel to readers of all ages who enjoy magical realism, settings that come alive, dark mysteries, and witchy vibes.

I did not finish this as I lost interest in the novel. This is a little on the older side for my middle school students and I think the writing would go above their heads. In a different world, it would probably have been nice to read as the lyrical writing is beautiful--however, with loads of other books taking up my TBR, I had to stop reading this one and move on.

Content Warning: Death, Murder, Injury

"I do not think the forest would be so bright, nor the water so warm, nor love so sweet, if there were no danger in the lakes. --C.S. Lewis"

Shea Ernshaw has done it again. She’s captivated my senses and left me yearning for more of her magical, eerie tales. While I felt that Winterwood perhaps wasn’t as developed as the plotline in The Wicked Deep, it still left me with a sense of deep satisfaction. The ending was exactly enough, as I was totally engrossed in the atmosphere that this novel offers.

"Nora Walker. The girl with moonlight in her veins."

Winterwood is the story about Nora Walker, and the ancestry of the women in her family. Even though she is the only Walker present, the representation of multiple generations of family members is palpable. I enjoyed how a “lore” was created around her family, which also spread to the reaches surrounding the town of Fir Haven.

Coupled with the lore of the Walker family, are the Wicker Woods. The woods are magical, but hostile. Only on nights of the full moon are the Walker women allowed to enter the woods while they slumber, to find lost things. It is on the night of a full moon after a terrible snow storm when Nora happens upon a boy in the woods. Having gone missing from a boys camp across the lake, his appearance in the woods is strange, as Nora knows to be in the woods is a perilous endeavor even for her.

"The Wicker Woods are where old, vengeful things lurk--things much older than time itself. Things you don’t want to meet in the dark. Get in. Get the hell out."

As Nora learns more about Oliver Huntsman, the boy from the woods, the more she realizes something sinister has happened with a group of boys from the camp.

Throughout the plot’s unravelling, the reader is introduced to different ancestors of the Walker family, via entries in the family spellbook. The Walker family have a long history of oddity and dysfunction. Nora Walker doesn’t have a good relationship with her mother. Having different desires, especially in consideration to the family they come from, their relationship has always been strained. Her mother, always had a desire to leave Jackjaw Lake. Nora, did not. She’s plagued with worry of if she truly belongs in her family.

"But without a nightshade, I can’t help but wonder if I’m really like any of them. If my name deserves to be listed in the spellbook among them. Or am I an imposter?"

Nora shares the point-of-view of telling the story with Oliver Huntsman, a young man who has been attending the “troubled boy’s camp” on Jackjaw Lake. After Nora finds him in the woods, pieces of his memory returns to explain how he came to be in the woods, and how he’s survived them for so long. On the night of the snow storm, a boy had gone missing from the camp, and Nora believe she’s found him. But Oliver and Nora begin putting the pieces together of what truly transpired, and they both realize that there is something more sinister afoot.

"I'm on my own. And in books, those with nothing to lose always become the villain. This is how their story begins--with loss and sadness that quickly turns into anger and spite and no turning back."

If you are looking for a fast-paced, quick, and immersive read, be sure to check out Winterwood. While I found the ending to be somewhat predictable, and parts of the plot underdeveloped, I really enjoyed this story overall.

Vulgarity: Minimal.
Sexual content: Minimal.
Violence: Some, including death.

My Rating: ★★★★

~ARC provided by NetGalley~

If there's anything I love more than fairytales it's a good witchy story. This book had such an ethereal quality, I couldn't tear myself away! I loved the alternating pov's and the grimoire additions. Really good read.

This book was fabulous. It was dark and cold and mysterious. What a perfect book to read this time of year. I loved the writing in this book. The characters were mysterious and I didn’t connect with them much but I don’t think I was supposed to. This was a really good story.

4 stars-- The Winterwood by Shae Ernshaw
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Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a free copy.
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Someone died that night, but no one knows who. Then Nora finds a boy in the woods...
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What I Loved: Nora Walker comes from a long line of witches and in between chapters, we get a description of her ancestors and their story. I absolutely loved it. Also, the scenery was described beautifully. The way the woods were described and the chill from the air was just so well done.
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What I didn't: the plot was extremely predictable and the character development was not what it could have been.
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I do recommend this book and need to read the author's previous work!

This was a beautiful atmospheric read with the same whismy of Practical Magic. I loved the familial magic of the Walkers and the lush setting. I was so drawn in by Nora's world and the mystery of what happened the winter a boy at the camp across the lake died and a boy went missing. It was a perfect read for the beginning of Fall and I was entranced by Shea's descriptions, I felt like I too was in a cabin snowed in at the lake watching events unfold. This was a beautiful and suspenseful read and one I will be recommending all Fall and Winter. I will also be including it in a roundup for The Young Folks of 25 Books To Read During Halloween, as a glimpse of upcoming books perfect for the holiday.

Mostly I thought that Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw was okay. There were parts I really enjoyed and the overall atmosphere of the story was really great but it just didn't wow me. I loved the parts of the story that talk about the Walker family and each of Nora's ancestors and the gifts they each possessed. This was so interesting and I am always a sucker for witchy families full of powerful, strong women. I enjoyed Nora as a main character for the most part, she felt so strongly connected to her family and her home despite not always feeling like she truly belonged and that was great. However, near the end especially, she kept making choices and doing things that were so annoying and I just found myself getting really frustrated with her. Speaking of the ending, I think its just a personal thing for me that the kind of conclusion or solution that was used in this book is one of my all time least favorite kinds of endings. It always ends up feeling a little like a cheap and lazy way to wrap up every loose end very quickly. As soon as it happened, I just felt a little disappointed. I do like the reveal near the end where Nora finally learns the truth of what happened at the boys camp. It is maybe a little predictable but still really enjoyable. Not a bad book by any means, I had a really good time reading this story overall, it just wasn't a favorite and ultimately felt very middle of the road to me.

4.5 stars- a couple of plot points held it back from being a full 5 stars.

This book was positively enchanting. The writing was haunting and lyrical and I couldn’t put it down or stop thinking about it when I had put it down.

Nora Walker comes from a long line of witches- women with powers and a connection to the Winter Wood that no one else dares to enter. She is a finder of lost things and a girl who is searching for her true self when she comes across her most important found thing yet and a journey unfolds that is filled with mystery, intrigue, love, and the path to finding who she truly is.

*I received this ARC from NetGalley in an exchange for an honest review

I absolutely fell in love with this book. The writing is spectacular. Shea's writing is so descriptive and her imagery is astounding. The characters had depth and meaning. The mystery and the plot kept me going. Always wanting to keep going, just another page, until I got to the end. I would absolutely read this book again and recommend my library purchase a copy.

This was an atmospheric read perfect for cold weather and halloween. The spooky, descriptive writing really sets the mood and draws you into the story. I loved the excerpts that introduce you to Nora's ancestors and their pasts. You really only ever follow Nora, but the excerpts really connect you to the previous Walker women and the woods. It's a very slow-paced read, but the writing is so beautiful that I lost myself in the story and it was over before I knew it.

There were a few issues I had with the story that kept it from being 5 stars. Nora and Oliver's relationship felt a little too instantaneous, and it was a bit odd that teenagers were essentially running loose in the woods for two weeks without any adult supervision. The story was also a bit too predictable, but I loved the writing and ending enough to outweigh everything else.

I’m very excited to finally share my thoughts about Winterwood with you guys. I read Winterwood so long ago and knew I had to actually write notes because we couldn’t post reviews until a month before publication.

Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw is one of those perfect fall type of reads. It has the spooky, witchy, woodsy vibes going on. I really loved all of the vibes it had going on. It just seems perfect if you are looking for something witchy. It was like Hocus Pocus but with a hint of redemption.

I liked the back stories about all of the witches. The setting was awesome. It was a little bit slow sometimes and it dragged at a couple of parts, but I was able to get back into it when that happened.

Slight spoiler, but everybody seemed to be so nonchalant about going to the witches house and I kept picturing the Hocus Pocus stuff…everybody was like whatever, yeah, it’s the witch’s house. Yeah, I’ll sleep here tonight because I’m bored and cool like that. That part of the plot seemed random to me.

I liked the loyalty and I did not see the plot with Oliver coming.

This was a four out of five star rating. Definitely perfect if you need to get your spooky vibes on. Thank you Netgalley and publishers for allowing me to read this book. This had no impact on my thoughts, my thoughts are my own.

"Can you hear it? The moon is whispering your secrets. It knows your darkest thoughts."

This was my first experience with a book written by Ernshaw and I'm freaking the f**k out!! This book was so good that I finished in a very short period of time. I am so deeply in love with this book. It was dark, haunting, and really unique. My witchy heart is overjoyed with darkness!

Fir Haven is a very small town surrounded by the dark, dark woods. The woods are something that you should always be leary about. There are many rumors swirling around about them but the thing you should remember most is to be aware and keep your eyes open.

Nora Walker knows things about rumors, her family has had to deal with them all throughout their lives. The one that follows them the most is witch! The Walkers have always lived in the woods and that makes their rumors that much more believable. And since they have always known those woods, they share a special bond with it.

That bond leads Nora to the missing boy, Oliver. Oliver disappeared from the Camp for Wayward Boys two weeks ago. She found him in the middle of the woods during the worst snowstorm that they have seen in years. But there is something off with him because he should have died in those woods but there he is breathing and talking.

There is something off about Oliver and the story he tells. Two boys entered the woods, one boy lived and the other died. But the story in between doesn't add up. Nora is determined to uncover the secrets that lay hidden in the woods. But what she has to remember is that he isn't the only one keeping secrets.

This book was disturbing in all the best ways and absolutely beautiful. Everything about this was stunning. I can't even find the right words to describe how exquisite this was. I adored every single second of this book and Nora and Oliver were two characters that I'll never forget.

Winterwood was the perfect fall read. The creeping darkness of it made my heart overjoyed. Please don't hesitate to pick this up.

My feelings for this book snuck up on me at the end. I was definitely hooked right from the beginning and was interested in the plot throughout the book, but there were times where the writing style didn't work with me. Still, the plot was really interesting, I loved the witchiness, and the twists were worth the wait.

There are times where the writing is a bit too...how do I say this? Thoughtful? It felt like more was being said than was being done. Some thoughts and feelings that had previously been established were repeated, and repeated, and repeated. This writing style did complement the story really well and was interesting, it's just not my favorite style.

Still, the plot, characters, twists, and atmosphere are all on point, I'd definitely recommend it as a fall/winter read!

It was a quick read but I feel like the story and its elements, (the mystery, the witchiness, and the romance) were watered down by the poetic and atmospheric writing. In comparison, the Author's first book The Wicked Deep had a much stronger plot and action, whereas this book was a bit.....boring. The witchiness in the book wasn't as "active" as I was expecting, more talked about in poetic ways and expressed through stories about past Walker women, the romance was shallow and the "mystery" was predictable. I am giving it three stars because the author is amazing at creating a spooky atmosphere perfect for Autumn reading and I thought the ending was interesting. It wasn't a bad read but it was iffy for me. I am interested in seeing what the author writes next because I did love The Wicked Deep, I just felt this one was a little underdeveloped.