This story sounded deliciously dark, and the description of “a heady fling with the supernatural” made it irresistible.

The story is told in dual timeline POVs by Ivy in present day and her mother, Dana, about twenty years earlier. Weird things are happening in Ivy’s life. She and her boyfriend (soon to be ex) nearly run over a strange girl in the middle of the road. Then she finds a dead rabbit in her driveway the next day. Some of her memories don’t seem to align with those of other people who were with her at the time. Even worse, it looks like her mother may be involved.

Already possessing magical talent, a teenage Dana and a couple friends begin experimenting with dark magic – which never comes without consequences. She never dreamed her actions would have an effect on her daughter years later.

At the heart of this dark story is a mother-daughter relationship and all the highs, lows, and complications that come with it. Do parents always know what’s best for their children? Maybe, maybe not. Will a parent’s actions taint the way their child sees them? It’s very possible.

I listened to the audiobook from NetGalley, and the different narrators did an admirable job. I always knew whose POV and time we were in. This is a slow-burn tale with a gradual reveal involving blood magic, and there are animal sacrifices (rabbits) that may disturb some readers. I even fast forwarded through a couple parts. Keeping that in mind, if you’re a fan of dark paranormal stories, this is one that would also appeal to adults.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, and Macmillan Young Listeners in exchange for an honest review.

Content warning: animal death, manipulative parents

I liked the concept of OUR CROOKED HEARTS, and I enjoyed that the story unfolds in a nonlinear timeline with multiple points of view. Fair warning, dead rabbits are a theme throughout. But honestly I wasn't really interested in any of the characters and because of that, this book never hooked me. Then again, I was also really hoping the haunted library played a bigger part in the narrative. I can see this being a hit for some readers, it just wasn't for me.

The audiobook is narrated by Chloe Cannon and Emma Galvin, and honestly, I didn't love either of their deliveries. The tone and volume on the Dana chapters made it very hard to understand (I had the volume all the way up and still missed parts).

3.5 stars

I love YA but find fantasy hit or miss, and this one was a hit even for my inconsistent taste!

Ivy, the m.c., shares perspectives and timelines in a past/present, city/suburbs mashup that includes fantasy elements, witches, and some of the more enjoyable aspects of traditional YA (like dishonest parents and important moments of coming-of-age). In the audio version, which I was thrilled to enjoy, the distinction between narrators really helped me stay on track with the two storylines, though I did find myself much more interested in the contemporary events and characters. Even though the standout features of this novel are going to be the fantasy elements for most readers, I really enjoyed the relationship between Ivy and her parents as well as her evolving understanding of herself. Witches or not, I think most readers will find some surprisingly relatable moments in this part of the work.

I'm pleasantly surprised by how accessible I found this book (based on my questionable experiences with the subgenre overall), and I expect that most readers will find this an engaging and fun world and read.

The use of two narrators is greatly appreciated especially with a book like this one that was going back and forth on time as well as people, was very easy to follow what was going on.

I didn't totally vibe with the teenage main character, granted I'm in my 30s, but she was too whiny for me.

I liked the story overall and enjoyed the witch aspects, felt very true to what I think of when I think of witchcraft.

I got to listen to an advanced copy of this from Netgalley and I absolutely loved it! I already knew I loved the story, but listening to it with the narrators was amazing! Creepy and deliciously done! Can’t recommend this book enough!

Ivy’s life is turned upside down when her ex boyfriend almost runs a girl over. A naked girl. Following the girl deep into the woods, Ivy starts a series of events that’ll change her life forever.

Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert, is a dark YA fantasy narrated by Chloe Cannon and Emma Galvin.

While I liked this story, I think I would've appreciated it more if I had read it. It was a little difficult for me to get into with the dual narrators, even though I found the plot interesting.

I definitely going to give the book another try when it get published.

2.5/5

"Secrets. Lies. Super-bad choices. Witchcraft." I was like, why yes, I would like to read that.

The premise of this book: fantastic. The writing: good. The story: half-baked...

I love witchy books and I was super interested in this one because it uses one of my favorite story-telling methods. Dual POVs in different time periods as we see the story work its way in bits and pieces from the past to the present. The story is about a mother and daughter (there is a dad and a son but they don't matter). The mom is weird, not very present, cold, and into some weird stuff. After meeting a mystery girl and finding a dead rabbit, the daughter thinks her mom might just be up to something dark and witchy so she goes on the hunt to figure it out.

Things I enjoyed:
- dual POVs, past and present
- past POV (mother in her teens) was interesting, dark and gritty, atmospheric
-magic is kind of open to everyone but it's based in whatever your culture has to offer you, different magic for different people
- the questionable morals of damn near everyone in the book

Things I did NOT enjoy:
- characters felt really flat and almost non-existent
- romance did not need to exist (only time I'll ever say this)
- the ending??

Let me explain basically by saying I had a hard time with this book because it seemed like everything needed MORE. I finished this book knowing almost nothing about any of the characters. The side characters are almost not there even though I was interested to hear more about each of them. Fee was so important in the past timeline but almost doesn't even say anything in the present timeline. The romance seems thrown in and like it would have been good if it weren't so abrupt. It was anticlimactic. There was all this tension and angst that just seeped away instead of going anywhere.

This book feel like the outline to something that could be really good but right now it's just a lot of random ideas thrown together that needs work.

I thought the audiobook itself was done well. The narrators were great. Dana's voice actor was so perfect for her gritty, mature too young character. Ivy sounded like a lost teen most of the time which was also just right. I also love the cover of this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for my ALC!

Absolutely!

This book is pure magic. The audiobook is really wonderful. There's two narrators and the voices and characterizations really match the stories we're following.

Thank you to MacMillan audiobook for the copy of Our Crooked Hearst by Melissa Albert. This is on heck of a creepy, dark, and indeed witchy story; the narration and pacing of the story was excellent, with dual timelines and two voice actors (Chloe Cannon; Emma Galvin) who effectively create a sense of unease, suspense, and even a little dread and fear. I really enjoyed the tone and intensity of this story; this is not a gentle fairytale fantasy witch story and is similar in bringing to light the darkness of stories and magic as she did in The Hazel Wood. Indeed fans of her previous work will I think enjoy this book, this one felt more insular than as compared to the expansive world building present in The Hazel Wood but the strong writing, unexpected details (that rabbits tooth...), and the edgy suspense are present again.

This is a great choice for fans of The Hazel Wood or Leigh Bardugo's work or House of Hollow.

This book does a different narrative and respective very well. The story switches between Ivy in the present day and her mother story in the past her mother‘s past is deeply interconnected to Ivy story and the present and they feel very complementary. As you go through you get to see how both of their stories unfurl. This book also has a bit of a darker tone to it than a lot of other magic stories which really drew me in and made it more interesting. There are themes of death and some violence to be wary of if those are not topics of interest to you. I am thoroughly enjoying the story especially as an audiobook! Listening to it gives it a very spooky and ominous feel that the narrator did a wonderful job expressing.

Dana and her best friend Fee make friends with the wrong girl, and have to live with the consequences of that for the rest of their life. Fast forward 20 years, and Dana's daughter Ivy seems to unknowingly be following in her mother's footsteps. A brutal betrayal - a decade of vengeance. Will Dana finally pay the price for her mistake from the past?

I could not put this down!!! I loved these dual timelines and POVs between Dana and Ivy so much! This book was just so, so good. It's dark. It's creepy. It's fast paced. It's absolutely mesmerizing. The writing was atmospheric, almost poetic, and even the darker parts of the story were hauntingly beautiful. It gave me the feeling of riding past a car wreck where you just can't look away...

Read if you enjoy:
• witches and magic
• strong friendships
• creepy stories
• mother/daughter relationship
• family secrets
• edge of your seat thriller
• betrayal & revenge
• a cute boy next door

*I will add that some parts of this book are somewhat disturbing, and may not be suitable for YA readers who are really young. Tbh other than the characters ages (16 & 17) this reads more like NA or Adult*

Thank you Flat Iron Books and Macmillan Audio for this gifted ALC! This book is due for publication 6/28/22 and I recommend it!

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Our Crooked Hearts pulls you into the story right from the start. It's a fast paced thriller with some mother -daughter drama, a mother's mysterious past, and a daughter's remembering. This was creepy and full of spells and witchcraft. I enjoyed listening to it. I will be purchasing it for our library. I like the narrator too.

Ivy is adrift at the start of her summer. She just broke up with her boyfriend, she can't connect with her mother, and a naked woman just caused a minor car accident that busts her lip. She realizes there's more to her mother, to the cute boy across the street, and herself. Meanwhile, 20 something years ago, Dana is discovering the reality of magic. While she and her best friend have always each held a kind of ability for things, meeting Marianne changes everything. Magic becomes tangible, something you can use, and wield, and hurt with. They musty each come to terms with the past, and find a way to move forward as mother and daughter, if they can.

Albert does it again. As with her Hazelwood series, she hides the truth beneath secrecy and a winding web of lies and mystery. A true master at her style and craft, no one is doing it like her. As the truth and the history unfolded, it was like a treat. Worth every second of tension building.

I especially loved the sweet romance between Ivy and Billy, their history and the way they are able to find each other,. It was so pure and good in a story so full of dark twisted things.

And overall delight to read, and an official sign that Melissa Albert is an auto-read from me.

Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert
4/5 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

•••Spoiler free review below•••

If you are the type of person who starts preparing for Halloween in July, THIS should be your next creepy read.

We follow Ivy and her mother Dana. After an accident the first night of summer break, Ivy begins noticing strange things happening in her small town and they all seem to lead back to her mother.

Told in dual point of views, we flash back and forth between past and present. As the stories collide, you will begin to question everything we have been told and what really happened.

Our Crooked Hearts will be released June 28th, and if it's not already on your tbr, it should be!
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Special thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for sharing an arc with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

I would compare this book to Turning Red and Ms. Marvel in story arc, The Craft and The Ravens in mood, and A Mirror Mended in narrative voice.

But let’s back up. This book, like Turning Red and Ms. Marvel follows a young woman as she discovers a secret that her mother has been hiding from her: that the mother has special abilities that have been passed down to the daughter.

Alternating between two timelines, this book follows the daughter, Ivy, and the mother, Dana as they both discover that they have an affinity for magic. Ivy must deal with the consequences of Dana’s timeline while slowly discovering a secret that has been at the forefront of her entire life.

I will say that I enjoyed Dana’s timeline much more than Ivy’s however, the end of this book was pure chaos as the timelines merged, and I thoroughly enjoyed everything I read for the last 20 percent of the book.

For me it was difficult to connect with the characters, particularly Ivy, but it didn’t really hinder my enjoyment of this thrilling story.

I loved Dana’s narrative voice as I found it very entertaining to read, although I found Ivy’s narrative voice to be quite obnoxious.

I listened to the audiobook and the performance was great and allowed me to consume this book very quickly.

Overall, I think this was an intriguing and exciting read.

DNF @ 44%

Just lost interest partway through. Maybe I’m in a literary fantasy slump? Might try this book again someday, especially where I’ve heard a lot of good things about the author.

(ALC received from NetGalley in exchange for honest review. Thank you.)

This is a story about how our mothers haunt us.

I wanted to love this one, but. found it hard to engage with & not as immersive as I anticipated based on the authors other work. I did end up liking it, and loved the duel timeline & unsettling descriptors of the dark magical elements.. so even though I was somewhat disappointed, I would definitely recommend it to readers who enjoy occult books or generational dramas with a fantasy twist.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️. 💫 rounded to 4. Thank you so much NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the ALC! It was an excellent audio book.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Flatiron Books, and Netgalley for providing me with this ALC!

I loved uncovering the mystery that is this book. The dual perspectives/dual time periods was such an interesting concept that I hadn’t read before and loved! Its creepy, magical, and totally unique! Definitely recommend for any fantasy/magic lover!

I liked the narrator from the past. The one for the current time, was a bit grating. Kudos for the Kaz Brekker name dropping.

I just couldn't get a hold of this story. It couldn't hold my interest. It purported itself to be dark but I didn't find anything really dark about it. Having said that, I don't doubt there is an audience for this book.

—our crooked hearts—

Thank you @netgalley & @macmillan.audio for this advanced copy to 🎧

‼️PUB DATE: JUNE 28!!!‼️

I was going to wait for pub date for this but NO I can’t wait. 😆

What a Ride!

If you love witchy stuff and “The Craft” you will love this! Be aware there are some content warnings such as animal cruelty/sacrifice (🐇) and🩸 + body horror. This is a dark story with some dark magic. Witch Coven 💩👯‍♀️

The story is told from multiple POV- present IVY(daughter), and then past DANA (mother.) I listened to the audio and was intrigued by both perspectives but especially Dana’s! {Side Note: when this first started Ivy’s voice sounded super familiar (the narrator has a very unique tone) and I looked her up and she narrated Divergent which I reread last year for the @outtafivestars podcast! I was like OH! It’s my girl Tris! 😉}

Anyway I would totally recommend this story, it’s a little creepy at times but it was so much fun! The audiobook was amazing I loved the two different narrators.