I loved the jump between timelines and character views in this one! I loved learning more from the mom’s perspective on what she went through growing up. Overall this was a 3 star for me. I found it entertaining, however forgettable.

It is more of a 3.5, but I have to round it down because I did not enjoy it enough to round up to a 4. It was good and I liked it, but I didn't really like it.
It starts off slow and then switches between present and past with the daughter and mother respectively. At first, this was a mostly okay way to tell the story, but then I got bored and annoyed with the switching. This was especially hard to handle for me when the story hit part two. I didn't want to switch away from the present to follow the mom. I also did not like the third perspective even though it was probably necessary to move the story forward. If there was any way to do without it I would have liked the story better though. The twist was interesting, but took too long to get to. I also had a moment of feeling a bit too old for reading this book because I definitely identified more with the mother than the daughter at that moment despite not having any kids of my own. I just can't remember feeling like the daughter anymore and didn't relate despite it seeming like something someone that age would do. The end also gave me issues because it felt a bit anti-climatic. Perhaps that was the intent, but then there was at least one more chapter that just made things even less satisfying for me. Again, it is probably a target age problem and not a writing problem. A teenage reader may relate better to the ending than I did.

Scoring this one is tough for me. I think the students who like witches and the supernatural will really enjoy this story. In fact, students who like a creepy mystery may gravitate to it. However, both the cover and the name do not scream that it is a creepy mystery so they may not pick it off the shelf. Overall the story has depth and the reader can be drawn into the two POVs; the daughter’s and mother’s stories are intense and intertwined. For me, I felt uncomfortable throughout the story; torn between wanting to know what happens in the end and who was the strange girl in the water, and wanting to stop reading it. I just didn’t enjoy it. That being said, I don’t always share my students’ taste in books and overall this meets fairly good marks according to the rubric.

Honestly, I was really disappointed with this one. It reads a little bit like a device for using all the metaphors the author liked. The book finally decided what the main plot was at the 80% or so mark? Imagine if “yer a wizard Harry” had happened after 3/4 of the book was about all the weird stuff happening around him. I also disliked the audio, so I’m sure that colored the experience.
For the audio - The book is split between a mother and daughter’s perspective (which I was expecting to like). But the narrator for the mom whispers and the narrator for the daughter does this loud “I have an annoying voice because I’m a kid” thing. It was really grating, and it felt like they needed to be on two separate volumes, which was especially bad when they started interacting.

This book was an absolute dream - some of my favorite things all rolled into one. It follows Ivy, a young girl who has a mother with a mysterious past, in the "now" POV. It also follows her mother, Dana, in the "then" POV, where we learn Dana's dark secrets - not only is she a "witch," but a deadly one at that.

I flew threw this one and thought the writing was absolutely phenomenal. I can't wait to pick up the next one by this author!

I liked reading the book and I was happy to listen to the audiobook. It was creepier to listen to the audiobook. I liked the narrator.

ARC audiobook provided by Netgalley for an exchange for an honest review.

Traveling down a dark road one night, Ivy and her boyfriend are confronted by a naked woman, standing where she should not. Avoiding the woman meant hitting the tree and getting a bit bruised and battered. It also starts a mystery that has been playing out longer than Ivy knows.

Ivy and her mom are not the closest. Ivy often fells like a third wheel between her mom and her mom’s best friend, and this recent accident and other things just expands that gap more. However, this is a dual story, told in the now time from Ivy’s perspective in suburban America. The other side of the story is from mom’s perspective at the same age as her daughter in 1990’s Chicago.

This story is a thrilling mystery with a magical streak. Magic dark and light are the thread that sews together this story of family connections, family togetherness and family safety. If one is a fan of Practical Magic or other Alice Hoffman magic books, they are sure to enjoy this tale. It is dark, atmospheric, and completely engrossing. Once started this book will be hard to put down as the reader not only needs to know what happens next but also have their “who done it” theories slashed into pieces.

While not a tale of horror, this book is a witchy treasure perfect for long cozy nights. It has intrigue, it has heart, it has small bouts of scariness. So beware, dead animals are present, and so is underage drinking and crashes associated with that action.

I was excited to read author Melissa Albert’s latest release, OUR CROOKED HEARTS and I think it’s her best work yet.

It was the perfect book for those that love a twisty mystery that includes witches and plenty of creep factor!

*many thanks to Flatiron/Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy for review

This novel, for me, was a mixture of Trueblood, Sabrina the Teenage Witch (Netflix version) and The Craft. Maybe I've binged a bit much lately, but the vibes and themes of those shows just fit this novel well. The way Albert creates this story with dual POVs between mother and daughter, past and present, builds the narrative and layers the atmosphere. The plot easily slips in delicate reveals as the weird and wild come out to play, and you almost miss it if you're not paying attention. I was just downright  captivated. The synopsis is just a teaser and unless a reviewer deep dives, you really won't expect the end. At least I didn't.

Fair warning though, this is a slow build. Almost like a mystery unraveling for you to guess what by the end. I really liked the depth that's put into the mother, Dana, and the daughter, Ivy. I did find the narration for the daughter to be monotone but absolutely loved the energy behind the mother. When I first started listening I ended up reading Ivy's parts and listening to Dana. My second time was a physical reread and I'm still hooked by Albert's writing.

I don't care how hot it is here... it's absolutely spooky season. If you're gathering up witchy books or seasonal spooks, I recommend adding this one to your TBR, especially if you're a 'sins-of-the-mother' trope lover! Thank you Macmillan audio for the gifted alc in exchange for an honest review!

I had a really hard time getting through this title. I thought maybe it was slow at first and would pick up because I saw plenty of pages I follow talk about it. When I started to seriously DNF it I was over half way through and figured might as well finish.
Ivy is riding in the passenger seat of her boyfriend's car on their way home after a party at the beginning of summer break when something dashes across the street causing her boyfriend to get in a small crash. They follow what dashed across the road and it turns out it was a pale naked woman. Ivy gives her her jacket and they go home but get in an argument. Ivy breaks up with her boyfriend and gets in trouble with her parents for getting in a car accident and coming home so late. Ivy is annoyed that she's grounded and is a pretty typical moody teenager about it.
Over the course of the summer weird things happen and Ivy can't help but think it has something to do with her mom. Her mom has always been distant and moody. Ivy discovers that her mom is a witch and erased her memory. In part two of the book the chapters alternate between Ivy's point of view and her mom's from the past.
There was too much nothing happening in this book and the characters were too flawed to be redeeming. I didn't enjoy any of it and the narrators in the audiobook had an annoying tone.

Our Crooked Hearts
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy / Mystery
Format: Audiobook
Date Published: 6/28/22
Author: Melissa Albert
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Narrator: Chloe Cannon; Emma Galvin
Goodreads Rating: 3.95

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Secrets. Lies. Super-bad choices. Witchcraft. In the 1980’s three teenage girls form an unbreakable bond as they dabble in witchcraft. Fast forward to the present and teenager Ivy, daughter of one of those girls sees something and starts to ask questions buried deep.

My Thoughts: This story is narrated in a dual timeline of past and present, from her mother (past) and Ivy (present) from their perspectives. I kept the synopsis vague as I did not want to give anything away. This definitely has a craft vibe, but even creepier, if you can imagine. I loved the magical aspect of this story. I usually do not do too many fantasy books but I do love fantasy books that are magic. This story is about mother and daughter relationship with betrayal and secrets with a dose of magic. The narrators are amazing, they give the characters live and deliver an aspect of creepiness that takes the book up a notch. The characters were well developed with depth, mysterious, emotional, and creatively written. The author’s writing style was complex, magical, suspenseful (to an extent), and kept me engaged. This book is already out and I do recommend picking up the audio version.

I did enjoy the narration of this audiobook, but I just couldn't get a hold of this story. It didn't hold my interest, which is saying something when it comes to a book about witches as they're my kryptonite. The book classified itself to be dark but I didn't find anything really dark about it, so that also was a little bit upsetting to me. Having said that, I don't doubt there is an audience for this book, I just don't find myself to necessarily be a part of it. Will recommend to certain people looking for this style of read.

I had a hard time getting into this one. It just seemed to start and i wasn’t sure where it was going. I liked the dual time line & the creepy factors. I liked the character development and witchy vibe.

When I saw that Melissa Albert had another book coming out, I was super excited. And then when I heard it was supposed to be like The Craft?! Yeah I needed it in my hands expeditiously. And man, that description was spot-on.

This eerie book had one of my favorite things going for it: the non-linear timeline. Although this timeline wasn’t great, I know what it meant for this book. With it being such a huge part, it sucked that I didn’t like it as much. But it’s mainly because it was confusing. I found myself rewinding and re-listening to some parts because I was so confused. But after finishing it, I’m not sure if that’s what the author wanted, or if it was just actually confusing. (It could also be the fact that I was listening to this on 1.75 for the most part….) But other than the timeline, the rest of the writing style was great. I was hooked. Albert somehow told the right parts that made this story not only weird, but also creepy.

Now y’all know I’m usually not a fan of witches, but this one was really good. I think maybe because Albert wasn’t really holding back any punches. Like she didn’t make the witches have a wand and then say one word and that’s their spells. She actually made them scary and had their spells actually have a creepy factor in it. Definitely wasn’t what I was expecting from a YA book. And I think that was the best part. It wasn’t what I was expecting, so when I got it, it meant so much more.

I don’t really want to say any more than that for fear of spoilers, but if you like witchy happenings, gory and creepy, and the vibes from Riverdale and The Craft, then this is for you. Yes you’ll have to pay attention to the weird timeline and POVs, but the way you’ll be sucked in by the descriptions and awesome writing style, I think you’ll be fine. If you read it, let me know what you think!

I 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 Our Crooked Hearts!! I listened to it on audio and it was perfectly narrated with a fantastic haunting vibe to it.⁠ This book is witches, teen angst, rebellion, a bit of romance and a bit of horror all wrapped up in one. Told in a 'then vs now' format, this is a multigenerational tale of what happens when you play with magic and it comes back to haunt you. If you like The Craft, you'll love this. ⁠Thank you @netgalley and and @macmillanaudio for my copy of Our Crooked Hearts! ⁠

Review left on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, and Blog.

I had such high hopes for this book! I'm desperately trying to read more fantasy novels as I have found some belters! I still love Harry Potter and I am chasing that 'fantasy world building' feeling, particularly if they involve witches. I thought I'd found it with this one. The start was captivating and I was hooked. I then soon realised this is a 'busy' book and it's not an audio you can listen to and do other things. So then I switched to the ebook and fared better.
The POVs and timelines kept me reading and engaged and then I switched back to the audio. I was very fortunate to have both copies to review to allow me to do this, and I appreciate not all readers will be able to.
I loved the 'fantasy in reality' storyline, but I am still chasing that Harry Potter wonder and amazement feeling.

Our Crooked Hearts, YA Fantasy

What I loved:
-- Alternating chapters, narrated by 17-year-old Ivy Chase and her mother, Dana.
-- Brilliant writing with vivid characters and scenes.
-- Clever, modern-day plot.
-- Narration by Chloe Cannon and Emma Galvin.

What I didn't love:
-- A bit hard to get started.
-- Not easy to follow along while multi-tasking. Requires a long, uninterrupted walk or drive to remain focused on the characters and details.
-- A bit long at nearly 10 hours.


Special thanks to Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy of this bewitching tale.

I was initially intrigued by the cover of this book and the spooky, mysterious vibes it gave off. I listened to the audiobook and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the narration by Emma Galvin and Chloe Cannon.

I feel the audiobook helped bring the mystery alive as the story is told in a dual POV fashion following Ivy in the present and her mother Dana in the past. The secrets revealed throughout kept me guessing and hooked into the story.

If you enjoy multi POV, dual timelines and unraveling a mystery in reverse this is the book for you and with spooky season just around the corner now is the time to add this to your TBR.

I was not aware that this was YA when I first started listening but I was quickly grabbed by the first chapter. You’re following a mother and her daughter’s perspective (past and present) so if that isn’t your thing, I would skip. I can honestly say this book pleasantly surprised me! Loved it all the way to the end!

Our Crooked Hearts was an eerie and tense YA story filled with witchcraft, dual timelines, twists and a whole lot of intrigue. I loved this audiobook! The narrators were wonderful and fit the parts well. I loved that the mother/daughter dynamic and enjoyed jumping back and forth from the suburbs, right now to the city, back then in a way that played really well off of each other. I really enjoy Melissa Albert’s writing and look forward to more.