The Hazel Wood: Dark Fairytales Expertly Woven // ARC Review
SYNOPSIS
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.
Title: The Hazel Wood
Author: Melissa Albert
Page Count: 368 pages
Genre: Fantasy // Young Adult
Rating: 5 stars
Publisher: Flatiron Books, an imprint of Macmillan
Release Date: January 30, 2018
Buy It: Chapters Indigo
MILANA'S REVIEW
Welcome to the book that had me squealing. I adore fairy tale re-tellings but only if they have a dark aspect to them. No more Disney princesses for me, give me all the creepy twists.. and guess what, The Hazel Wood did just that!
The writing in this book had the most wonderful allure that keeps you reading further and further until you cannot tare your eyes away. It was quite possibly the most tantalizing book I read this year.
When I read YA I’m often found complaining about the main female characters, something usually bothers me about them but with Alice I had zero negative thoughts. I found her flawed in such a novel way that even though she made questionable mistakes they really weren’t far fetched, in fact if I was looking for The Hazel Wood I would’ve followed her footsteps!
The most enticing bit about this read was the power of the fairytales within this fairytale. They were so well woven into the story I really wanted more. I feel as though we really do need Tales from the Hinterland to come alive! What do you say Melissa Albert?
**Thank you Raincoast for providing me with a copy of the ARC. I loved it and cannot wait to own my very own finished copy in January!**