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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I received an ARC through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!
CW: death, murder, physical assaults, mention of past rape attempt, car crash, intimate partner violence and child abuse, and general scenes of violence
3.5/5
This was an intense read. It sucks you in with a feeling of foreboding and it reminded me, in some ways, of The Bone Houses. That was one of my favorite books from last year and I love the new waves of horror that are coming to us. It's fantastic.
Overall, I thought this book would be a solid 4 stars. There are ghosts, family history being dragged up, drama, murder, and lies. I thought that it would be one that I wouldn't be able to shut up about for a long time. I think it's more that I didn't know exactly what was waiting for me in this book. Obviously, we never do, but I had pictured something different in my head and I wasn't necessarily in the mood for it. Will I reread it one day? Most likely! I can see myself sitting down with this one now that I know the story and rating it a lot higher a second time.
The middle slowed down quite a lot and I got a bit bored/spacey while reading it. But that ending made the book. I was sitting in my room reading the ending and got a bit teary because it was good. This book is all about families and family history, as well as how the past is generational and families have a history of having repeating patterns to them.
Overall, a very good book, just different than what I expected.
CW: death, murder, physical assaults, mention of past rape attempt, car crash, intimate partner violence and child abuse, and general scenes of violence
3.5/5
This was an intense read. It sucks you in with a feeling of foreboding and it reminded me, in some ways, of The Bone Houses. That was one of my favorite books from last year and I love the new waves of horror that are coming to us. It's fantastic.
Overall, I thought this book would be a solid 4 stars. There are ghosts, family history being dragged up, drama, murder, and lies. I thought that it would be one that I wouldn't be able to shut up about for a long time. I think it's more that I didn't know exactly what was waiting for me in this book. Obviously, we never do, but I had pictured something different in my head and I wasn't necessarily in the mood for it. Will I reread it one day? Most likely! I can see myself sitting down with this one now that I know the story and rating it a lot higher a second time.
The middle slowed down quite a lot and I got a bit bored/spacey while reading it. But that ending made the book. I was sitting in my room reading the ending and got a bit teary because it was good. This book is all about families and family history, as well as how the past is generational and families have a history of having repeating patterns to them.
Overall, a very good book, just different than what I expected.
Disclaimer: I have voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving a free copy from the publisher via Edelweiss+, thank you!
Actual rating: 3,5
So maybe there's still a future for magical realism in my books. Maybe.
Ghost Wood Song is a deeply melancholic and atmospheric story. Shady is a teenage girl still mourning her father's death. She wishes she could play a fiddle like him, she is worried about her brother's relationship with the rest of the family, especially their stepfather, and she also really wants to kiss her friend, Sarah. She is also haunted by a mysterious shadow in her dreams.
Ghost Wood Song is a story written in the Southern Gothic spirit. It gives you a feeling of being in Texas even though you've never been to Texas. Magic intertwines with everyday life and takes hold of people's actions. Its atmosphere is one of its strongest points. I've often seen magical realism with little to no explanation of literally anything magic-related and no semblance of worldbuilding. I was pretty convinced it would be the case here as well but I was wrong. By the end everything is neatly wrapped up, all the mysteries unraveled. It's magical, it's melancholic and emotional.
The plot was another thing that I really liked. The idea of a fiddle summoning ghosts, a bit of a murder mystery, and a whole lot of family drama, all of it was keeping me interested and I've managed to finish this book in less than 24h.
The only thing I didn't click with was mostly the characters. While Shady and her family were all fleshed out, the only one from their friend group that really seemed to have any personality and something of interest outside of Shady's business was Sarah. Whom I didn't really like because I kinda hate the trope of a long time friend leading the main character on about the nature of their relationship. Cedar on the other hand had literally no personality besides being a good cowboy guy. He had no goals, no interests, and was overall really flat. Most of the characters from the friend group could be removed and it really wouldn't make much difference. Romance thankfully wasn't the main focus though, and it was fairly well-written even if I didn't click with either of the love interests much. The relationship I really enjoyed was the family relationship, which is surprising as I prefer to stay away from books that rely heavily on the bonds between biological families. This one, however, was heartbreaking, melancholic, and honestly talking too much about it would be in spoiler territory so just trust me on this - it was very good.
As I said, I've read this book in less than 24 hours so you can imagine the writing was really easy to read and approachable.
All in all, I would recommend this book to all the magical realism fans out there - I'm sure you will enjoy it.
Actual rating: 3,5
So maybe there's still a future for magical realism in my books. Maybe.
Ghost Wood Song is a deeply melancholic and atmospheric story. Shady is a teenage girl still mourning her father's death. She wishes she could play a fiddle like him, she is worried about her brother's relationship with the rest of the family, especially their stepfather, and she also really wants to kiss her friend, Sarah. She is also haunted by a mysterious shadow in her dreams.
Ghost Wood Song is a story written in the Southern Gothic spirit. It gives you a feeling of being in Texas even though you've never been to Texas. Magic intertwines with everyday life and takes hold of people's actions. Its atmosphere is one of its strongest points. I've often seen magical realism with little to no explanation of literally anything magic-related and no semblance of worldbuilding. I was pretty convinced it would be the case here as well but I was wrong. By the end everything is neatly wrapped up, all the mysteries unraveled. It's magical, it's melancholic and emotional.
The plot was another thing that I really liked. The idea of a fiddle summoning ghosts, a bit of a murder mystery, and a whole lot of family drama, all of it was keeping me interested and I've managed to finish this book in less than 24h.
The only thing I didn't click with was mostly the characters. While Shady and her family were all fleshed out, the only one from their friend group that really seemed to have any personality and something of interest outside of Shady's business was Sarah. Whom I didn't really like because I kinda hate the trope of a long time friend leading the main character on about the nature of their relationship. Cedar on the other hand had literally no personality besides being a good cowboy guy. He had no goals, no interests, and was overall really flat. Most of the characters from the friend group could be removed and it really wouldn't make much difference. Romance thankfully wasn't the main focus though, and it was fairly well-written even if I didn't click with either of the love interests much. The relationship I really enjoyed was the family relationship, which is surprising as I prefer to stay away from books that rely heavily on the bonds between biological families. This one, however, was heartbreaking, melancholic, and honestly talking too much about it would be in spoiler territory so just trust me on this - it was very good.
As I said, I've read this book in less than 24 hours so you can imagine the writing was really easy to read and approachable.
All in all, I would recommend this book to all the magical realism fans out there - I'm sure you will enjoy it.
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a ghost story - but not the kind you're thinking of. Shady Grove has always had two constants in her life - ghost and bluegrass - and her daddy was able to master both with his fiddle. However, Shady's daddy died four years ago, and his fiddle was lost with him. Shady's left well enough alone, but when her brother is accused of murder, she knows her only option is to speak to the dead...or risk losing even more of her family. I particularly enjoyed the interweaving of a love triangle chock with bisexual panic that did not swallow up the story itself. Waters has woven a lush, haunting debut that will linger with you as closely as Shady's ghosts. My only wish was that her wide array of side characters had more development - but if we truly are blessed with a follow-up, hopefully we can see more of Shady's motley crew of unlikely friends and allies.
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review through Edelweiss, so first of all, thank you.
The cover of this book definitely attracted me, and the synopsis just pulled me in completely.
We follow Shady Grove, a girl who loves bluegrass music and whose dad could raise ghosts from the dead with his music. Shady starts tapping into that same power once her older brother gets accused of a murder he - maybe - didn't commit.
The idea seemed incredibly original, right of the bat. I have been digging a few more american myths, and the folk ballads that sing of sorrow and murder are a big part of that, and it's woven so well with the story.
The writing was extremely atmospheric. The hauntings were scary, the music felt real and the small town felt a little bit suffocating.
I'm not usually one for lyrics in book, but in this one, it worked perfectly. And Waters could set the tone to each of the music scenes - let it be a lighter one with the gang getting together or being, quite literally, a life or death situation.
About the small town - everyone knew who you were, who your parents were and every mistake they had made. And they were ready to hold that against you.
I like the characters. They fit all the tropes I like. Rich twins, cowboy, "trailer trash", troublemaker, etc. But, I also wish we got more time to know them and make them more believeable. Sarah was not very compelling, neither as a friend or as a love interest, while Cedar was almost too perfect. I wish we had bit more time for character development in the book.
The story is about loss, and grief, and guilt. They are not easy themes, and I really liked how the writer worked with it. It was an amazing debut and really worth the read.
The cover of this book definitely attracted me, and the synopsis just pulled me in completely.
We follow Shady Grove, a girl who loves bluegrass music and whose dad could raise ghosts from the dead with his music. Shady starts tapping into that same power once her older brother gets accused of a murder he - maybe - didn't commit.
The idea seemed incredibly original, right of the bat. I have been digging a few more american myths, and the folk ballads that sing of sorrow and murder are a big part of that, and it's woven so well with the story.
The writing was extremely atmospheric. The hauntings were scary, the music felt real and the small town felt a little bit suffocating.
I'm not usually one for lyrics in book, but in this one, it worked perfectly. And Waters could set the tone to each of the music scenes - let it be a lighter one with the gang getting together or being, quite literally, a life or death situation.
About the small town - everyone knew who you were, who your parents were and every mistake they had made. And they were ready to hold that against you.
I like the characters. They fit all the tropes I like. Rich twins, cowboy, "trailer trash", troublemaker, etc. But, I also wish we got more time to know them and make them more believeable. Sarah was not very compelling, neither as a friend or as a love interest, while Cedar was almost too perfect. I wish we had bit more time for character development in the book.
The story is about loss, and grief, and guilt. They are not easy themes, and I really liked how the writer worked with it. It was an amazing debut and really worth the read.
A beautiful, musical story about the power of love and grief.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you kindly to HarperTeen for my review copy.
Ghost Wood Song is a fantastically atmospheric southern gothic novel. It's creepy and heartfelt at all the right times. There's ghosts, murder, dark familial secrets, and a grief-stricken protagonist. There's a lot of family dynamic here and it's very well done -- messy at times, but hopeful and inspiring too. There's a lot about forgiveness in here too. We have sweet, kind romance, and a bit of a love triangle between Shady, her best friend Sarah, and a boy named Cedar. We have on the page bi rep (Shady) and on the page lesbian rep (Sarah and Rose).
There was just something that didn't quite make this a five-star read for me. I think maybe it's because the group didn't gel so well. They're just there, but not really there, you know?
Full review to come.
Ghost Wood Song is a fantastically atmospheric southern gothic novel. It's creepy and heartfelt at all the right times. There's ghosts, murder, dark familial secrets, and a grief-stricken protagonist. There's a lot of family dynamic here and it's very well done -- messy at times, but hopeful and inspiring too. There's a lot about forgiveness in here too. We have sweet, kind romance, and a bit of a love triangle between Shady, her best friend Sarah, and a boy named Cedar. We have on the page bi rep (Shady) and on the page lesbian rep (Sarah and Rose).
There was just something that didn't quite make this a five-star read for me. I think maybe it's because the group didn't gel so well. They're just there, but not really there, you know?
Full review to come.
I received an ARC from Edelweiss
TW: sexual assault mention
4.5
Shady Grove's life changed forever when her daddy died in a car accident four years ago, and it seems unwilling to stop changing, as her relationship with her best friend wanders into uncharted territory. But suddenly a crush that may be something more isn't the biggest thing on Shady's mind- because her brother is arrested for murder. A murder she knows he couldn't have committed, but seems to be the only one who does. The only answer to their problems lies with her daddy's fiddle, that used to raise the dead, even though they say it went down with him. She has to find it. No matter the cost.
Wow! Folk music, folk magic, a bisexual main character, ghosts, and a murder mystery??? I swear I wanted this book before it existed, and Erica Waters just plucked it from my brain. This book is so lush, and vibrant, even (and perhaps especially) in its darkest areas.
Shady is a tough character, because so much of her story is wrapped around other peoples', and so much of her personality is directed towards determination and hard-headedness. It makes you kind of wish you could see her before all this started, all the weights on her shoulders, or at least it made me curious. But she is shaped by what she has been through and continues to go through, and from the way she was raised. And she's likeable! Not always relateable per se, but definitely a character I felt I understood the mind of, and one I was happy to support.
The magic itself was something I really enjoyed. The way the fiddle calls to Shady is both eerie and exciting, the sort of thing you find yourself longing for, that brush against the fantastic, even as it shows itself to be darker and darker. In fact, that's a lot of this book. The spirits, the fiddle, they're enticing and they're scary, and it is impossible to separate the two. I also think that Shady is a great lens to really experience that through, and the way she is tugged, led with a rope made of her own pain and obsession, it's hard to watch and it's hard not to want to go with her.
The romance isn't super pivotal to the plot of this book, but it did lend itself to some softer moments. Folk is the big "comfortable space" in this book, and the usage of it lets Shady feel safe and alive, and connected to her father, but because of that last bit, and because of the fiddle's magic, its always tinged with some sort of sadness. The romance, instead, is tinged with some frustration, and having both helped keep it light without making it feel like two distinct stories or like the lightness was overwhelming the overall dark themes of the book.
The "love triangle" aspect is always annoying to me, and though it wasn't done quite as aggressively or over-dramatically as we often see it, I didn't feel compelled by it for the most part. That isn't to say I wasn't interested in the romance, I just had no real interest in Shady's feelings for Sarah, because Sarah was a fairly flat character. To be fair, Cedar isn't the most dynamic either, but he's easy to root for. Cedar's ties to folk are clear, and he's pretty sweet with her. Sarah signifies the past, and doesn't do much beyond that.
"I can't go with her, I can't lead her back to us. Even if I could, I don't have a map to her grief. That's the thing about losing someone. It's a landscape no one's familiar with, and it's never the same for two people."
The big themes of this book are 1) family 2) grief & guilt, and this book is really good at delivering both of them. The trauma of family is not something I expected to be brought up in a YA, and truly not brought up in a way that's this well done, but somehow Waters does it! There is so much loss, and so much history, and this book is about validating them, looking at them in the light of day where nothing can hide, and then moving forward anyway. You cannot erase history, but you also can't live in it, and that balance can be so difficult. That's a lesson that isn't taught enough, outside of the grand, bruising obstacles of real life.
The things that hold this book back from being a 5 for me, are mainly based in characters. Other than Shady, and her father, they're all fairly flat. Her mother needed so much more space on the page, and she never got it. Aunt Ena had a lot of promise, but I never quite got to know her. And, again, I felt no connection to Sarah, especially in a romantic way.
The ending was surprising, though the twist wasn't. It felt like a mixed bag in the way of uniqueness.
And, finally, I fear there's a strange message being sent about abuse. The idea, at the end, that someone was doing something to be punished, applied in the way it was, felt very close to victim blaming. Now that alone is a theme, but the reference to the abuser's own justification of the abuse being put out like he was right? Definitely doesn't sit right with me.
Over all, this is a wonderful book. I wish it were longer so there would be more room for characters and relationships to grow, but it's definitely fun and folky.
Original thoughts below
Review to come, but I'm also going to drop this playlist of the music in this book because you need it in your life if you're interested in this story!
TW: sexual assault mention
4.5
Shady Grove's life changed forever when her daddy died in a car accident four years ago, and it seems unwilling to stop changing, as her relationship with her best friend wanders into uncharted territory. But suddenly a crush that may be something more isn't the biggest thing on Shady's mind- because her brother is arrested for murder. A murder she knows he couldn't have committed, but seems to be the only one who does. The only answer to their problems lies with her daddy's fiddle, that used to raise the dead, even though they say it went down with him. She has to find it. No matter the cost.
Wow! Folk music, folk magic, a bisexual main character, ghosts, and a murder mystery??? I swear I wanted this book before it existed, and Erica Waters just plucked it from my brain. This book is so lush, and vibrant, even (and perhaps especially) in its darkest areas.
Shady is a tough character, because so much of her story is wrapped around other peoples', and so much of her personality is directed towards determination and hard-headedness. It makes you kind of wish you could see her before all this started, all the weights on her shoulders, or at least it made me curious. But she is shaped by what she has been through and continues to go through, and from the way she was raised. And she's likeable! Not always relateable per se, but definitely a character I felt I understood the mind of, and one I was happy to support.
The magic itself was something I really enjoyed. The way the fiddle calls to Shady is both eerie and exciting, the sort of thing you find yourself longing for, that brush against the fantastic, even as it shows itself to be darker and darker. In fact, that's a lot of this book. The spirits, the fiddle, they're enticing and they're scary, and it is impossible to separate the two. I also think that Shady is a great lens to really experience that through, and the way she is tugged, led with a rope made of her own pain and obsession, it's hard to watch and it's hard not to want to go with her.
The romance isn't super pivotal to the plot of this book, but it did lend itself to some softer moments. Folk is the big "comfortable space" in this book, and the usage of it lets Shady feel safe and alive, and connected to her father, but because of that last bit, and because of the fiddle's magic, its always tinged with some sort of sadness. The romance, instead, is tinged with some frustration, and having both helped keep it light without making it feel like two distinct stories or like the lightness was overwhelming the overall dark themes of the book.
The "love triangle" aspect is always annoying to me, and though it wasn't done quite as aggressively or over-dramatically as we often see it, I didn't feel compelled by it for the most part. That isn't to say I wasn't interested in the romance, I just had no real interest in Shady's feelings for Sarah, because Sarah was a fairly flat character. To be fair, Cedar isn't the most dynamic either, but he's easy to root for. Cedar's ties to folk are clear, and he's pretty sweet with her. Sarah signifies the past, and doesn't do much beyond that.
"I can't go with her, I can't lead her back to us. Even if I could, I don't have a map to her grief. That's the thing about losing someone. It's a landscape no one's familiar with, and it's never the same for two people."
The big themes of this book are 1) family 2) grief & guilt, and this book is really good at delivering both of them. The trauma of family is not something I expected to be brought up in a YA, and truly not brought up in a way that's this well done, but somehow Waters does it! There is so much loss, and so much history, and this book is about validating them, looking at them in the light of day where nothing can hide, and then moving forward anyway. You cannot erase history, but you also can't live in it, and that balance can be so difficult. That's a lesson that isn't taught enough, outside of the grand, bruising obstacles of real life.
The things that hold this book back from being a 5 for me, are mainly based in characters. Other than Shady, and her father, they're all fairly flat. Her mother needed so much more space on the page, and she never got it. Aunt Ena had a lot of promise, but I never quite got to know her. And, again, I felt no connection to Sarah, especially in a romantic way.
The ending was surprising, though the twist wasn't. It felt like a mixed bag in the way of uniqueness.
And, finally, I fear there's a strange message being sent about abuse. The idea, at the end, that someone was doing something to be punished, applied in the way it was, felt very close to victim blaming. Now that alone is a theme, but the reference to the abuser's own justification of the abuse being put out like he was right? Definitely doesn't sit right with me.
Over all, this is a wonderful book. I wish it were longer so there would be more room for characters and relationships to grow, but it's definitely fun and folky.
Original thoughts below
Review to come, but I'm also going to drop this playlist of the music in this book because you need it in your life if you're interested in this story!