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lawbooks600's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Score: Five points out of ten.
One year ago, I mistakenly read The Hazel Wood's sequel, The Night Country, which I initially enjoyed but later repulsed. One year later, it was time to read The Hazel Wood, which initially looked promising until I checked the ratings and reviews, thus lowering my expectations. However, nothing could prepare me for how disappointing it was. Did I mention The Hazel Wood was also on the BookTok shelf?
It starts with the first character I see, Alice Proserpine, or Alice for short, forced to move to The Hazel Wood estate after her grandmother dies. I would classify this novel as a contemporary urban YA fantasy, which appeals to me since I like fantasy stories, but unfortunately, it didn't work out. The Hazel Wood's most prominent flaws lie in its pacing, worldbuilding and characters. For starters, the pacing is too monotonous and not engaging enough to keep me reading. It makes The Hazel Wood less like under 400 pages and more like 500 pages. All the characters are two-dimensional, and Alice is the most infuriating because how she talks to people comes off as irritating at best and frustrating at worst. The worldbuilding is nonexistent. There's no reason why everything is the way they are. I'm done with this author.
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Blood, and Death
Full trigger warnings: Blood depiction, physical injury and assault, death of a parent from suicide and other people in the pastlyricallit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Moderate: Violence and Death of parent
Minor: Suicide
tangleroot_eli's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
Graphic: Blood and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Body horror, Suicide, Abandonment, Bullying, Death, and Alcohol
Minor: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Animal death, Body shaming, Death of parent, Murder, and Suicide attempt
inkysplodge's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Moderate: Suicide, Blood, and Violence
bookishgia's review against another edition
Graphic: Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Gaslighting, Self harm, Suicide, and Hate crime
vanidorr's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Death and Violence
Minor: Confinement, Abandonment, Suicide, and Kidnapping
theyellowbrickreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Moderate: Suicide
saskiajva's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Outside of that, I was surprised that the characters spent the majority of the book in New York trying to prove this world even existed. I almost stopped reading around page 200 when they hadn’t gotten to the actual fairy tale world yet, but around page 220 or so the book kicked into high gear and didn’t stop until the very end. I would’ve loved to have gotten to spend more time inside the magical Hinterland as it’s truly the intriguing writing. The set up did pay off in many ways, and maybe if I reread it I’d find more interest, but I just don’t think this book is for me.
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Blood, Murder, Body horror, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Suicide and Gun violence
Minor: Alcohol
dreamofbookspines's review
3.5
Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Blood
I had a hard time getting into it, though that may have been my fault; I'd started reading before I was ready for a new book.maregred's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Moderate: Kidnapping, Murder, Death, Death of parent, and Violence
Minor: Suicide