Reviews

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

terryma90's review against another edition

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1.0

I gave this book a chance and I just couldn’t. The main character is so annoying and rude I can’t handle her. It kept on feeling like a potentially good book but would be going nowhere and just her complaining. This book I had to dnf.

blackjessamine's review against another edition

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2.0

Non so perché ho letto questo libro: non è il mio genere, e lo sapevo.
Non mi è piaciuto.
Che sorpresa, eh?
Non mi è piaciuta questa scrittura in prima persona elementare, impersonale, priva di qualsiasi cura stilistica. Non mi è piaciuta la prosa lentissima, che si concentra su elementi inutili, che spende metà del romanzo raccontando cose poco interessanti e si trasforma in una storia diversa e priva di solide basi nella seconda parte.
I personaggi sono scialbi, sono poco approfonditi, sono piattissimi, e la trama è un'accozzaglia di elementi male amalgamati.
L'Oltremondo non ha spessore, non ha una costruzione solida, non ha delle regole e delle caratterizzazioni precise. Dovrebbe essere un altro mondo, un universo parallelo, qualcosa di potente e importante, ma in realtà sembra solo una giostra, un teatro di posa da film di pessima categoria.
Gli elementi sono troppi e mal costruiti, non c'è equilibrio nella narrazione, tutto è confuso e appena accennato, privo di importanza.
La storia promette fiabe nere, ma in realtà l'unico momento con una briciola di oscurità si rivela uno scherzo: senza spiegazioni, senza approfondimenti, solo perché così serviva per la trama.
Il finale, poi, con mostri e analisti, è davvero imbarazzante.
Inoltre, il tutto è infarcito con una quantità odiosa di citazioni letterarie: ma non delle citazioni sottili, qualcosa che strizzi l'occhio ad altri lettori, no, proprio elenchi su elenchi di titoli letti dalla protagonista. Più che una strizzata d'occhio, direi più una trave ficcata su per il naso mentre si grida "io leggo! Io leggo! Io sono diversa dagli altri, perché io leggo!"
No, questo romanzo decisamente non fa per me.

allyreadstoomuch's review against another edition

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2.0

I didn’t particularly enjoy this. Everything felt overly contrived 

ktebs's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

emachinescat's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • 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

5.0

natt_lux's review against another edition

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3.0

Okay, so... This book was a rollercoaster. The first half was so slow and ordinary I thought nothing real was going to start happening. Then it got more interesting.

I love the story, the concept, the IDEA of it. I think it's fantastic.

HOWEVER

The execution was not what I Imagined. I feel like the author made the beginning way too long and unnecessarily detailed and then the REAL cool part just kind of... undone? Not actually undone, but it was over way too quickly.

NOW COMES A SPOILER

I would have liked to see more of the Hinterland and understand the mechanics. I feel like it was just chaos, it was very hard to picture and connect all the little aspects in one big unified world. I'd also like more interaction between Alice and her Mom at the end, that also felt a bit rushed. It kind of reminds me of the book called The Starless Sea (by Erin Morgenstern). She also made this dreamy ever-changing fantasy place full of twists and turns... but it just felt like a PLACE, not random words on a page? I don't know how to describe it.

Is it good? Yes.

Should you read it? Absolutely.

3/5 ⭐

mandieroz's review against another edition

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2.0

This book could have ended a good 10 chapters early. I'm on page 278, literally screaming to just get to the damn point. Alice has turned into a bigger asshole than I ever thought possible and her time in the Honterland is just getting to be too much. The editing team really could have turned down the amount of 'twists' regarding Alice even finding the right person to help her.. in half. And frankly it became really hard to believe that she would have encountered that many problems trying to get to the "God mother," who unenthusiastically basically kicks her directly to the only person possibly able to help her.... DNF I'm out this is ridiculous.

annie_jay's review against another edition

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adventurous tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

fullofstarlight156's review against another edition

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  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

2.25

heartsdesire's review against another edition

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4.0

The wood is indeed a strange place where strange tales live. Beware, we don't want to get lost in this kind of wood.