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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
The world building in this book was subpar, but I really enjoyed the ending. So I guess that's the only reason why I gave it three stars.
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I expected a very different book from the description, it's not what it's marketed as.
It's not a horror and definitely not a folk horror. It's about overcoming religious trauma, facing your fears, and about oppression of women and women paying for men's sins.
It's a quick and easy read with a strong YA feel. The characters are young, and they act their age. The romance is sweet but too insta-lovey.
All in all, it kept me entertained, and it's a solid story with complex themes. However, I feel disappointed by the misleading marketing. I wanted a dark horror fest with magic, creepy woods, and terrifying Lord of the Wood, not a story about religious oppression and guilt. I don't think I would have picked it up if it had been marketed accurately, because books like this just aren't my cup of tea.
The cover is amazing though.
It's not a horror and definitely not a folk horror. It's about overcoming religious trauma, facing your fears, and about oppression of women and women paying for men's sins.
It's a quick and easy read with a strong YA feel. The characters are young, and they act their age. The romance is sweet but too insta-lovey.
All in all, it kept me entertained, and it's a solid story with complex themes. However, I feel disappointed by the misleading marketing. I wanted a dark horror fest with magic, creepy woods, and terrifying Lord of the Wood, not a story about religious oppression and guilt. I don't think I would have picked it up if it had been marketed accurately, because books like this just aren't my cup of tea.
The cover is amazing though.
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I went into this totally blind, it was my pick for the Horror bingo "cover pick" prompt, which means I only chose this based on the cover and I didn't know anything about it, except that it was a horror book.
Now, let's address the elephant in the room: this isn't (and will never become) a classic of literature. But in all honesty: who cares? It got me out of a reader's block andthe ending genuinely made me smile, I found it wholesome . That's all that matters, isn't it? I wish all books could suck me in like this. It's a win for me.
Yes, it could have been written better... but the story is interesting and it takes unexpected turns, with plot twists(I wasn't expecting the bad guys to be the people from Winston at first, and I loved it when the dead girls came back for the pastor) and I enjoyed the good ending, although I would have liked for Owen to stay with the lovely family in the woods.
I wish the writing didn't feel as "rushed", that would have taken this to 5 stars, but it's probably coherent with it being a YA (mind you I didn't know it going into it), which is a genre I don't usually read... This applies to Leah's "stereotypical" romance with the Lord of the Woods, but still it was wholesome and it was a slow burn with realistic timing, so I'll give it a pass.
This book is unsettling not because of gore or the likes, but because of the trauma this main character has been through and the signs that she shows throughout the whole story, this confirms what I've learned about the scariest of books: true horror is in our daily human lives and not in the unknown.
Finally, I must give a thumbs up for the inclusivity and to the topic of female bodies and trauma and how they're treated.
Now, let's address the elephant in the room: this isn't (and will never become) a classic of literature. But in all honesty: who cares? It got me out of a reader's block and
Yes, it could have been written better... but the story is interesting and it takes unexpected turns, with plot twists
I wish the writing didn't feel as "rushed", that would have taken this to 5 stars, but it's probably coherent with it being a YA (mind you I didn't know it going into it), which is a genre I don't usually read...
This book is unsettling not because of gore or the likes, but because of the trauma this main character has been through and the signs that she shows throughout the whole story, this confirms what I've learned about the scariest of books: true horror is in our daily human lives and not in the unknown.
Finally, I must give a thumbs up for the inclusivity and to the topic of female bodies and trauma and how they're treated.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Boy, do I have a lot of thoughts about this one.
I liked it but it also kind of infuriated me?
For the most part, I really enjoyed the writing style, and it clearly had a lot of inspiration from ‘Labyrinth’ which is one of my absolute favourite films, and I could see what the author was trying to do with the themes around women’s bodies and choices and the generational trauma of being made silent by men - particularly religious ones. I even liked the twist with Owen, which genuinely surprised me for a hot second.
But… everything about the woods, the magic, Tristan and his role was so nonsensical I had trouble taking it seriously. Nothing made sense! And the messaging was so heavy-handed that I found myself almost rolling my eyes.
I guess I expected a very different book from the title and the description, and what I got was a vaguely horror-esque folk tale about a puritanical village and a young, kind woodland prince that for some reason has to take creepy-baby offerings from said village for some unknown reason?
Confusion. Is what I feel.
I liked it but it also kind of infuriated me?
For the most part, I really enjoyed the writing style, and it clearly had a lot of inspiration from ‘Labyrinth’ which is one of my absolute favourite films, and I could see what the author was trying to do with the themes around women’s bodies and choices and the generational trauma of being made silent by men - particularly religious ones. I even liked the twist with Owen, which genuinely surprised me for a hot second.
But… everything about the woods, the magic, Tristan and his role was so nonsensical I had trouble taking it seriously. Nothing made sense! And the messaging was so heavy-handed that I found myself almost rolling my eyes.
I guess I expected a very different book from the title and the description, and what I got was a vaguely horror-esque folk tale about a puritanical village and a young, kind woodland prince that for some reason has to take creepy-baby offerings from said village for some unknown reason?
Confusion. Is what I feel.
Labyrinth meets folk horror in this dark romantic story about a girl who wishes her baby brother away to the Lord of the Wood but now must get him back. Leah is from Winston, Pennsylvania, raised in a town where all girls have to be "good" and holy. If you aren't the Lord of the Wood will take you and you'll disappear like many other girls before. Yet living with such rigid standards has its costs and having to look at her baby brother every single day, his screaming, his crying, the constant toll, she just wishes he would disappear... and the Lord listens and takes him. Now the town forces Leah to go to the Lord's domain and get her brother back and if she doesn't she'll die. The town's people already hate her and are more than happy to send her to her death, all they want is her brother back. Yet when she ventures into the Lord's domain she never expects to meet a handsome man, a welcoming and kind community, and the fact that everything she's ever been told about the Lord of the Woods might be completely wrong. He offers her brother back in exchange for a song, and she has one month to write it... yet she begins seeing the ghosts of previous girls who were here, who were said to have been freed, and soon she begins to uncover the dark buried secrets of her hometown and who the monsters truly are. This was a really atmospheric gothic read and I do enjoy a twisted hometown mystery and the fact that there is a Labyrinth twist? I can't resist it. This was a really great read and makes for the perfect book to read in the autumn/spooky season!
*Thanks Netgalley and Page Street Publishing, Page Street YA for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
*Thanks Netgalley and Page Street Publishing, Page Street YA for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I thought this book was supposed to be really unique (YA) literary horror? By 33% it went through three separate identity crises. When I'm quitting, it's a typical young adult fantasy romance. And I've read much better in that particular category.
The writing is middling, I believe not setting this in modern times would have been better but the author had a message about things happening in present day...
I looked at spoiler reviews before quitting so I know what the big dark twist is, but I don't feel like trudging through poorly written fae romance to get to "the last 100 pages that are actually good".
The writing is middling, I believe not setting this in modern times would have been better but the author had a message about things happening in present day...
I looked at spoiler reviews before quitting so I know what the big dark twist is, but I don't feel like trudging through poorly written fae romance to get to "the last 100 pages that are actually good".
2.5 stars
It wasn’t bad and there were a few interesting scenes but it felt dull and slow paced, which isn’t great for a book that’s 250 pages long. The lord of the woods was boring and felt like a normal human boy instead of some inhuman being.
It doesn’t feel like horror or any folklore I’m familiar with. The main character spends most of her time hanging out with people who like her, eating good food, and playing piano. The setting isn’t at all scary or atmospheric and the only really memorable scenes were the ones that actually leant into the horror vibes.
It does have discussions on serious topics and it felt like this was what the author was actually passionate about. It’s not a bad book, just not what I was expecting or what I wanted.
It wasn’t bad and there were a few interesting scenes but it felt dull and slow paced, which isn’t great for a book that’s 250 pages long. The lord of the woods was boring and felt like a normal human boy instead of some inhuman being.
It doesn’t feel like horror or any folklore I’m familiar with. The main character spends most of her time hanging out with people who like her, eating good food, and playing piano. The setting isn’t at all scary or atmospheric and the only really memorable scenes were the ones that actually leant into the horror vibes.
It does have discussions on serious topics and it felt like this was what the author was actually passionate about. It’s not a bad book, just not what I was expecting or what I wanted.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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
i was really worried i wouldn’t like my throat an open grave at first; it’s definitely more horror fantasy than pure horror - hell, it even becomes more of a romance novel at points - but all of the temporary focuses on other genres or types of storytelling is just the author’s clever way of circling back to the horror that’s at the centre of this book, and helping it to hit that much harder. if anything, one of her major talents as a writer seems to be reintroducing themes, dialogue and phrasing that was used earlier in the book… and it never feels contrived. it always feels like a satisfying full circle moment of evolution of the plot. THAT’S a great sign, and this was so good it's made me want to read this author's other work lmao. loved this!