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lunaenandromeda's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
gmat's review
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Bullying, Death, and Murder
Minor: Death of parent and Car accident
celery's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Car accident, Grief, Violence, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Child death, Confinement, Death of parent, Cursing, and Death
phoenixlovesbooks's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Child death, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Kidnapping and Alcohol
Minor: Car accident, Bullying, and Death of parent
thegazillionthreader's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
My Thoughts. These are moreso for myself to look back on and is less of a review with critiques, more of a reaction/discussion.
Non spoiler thoughts
I loved the writing, it was so pretty ✨ So many sentences I loved and screenshotted. I enjoyed the additions of the pages in the SpellBook.
I can see myself reading more by this author in the future. The story itself did keep me reading, but the 4 stars are moreso for the writing and enchanting vibe of the story.
DETAILED THOUGHTS THAT WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
As I said the story kept me reading to figure out what exactly happened , although sometimes I was wary that I wasn’t going to get a clear answer because of the way the characters acted or said things in their mysterious way that sometimes seemed like a poetic code. But everything is summed up fairly clearly by the end.
I did figure out most of the twist pretty early on. (That Oliver was dead. Which I think was supposed to be a twist to the reader but maybe not?) A couple times Nora sorta frustrated me when she didn’t figure out what seemed obvious, (Oliver being dead then at the end she didn’t realize she was reliving the night of the storm when it seemed apparent) but not in an angry way, moreso amused because I adore her. Then again I realize as I’m writing this it’s more obvious to the reader and wouldn’t be as obvious to her. 😅
I was never bored, but overall the events and magic seemed kinda subtle at times. Not much going on… but at the same time so much going on.
The story was wrapped up pretty well… but something about it is keeping me from being completely satisfied. Maybe it’s that Oliver can not completely remember. Like he knows, but not completely, and that’s sad. Idk. Loved the quotes at the end though (I will share at end of this) And then the camp boys… kinda concerned they’re sorta off the hook and have no memory of their consequences… because it never happened and they never did anything. Especially Max 👀Ugh. They were annoying characters. I had forgotten it is a camp for boys who need reform though and that is why they were as awful as they were. When the one boy got buried in the forest I did not expect it tbh, but I mean… consequences. 🤷🏻♀️😆😭 They should have listened to her.
Overall though, an enchanting story with gorgeous writing and mysterious characters. I am glad I read it. It is perfect for winter. Towards the end of the book I was reading it outside when it was chilly under the moon with a mug of hot chocolate and that was so awesome and immersive & something I’ll remember when I hear/think of this book ✨
And I kid you not, immediately after finishing this book on Libby while outside, a white moth started flying around me. Kinda scary, but very beautiful ending to reading this! 😆❤️
Loved this at the end of Oliver’s POV
“Sometimes I'm certain I've loved her before. That this is the second time my heart has knitted itself too tightly around hers.
The second time I've kissed her for
the first time.
The second time I've placed my lips on her neck and let my hands drift up her spine.
The second time I've fallen in love.
The second time I've known that I'll never leave these mountains, the cold dark of the forest, the bottomless lake
beyond her room.
The second time I've known without question I'll never leave her”
Non spoiler thoughts
I loved the writing, it was so pretty ✨ So many sentences I loved and screenshotted. I enjoyed the additions of the pages in the SpellBook.
I can see myself reading more by this author in the future. The story itself did keep me reading, but the 4 stars are moreso for the writing and enchanting vibe of the story.
DETAILED THOUGHTS THAT WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
As I said the story kept me reading to figure out what exactly happened , although sometimes I was wary that I wasn’t going to get a clear answer because of the way the characters acted or said things in their mysterious way that sometimes seemed like a poetic code. But everything is summed up fairly clearly by the end.
I did figure out most of the twist pretty early on. (That Oliver was dead. Which I think was supposed to be a twist to the reader but maybe not?) A couple times Nora sorta frustrated me when she didn’t figure out what seemed obvious, (Oliver being dead then at the end she didn’t realize she was reliving the night of the storm when it seemed apparent) but not in an angry way, moreso amused because I adore her. Then again I realize as I’m writing this it’s more obvious to the reader and wouldn’t be as obvious to her. 😅
I was never bored, but overall the events and magic seemed kinda subtle at times. Not much going on… but at the same time so much going on.
The story was wrapped up pretty well… but something about it is keeping me from being completely satisfied. Maybe it’s that Oliver can not completely remember. Like he knows, but not completely, and that’s sad. Idk. Loved the quotes at the end though (I will share at end of this) And then the camp boys… kinda concerned they’re sorta off the hook and have no memory of their consequences… because it never happened and they never did anything. Especially Max 👀Ugh. They were annoying characters. I had forgotten it is a camp for boys who need reform though and that is why they were as awful as they were. When the one boy got buried in the forest I did not expect it tbh, but I mean… consequences. 🤷🏻♀️😆😭 They should have listened to her.
Overall though, an enchanting story with gorgeous writing and mysterious characters. I am glad I read it. It is perfect for winter. Towards the end of the book I was reading it outside when it was chilly under the moon with a mug of hot chocolate and that was so awesome and immersive & something I’ll remember when I hear/think of this book ✨
And I kid you not, immediately after finishing this book on Libby while outside, a white moth started flying around me. Kinda scary, but very beautiful ending to reading this! 😆❤️
Loved this at the end of Oliver’s POV
“Sometimes I'm certain I've loved her before. That this is the second time my heart has knitted itself too tightly around hers.
The second time I've kissed her for
the first time.
The second time I've placed my lips on her neck and let my hands drift up her spine.
The second time I've fallen in love.
The second time I've known that I'll never leave these mountains, the cold dark of the forest, the bottomless lake
beyond her room.
The second time I've known without question I'll never leave her”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
xvictoriam9's review
adventurous
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Very young adult but dark
Not sure about the hipe
The ending / what happen to oliver is very obvious
Not sure about the hipe
The ending / what happen to oliver is very obvious
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Alcohol, Murder, and Bullying
Minor: Abandonment
bociti's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
only reason why I can't give this book 5 stars is because I need more of this story. With the Jackjaw lake and the mysterious forest where only the Walker girls can walk through.
I loved this read although it's a bit depressing here and there 🥴
I loved this read although it's a bit depressing here and there 🥴
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
bees_circus's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
itsreirei's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Grief, Violence, and Death
ssheehan1's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The good: I fell in love with this book instantly just on vibes alone. The author’s writing is incredibly beautiful and atmospheric, and she made a blizzard on an isolated lake into something so much more. I think the Wicker Woods are my favorite creepy, sentient forest that I’ve encountered yet, and I felt for them more than some of the actual characters in the book.
The bad: this book (at least the edition I have—the OwlCrate edition) needed another run through an editor. There’s some sentences that are blatantly missing a word in order to make it a complete sentence, and it happened enough that it would pull me out of the story each time. And as much as I adored the prose of the book, it became incredibly repetitive at points. Some of the repetition could have been the author’s attempt at a callback to something that happened early on in the book, if only she hadn’t mentioned it twenty other times since the first time. It was bad enough that it made the book feel slow at points, and it got to the point where I got tired of reading the same sentence about miners offering items to the forest, even though it does play an important part in the plot. The repetition seemed to cause the author to lose the plot at some points, and I had to remind myself a few times what the central plot point of the book was supposed to be.
Overall I definitely enjoyed the book, and look forward to future releases from Ernshaw.
The bad: this book (at least the edition I have—the OwlCrate edition) needed another run through an editor. There’s some sentences that are blatantly missing a word in order to make it a complete sentence, and it happened enough that it would pull me out of the story each time. And as much as I adored the prose of the book, it became incredibly repetitive at points. Some of the repetition could have been the author’s attempt at a callback to something that happened early on in the book, if only she hadn’t mentioned it twenty other times since the first time. It was bad enough that it made the book feel slow at points, and it got to the point where I got tired of reading the same sentence about miners offering items to the forest, even though it does play an important part in the plot. The repetition seemed to cause the author to lose the plot at some points, and I had to remind myself a few times what the central plot point of the book was supposed to be.
Overall I definitely enjoyed the book, and look forward to future releases from Ernshaw.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Alcohol