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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
Great book! I stayed up reading to finish it. It kept me wanting more!
I received this as a free ebook from NetGalley. This does not affect my review.
Well, this took my breath away for over half the book. As a long-time reader of SFF I've become quite sick of the "perfect heroine rushing towards a love interest and ultimate victory" trend in twisted fairy-tale YA over the last few years, so I'm delighted that Alice Proserpine hasn't got a clue what's going on. I love that she's scared, angry, ornery and desperate for help; it made her a much more realistic character. I like her relationship with her step-sister Audrey very much, and Finch's arc makes complete sense if you treat him as an actual character in his own story rather than just someone for Alice to mooch off and bump uglies with.
As the book got into the last third, it did lose me a little because the whole shape of the story changes. Initially I'd put this down to a bad cold and little sleep, but I see from other reviews that it does seem that the pacing goes off a bit here. Nevertheless, once you've made the transition, the story picks back up again and rattles on to a satisfying ending. Well worth your time and an author to watch.
Well, this took my breath away for over half the book. As a long-time reader of SFF I've become quite sick of the "perfect heroine rushing towards a love interest and ultimate victory" trend in twisted fairy-tale YA over the last few years, so I'm delighted that Alice Proserpine hasn't got a clue what's going on. I love that she's scared, angry, ornery and desperate for help; it made her a much more realistic character. I like her relationship with her step-sister Audrey very much, and Finch's arc makes complete sense if you treat him as an actual character in his own story rather than just someone for Alice to mooch off and bump uglies with.
As the book got into the last third, it did lose me a little because the whole shape of the story changes. Initially I'd put this down to a bad cold and little sleep, but I see from other reviews that it does seem that the pacing goes off a bit here. Nevertheless, once you've made the transition, the story picks back up again and rattles on to a satisfying ending. Well worth your time and an author to watch.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
the concept for this story was super cool, i can’t argue that. but the story itself was not great. it was a sort of Inkheart paired with Alice in Wonderland vibe, mixed with too many other ideas in my opinion. some parts felt like they went on forever while other chapters i was struggling to keep up with the topic jumping. it was the most inconsistent train of thought ive come across in a while. it wasnt the type of book i could get lost in and really only could get through a couple chapters a day
A deliciously creepy twist on fairytales, The Hazel Wood is of course a must-read for those who are tired of the retelling tropes. Incredibly original, amazingly descriptive, and all-around enchanting. I loved Alice's descriptions of herself and the world around her, and it only got better the further I read. The Hinterland was incredibly interesting to me, and kind of reminded me of The School for Good and Evil, which I love so very much.
Fun and fantastical! This book doesn't miss a beat in terms of plotting. Albert has such a way with words that her fairytales feel like they were plucked right out of the original Grimms' Fairy Tales, and I would love to see all the stories in an anthology or companion novel. My only gripe (if it can be called that) is I didn't exactly feel that attached to her characters, but it's more a personal preference than a fault of the story itself. Excited to read the sequel.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This one sounded a little out of my wheelhouse, but I was pleasantly surprised. It did take creepy turns but reminded me of Grimm Fairytales.
Alice is the granddaughter of author Althea Proserpine, who wrote a book entitled Tales of the Hinterlands. Alice has never read the book - it had a short printing and is incredibly hard to find. Her mother doesn't talk about the book or her mother, and Alice has never met Althea.
Bad luck seems to follow them everywhere they go. They live in short term leases, or at the courtesy of others, never setting down roots or getting too comfortable. Until they receive a letter that Althea has died. Finally, Ella finds a real place to stay, getting married to a man Alice thinks isn't right for her mother.
When Ella is taken, Alice finds herself turning to an unlikely source - Ellery Finch, a fellow student. Even worse, he's a fan. He's read Tales of the Hinterlands, and has all sorts of theories about Althea. He's exactly the kind of person Alice tries to avoid, but with no other options, she leans on Finch and his resources to help find her mother.
Great for anyone who's ever wanted to delve deeper into fairytales and found themselves wishing that a storyland actually exists.
Book club pick: April 2025
Alice is the granddaughter of author Althea Proserpine, who wrote a book entitled Tales of the Hinterlands. Alice has never read the book - it had a short printing and is incredibly hard to find. Her mother doesn't talk about the book or her mother, and Alice has never met Althea.
Bad luck seems to follow them everywhere they go. They live in short term leases, or at the courtesy of others, never setting down roots or getting too comfortable. Until they receive a letter that Althea has died. Finally, Ella finds a real place to stay, getting married to a man Alice thinks isn't right for her mother.
When Ella is taken, Alice finds herself turning to an unlikely source - Ellery Finch, a fellow student. Even worse, he's a fan. He's read Tales of the Hinterlands, and has all sorts of theories about Althea. He's exactly the kind of person Alice tries to avoid, but with no other options, she leans on Finch and his resources to help find her mother.
Great for anyone who's ever wanted to delve deeper into fairytales and found themselves wishing that a storyland actually exists.
Book club pick: April 2025
Knew where it was going from the attic scene. Kinda mad nothing happened between her and finch also.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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:
Yes