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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was. A book. I can give it that. The premise and storytelling were pretty interesting, especially at the start, but one thing it consistently lacked on was absolutely no part of me was rooting for the main character. Or any character. There was no one I really cared about in this story. And the closer I got to the end, the more the story itself began to confuse and lose me, as well.
I think, overall, it was written pretty well. I would have put it down had I had no inteterest in what was happening but… overall, was glad to be done, and definetly need a palette clenser before I pick up the sequel.
I think, overall, it was written pretty well. I would have put it down had I had no inteterest in what was happening but… overall, was glad to be done, and definetly need a palette clenser before I pick up the sequel.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-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
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
I am in LOVE with this book. This novel filled me with a religious zeal to convert everyone to it. I want to go to the Hazel Wood. I want to live in the Hinterland. This book kept me captivated from the start. At first it seemed a contemporary tale set in modern times yet written so lushly that I found it enchanting from her wording alone. I absolutely swooned from the way she uses "ocean" as an adjective and makes danger and darkness sound appealing. The dark and twisted starts to poke through fairly quickly and then eventually takes over with disturbing twists. This is a dark fairytale about dark fairytales, think Brothers Grimm and not Disney. The stories within the story were creepy and strange and haunting and I think it would be brilliant for Melissa Albert to actual publish them in a separate book.
It's difficult to describe this novel but I want to try because I want to put it in the hands of everyone who walks into the bookstore looking for a different kind of fantasy novel. It's that compelling and that unique. The main character, Alice, has spent her life on the run with her mother, Ella, who disappears and Alice knows it has something to do with her grandmother's tales of the Hinter Land so goes off in search of her and then it really gets weird and Alice in Wonderland like. I felt mesmerized while reading this, it is very atmospheric and magical and deliciously disturbing while being utterly enchanting.
This book is going on my list of all time YA favorites. The reviews are quite mixed, which surprised me, perhaps it was too creepy for some? But for my dark and twisted little soul, this was truly magical and I just want to bask in the spell it's cast over me.
It's difficult to describe this novel but I want to try because I want to put it in the hands of everyone who walks into the bookstore looking for a different kind of fantasy novel. It's that compelling and that unique. The main character, Alice, has spent her life on the run with her mother, Ella, who disappears and Alice knows it has something to do with her grandmother's tales of the Hinter Land so goes off in search of her and then it really gets weird and Alice in Wonderland like. I felt mesmerized while reading this, it is very atmospheric and magical and deliciously disturbing while being utterly enchanting.
This book is going on my list of all time YA favorites. The reviews are quite mixed, which surprised me, perhaps it was too creepy for some? But for my dark and twisted little soul, this was truly magical and I just want to bask in the spell it's cast over me.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
I really enjoyed this book! It was reminiscent of one of my favourite series ("The Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs) in the aspect of the "real world" and a fantastical one suddenly meeting, and also reminded me of "Inkheart", which I read years ago.
Even though it got a little confusing by the last 40 pages or so, all in all it was a fascinating story with likeable characters and a beautiful writing style.
There was one description which threw me off though:
----- SPOILER-----
what the heck are "sociopathic blue eyes" supposed to be? Sociopathic isn't even a descriptor, it's an outdated medical term and actually quite offensive. Not cool.
----SPOILER END---
This was pretty much the only thing that irked me though. I think I am going to read the sequel as well.
Even though it got a little confusing by the last 40 pages or so, all in all it was a fascinating story with likeable characters and a beautiful writing style.
There was one description which threw me off though:
----- SPOILER-----
what the heck are "sociopathic blue eyes" supposed to be? Sociopathic isn't even a descriptor, it's an outdated medical term and actually quite offensive. Not cool.
----SPOILER END---
This was pretty much the only thing that irked me though. I think I am going to read the sequel as well.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
Fun read! Atmospheric, vivid, and mysterious as promised. The writing was very descriptive all the way through, not just the fairy tale parts. The pop culture references were a little bit much for me, but I think that's only because I was looking for a true timeless fairy tale/haunted house situation. If I were in another mood it might not have bothered me, and it was all well done.
I liked all the characters and their relationships. The modern way the characters embodied the outcast/pauper trope within fairy tales was really unique, and didn't feel forced or trite. The way the plot unforlded ended up feeling very true to a fairy tale as well. Overall it just left me with a pleasant, satisfied feeling after closing the book. It was everything it promised to be.
I liked all the characters and their relationships. The modern way the characters embodied the outcast/pauper trope within fairy tales was really unique, and didn't feel forced or trite. The way the plot unforlded ended up feeling very true to a fairy tale as well. Overall it just left me with a pleasant, satisfied feeling after closing the book. It was everything it promised to be.
This was a fantastic read. The prose was beautiful, and really made you feel like you were apart of the world. Most importantly, the premise was original and really engaging. Initially I thought that I would want to know more about the various stories (especially how they ended) but after finishing The Hazel Wood, I'm content. It really impresses me when an author can tie up a story so succinctly and wholly.