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A review by mastersal
The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
4.0
Despite all the chequered reviews of this book I thought this was a highly successful book about the Hero(ine)’s Journey. This reminds me of [b:Every Heart a Doorway|25526296|Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children, #1)|Seanan McGuire|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1431438555s/25526296.jpg|45313140] in a good way but the preoccupations of the two book are different. Every Heart was a fairytale fantasy and this is a riff on the journey monomyth.
I liked the central heroine, Alice, and the general creepiness of the world. This was a quick read more on the magical realism spectrum than full fantasy that I think most YA fans seem to have expected. I could see Stephen King writing this, if the gore and violence was toned down in his work.
The fairy tale elements and the emphasis on the power of imagination to create struck home to me quite powerfully. The themes of home, identity and reality, are this book’s pre-occupations. This is about as far from escapist I think a YA book can get so pick this up only when you are in the mood for it. I can see it being difficult if you’re looking for something easy to get into thematically. The writing was lovely and fluid so that will be a plus. I know the image of travelling and memories being tied to books and not people or friends haunt me.
I did think Finch was a largely extraneous character and could have been removed..
The second half was a little too short and the feeling of dread faltered a bit. Honestly, the fact this book is getting a sequel was actually the worst thing about it. It coloured my reading of the end which is why I am rounding this down from the 4.5 stars I think it deserved. This should have been a deliberate book about the power of myth and world building through imagination. The sequel makes me think the author didn’t intend for it to be so. That makes me sad.
PS. Maybe I’ll up the rating if the sequel adds to the experience - assuming I read it.
I liked the central heroine, Alice, and the general creepiness of the world. This was a quick read more on the magical realism spectrum than full fantasy that I think most YA fans seem to have expected. I could see Stephen King writing this, if the gore and violence was toned down in his work.
The fairy tale elements and the emphasis on the power of imagination to create struck home to me quite powerfully. The themes of home, identity and reality, are this book’s pre-occupations. This is about as far from escapist I think a YA book can get so pick this up only when you are in the mood for it. I can see it being difficult if you’re looking for something easy to get into thematically. The writing was lovely and fluid so that will be a plus. I know the image of travelling and memories being tied to books and not people or friends haunt me.
I did think Finch was a largely extraneous character and could have been removed.
Spoiler
It struck me as a forced romance was being built up. If it was a feint to make us expect a romance which does not occur then I think it was unsuccessful.The second half was a little too short and the feeling of dread faltered a bit. Honestly, the fact this book is getting a sequel was actually the worst thing about it. It coloured my reading of the end which is why I am rounding this down from the 4.5 stars I think it deserved. This should have been a deliberate book about the power of myth and world building through imagination. The sequel makes me think the author didn’t intend for it to be so. That makes me sad.
PS. Maybe I’ll up the rating if the sequel adds to the experience - assuming I read it.