Monday, January 22, 2018

New Release Review—The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert


Publisher: Flatiron Books
Published: January 30, 2018
Genre: YA Modern Fantasy
Source: Audio Review Copy
Rating: 4 Stars


Blurb:
Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set. Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”

Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong.
 

Review:
Wow. I’m a bit speechless if I’m being completely honest. The Hazel Wood is a creepy yet intriguing fairy tale that has a poetic-like quality to its writing. I listened to the book on audio—narrated by Rebecca Soler; who you might recognize from The Lunar Chronicles audio books—and it’s one that I’m going to have get in hardback to add to my library at home. The cover is absolutely gorgeous; as I’m sure the inside of the novel is beautiful as well. 

Alice is our heroine of the story. Her life’s been a series of bad luck after bad luck; and since before she could remember, it’s always been just her and her mother. That all changes when her mom goes missing; and there’s only one explanation—The Hinterland. How does she know this? Her grandmother was a famous author and does alone on her estate, The Hazel Wood. Everything leads back to the book she wrote full of dark and creepy fairy tales. 

She employs Ellery Finch to help her find this mysterious and somewhat scary place to look for her missing mom. We are then taken on an adventure where some of the characters from the book are now in our world. And they know who both Alice and Finch are—and what they are trying to do. I thought The Tales of the Hinterland characters were gloriously terrifying. It was probably my most favorite part of the whole book.  

As soon as I finished reading, I kind of just sat there dumbfounded. The Hazel Wood isn’t like those Disney fairy tales, instead it’s like the original, darker ones. My only problem with the whole book was Alice. To put it lightly, she was an immature bitch. Sure, I get it. Her mother is lost but does she have to snap and growl at Finch over EVERYTHING. He didn’t deserve her misplaced wrath. If anything he’s doing HER a favor by helping her out. 

Overall, I loved the book for its creativity and it’s sheer ability to take me to another world. I think this is the perfect story for readers looking for something unique, mesmerizing, and a bit romantic. And I don’t mean romantic in the sense of actual romance but by the whole tone of the novel. I’d also like to add the narration through the audio book was perfection. Ms. Soler brought out the characters in a miraculous way. 

*I received an audio book from the publisher for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

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About the Author:
Melissa Albert is the founding editor of the Barnes & Noble Teen Blog and the managing editor of BN.com. She has written for McSweeney’s, Time Out Chicago, MTV, and more. Melissa is from Illinois and lives in Brooklyn, New York. The Hazel Wood is her first novel.
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