I finished reading The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert last night and I loved it. Below you will find the book details followed by my review. This book is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year and if you like dark fairy tales and fantasy, this is a must-read.
The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the strange bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a 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 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.
To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother’s tales began . . .
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The Hazel Wood – My Review
I absolutely loved this book and didn’t want it to end. The writing is stunning, the characters amazing, and the entire storyline is something new and imaginative. I fell in love with Alice’s character and all the struggles and triumphs she enduring in this story. I loved Finch as well. The number of twists and turns, I never anticipated any of it. This story pulled me in and didn’t let me go. I felt like I’d been spat out, banished when I got to the end and all I wanted to do was start the story all over again.
It was an exceptional read and definitely my favourite of 2018 so far. It’s dark in places and you’ll find the hair standing up on the back of your arms as you travel with Alice through the Hazel Wood. There’s so much to this book. The vivid descriptions, Alice as she struggles to find her place and herself, and the revelations…I just didn’t see them coming.
If you’re a fan of fairy tales and enjoy something a little darker than your standard prince and princess stuff, then this is a must-read. It’s not an airy-fairy romance. In fact, there’s no romance at all. This is Alice’s story (not a wonderland retelling either) and I’m not going to spoil anything. I went into this book blind and I’m so glad I did. The cover appealed to me as did the description and I was thrilled to receive a copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This book gripped me and even though I took my time reading it, savouring every sentence, it still ended and I’ve found myself at a loss. I’m going to miss Alice and Finch and all the weird and wonderful characters, not to mention the authors command over words. She tells an amazing story and I know I’ll be buying every new book she releases.
The Hazel Wood is available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook and you can find all the details on Amazon.
Until next time,
Keep reading and writing
Amanda
Amanda J Evans is an award-winning Irish author and writing coach. Amanda writes adult romance that often crosses into paranormal and fantasy. Growing up with heroes like Luke Skywalker and Indiana Jones, her stories centre on good versus evil with a splice of love and magic thrown in too. Her books have all won awards and her novella, Hear Me Cry, won the Book of the Year Award at the Dublin Writers Conference 2018. Amanda is also the author of Surviving Suicide: A Memoir from Those Death Left Behind, published in 2012.
