Review: The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

 

My last book for the Magical Hopathon. I only completed 2 of the 4 parks that Disney World has and It was fun. I wish I could have gotten to all 4 but the month was hectic and busy. This completed two prompts for Magic Kingdom. It was my snack and show prompts which I am so glad that I could double up on those, because if I couldn't then this readathon would have been a complete failure.

Going into this book, I knew that it was about a girl named Alice and her grandmother who wrote fairy tales. Reading this really fit with the vibes that I wanted for my reads this month. It was creepy, lyrical and atmospheric. I loved the two fairytales that were the main focus of this first book. 

Alice and her mom Ella are nomads who have moved around a lot because Alice thinks bad lucks follows them everywhere they go. Whenever they leave a place, it is because something terribly wrong has happened. Alice also has major anger issues and it causes a rift between her and her new stepdad Harold who is very wealthy. One day, Alice notices that her stepsister Audrey is missing from school and they arrived together. When Alice gets home, she notices a rotten smell and her mother is missing. 

She enlists the help of a school friend who is more of a fan boy of Alice's grandmother Althea Proserpine. She is the author of the rare book of fairytales called Tales from the Hinterland. Ella has been shielding Alice from the fairytales all of her life and forbidding any talk whatsoever. Alice also notices the man who kidnapped her when she was a young girl.

This had so many twists and turns. It was very atmospheric because the fairy tales that were told were very dark and sinister. I was reading The Door That Wasn't There one night and my light went out and I was on a scary bit and my heart rate spiked. I was spooked. That experience solidified my enjoyment. I also couldn't put this down. I wanted to keep reading but the middle of the night and everyone asleep made me a big scaredy cat.

I honestly can't wait to pick up the sequel because I hear that it is better than this one and I am going to be picking up Tales From The Hinterland too.