The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert a fair four-star read. I don’t know why I was expecting so much from this read, I had eagerly anticipated it and then when I got it, it took me a few attempts to finish it. It was well written and should have been one of the better reads this year, but it just lacked that something special. It was dark in places and did have some great elements but as a character Alice left me cold, there was just something lacking about her that I couldn’t gel with, it could just be me as its only my opinion but as I was reading the book and it’s my review that’s all that really matters. I do think that this is going to be a book you love or hate, and I hope you love it, the pictures of the hardcopy I’ve seen look amazing and if you want a pretty bookshelf buy the book, but don’t be put off by my review if you want to read it do. I gave it four stars as it was so well written, it deserved it.

I am so glad I’ve had a cold this week! I’ve read so many great books and this is one of them. 

As soon as this book begins there’s a certain intensity to the story that really builds as the book goes on. Alice telling her story about living with Ella and avoiding her grandmother’s fairy tale world (so far) really creates an atmosphere for the story that never disappears and it keeps you wanting more, it certainly kept me reading. 

The story can seem slow to pick up but when it does it works. The writing is filled with prose and metaphor that really blends with the sort of ‘wonderland’ vibe of the story, it does feel like almost a modern re-telling in places. The characters are okay, I find Finch to be a good balance with Alice. 

A creepy, dark and dramatic book that keeps you on the edge of your seat, The Hazel Wood is a book I was looking forward to, fairy tales are my thing and books like this are why. If you like books such as Caraval, I think you’ll probably like this.

This is a book of fairytale, sometimes dark and sometimes light. The main character Alice I found it hard to connect with or really like, she is confused, mixed up and I guess this mirrors how I felt about her. I most enjoyed this tale when she was with other characters, and what they bought to the mix. At times I found this book slow and the constant use of metaphor a hindrance, having said that I also found parts of the book very enjoyable especially the characters explaining the fairytale. This tale is written with opulence and layer and layer of colour, which is brilliant, but to use a metaphor sometimes over egged the pud. This would definately be a Tim Burton film with Johnny Depp and Helens Bonham Carter as the main characters.  It is fantasy sometimes at its best, sometimes for me on total overload. Thank you to Net galley for the chance to read it.

The book starts off as a fairly typical YA (odd main character who always feels out of place, cute guy at school inexplicably shows interest) before taking a sharp left into Tim Burton territory.  Seriously, this would make a great Burton film - it has that dark, twisted humour running throughout it. Although a little slow to start, once they actually reach the Hazel Wood, things pick up tremendously. Overall, I really enjoyed reading it and recommend to fans of authors such as Roald Dahl or Lemony Snicket.

I was lucky enough to read this book courtesy of NetGalley.
Here's me thinking the book would be similar to the 'wicked lovely' series by Melissa Marr, as it starts off light and airy and boy, oh, boy was I wrong. 
This book is incredible, its dark and twisted and not at all what I expected to be reading as it depicts the evilness of fairy tails and that's all I could ever ask for really! 
Highly recommend to anyone to read it when this comes out!

A triumph of a book.  Marketed as a fantasy book which is not my genre at all, but the fairy tale aspect was too intriguing to pass up.  I've had a fascination with fairy tales since childhood and their other-wordly nature and the sinister that often lies just below the surface are perfectly captured by Albert in this mesmerising tale.  Alice is on the run with her mother.  Unsure what they're running but with 'bad luck' forever snapping at their heels, they never stay in one place too long.  Until now.  As Alice returns from school to find her mother vanished and her step family refusing her entry to the family home, the lines between the real world and the fairytale world begin to blur.  There is something very sinister about the idea of characters from dark tales populating the streets we walk down: sinister, dark and deliciously entertaining.  This may end up being a marmite book,  but as a non-fantasy fan, I loved it and give it a well deserved 5 stars.  Another YA book hitting the target with adults too.

I was lucky enough to be offered a free copy of this book for review from NetGalley. 

I accepted for two reasons: 

1. I liked the synopsis. A dark, twisty fairytale with similarities to Alice in Wonderland sounded like something I could get behind. 
2. I'd heard so much hype about this book that I wanted to see for myself whether it was all hype or if there was actually something there. 

It took me a little while to finish this book. After making a start I became a little sceptical. I didn't find Alice a particularly relatable character, she's rude, a bit obnoxious (and whilst that's fine with some characters, especially a loveable villain) I had some trouble connecting with Alice to begin with. I also found the start a little confusing/slow and was tempted at one point to lay it aside. 

However, I persevered and I'm glad that I did. As the story unfolds it becomes clearer why Alice is the way she is, that she literally has no idea about who she is, spending her entire life shrouded in mystery and running from something she doesn't understand. 

I think perhaps the book could have been shorter as some of Alice's journey seemed a little long-winded and repetitive (i.e. multiple unconscious spells) and I wasn't a huge fan of (I want to say 'her friend' but I'm still not sure about their relationship) Ellery Finch who again, I didn't really like/connect with/understand. 

What I did really like were the twists and turns that the story takes, the new information and surprises that are revealed to both Alice and the reader along the way. I enjoyed the whimsical, dark characters of the Hinterland and the idea of the Hinterland itself, with its refugees, the Spinner and the Stories. I would have loved for more of this book to take place inside the Hinterland, where we could have explored that world for much longer. 

The imagery inside the Hinterland, the Halfway Wood and the Hazel Wood is really quite beautiful. 

Overall, I enjoyed the main essence of the story and did find myself liking Alice more as the story progressed and her Story unfolded. 

I think readers who particularly enjoy dark fairytales (especially fans of Alice in Wonderland) would enjoy this new take on the story. I'm also interested to see what comes next from this author, I think there's a lot more left to offer. 

3/3.5 stars from me.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in order to provide an honest review. 

Deliciously dark and twisted, this is everything I want in a fairytale! None of the characters conform to the archetypes of the genre, but they are all vibrant and engaging. The plot takes a few unexpected turns, keeping the reader on their toes.  The settings, both real-world and other-world, are easily imagined and believable.

A must-read for fairytale aficionados, particularly fans of the original Grimm’s.

I loved this book! Dark, twisty and deliciously creepy, I couldn’t stop reading but really didn’t want it to end! Always the mark of a fantastic book. Can’t wait to see what else Melissa has to offer.

Alice and her mum, Ella moved from place to place whenever bad luck caught up with them. When Alice’s grandmother, Althea, author of a book about dark fairy tales passes away; Ella assumes their bad luck has passed so they settle in New York. Soon after Ella goes missing and and with the help of her school friend Ellery Finch they try to track Ella down, with each clue leading them in to the fairytale world created by Althea. 

I’m not sure how I really feel about this story. I felt the first part of the story building up to Ella disappearing was quite drawn out but once Alice enlisted the help of Ellery the pace of the story quickened but once Alice arrives at The Hazel Wood (Althea’s home) the story just kind of fizzled our for me. This story isn’t for the faint hearted though as parts of it are creepy and dark. Whilst this wasn’t a bad story there was just something g missing for me but I can’t put my finger on what.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Read: January 4 2018

Release Date: January 20 2018

I received a digital copy via NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for my honest feedback

Sometimes its hard to review or read a book when it isn’t your usual style. However, The Hazel Wood is a creepy and enthralling tale from start to finish.

Alice has spent her entire life moving around with her mum, yet she’s never known why they are constantly mobile only that their bad-luck increases whenever they stay in one place too long. But, Alice will soon find out the cause when her mother goes missing. The only clues Alice has are the references to her recently deceased grandmothers stories.

If you think of all the pretty fairy-tales you grew up with. The ones with princes and castles, damsels-in-distress and happily ever after’s and then picture the creepy, dark, Brother Grimm-Esq versions you will have the essence of The Hazel Wood. And it definitely isn’t a bad thing.

Melissa Albert basically starts you mid-way through a story that begun years before the book. You get the background information needed about Alice and her mum Ella, their constant moves and bad luck, their relationship with each other, – its brief, but informative – before you’re swept into the main plot line. It’s something that Albert does throughout the book. Gives you the information, but never lingers. It keeps the pace constantly moving.

The catalyst, shall we say, for the book is Alice’s grandmother; Althea Prosperine who wrote a famous book of 12 creepy fairy-tales titled Tales From The Hinterland. These tales are at the root of the book and are mentioned constantly. You even get a couple of them told to you during the book while being giving brief snippets from others. It’s what gives the book an almost haunted element to it, because you, like Alice don’t know these stories and it seems like everyone else does. You spend so much time trying to figure out what these stories are and what’s so bad about them, only to discover you don’t really want to know when you’re told.

Alice was definitely a convincing and compelling lead. As you learn about things when she does you often find yourself feeling similar emotions or at least if feels more authentic because you’re on the same level as the character. They aren’t ahead of you. All characters were actually pretty enjoyable. I wouldn’t say anyone particularly stood out, but they all fit the story.

The world-building is enchanting and I would have excepted nothing less. If you’re going to include fairy-tales, whether they’re creepy or happy, there has to be an emphasis on world-building. There isn’t really much in the beginning, when they’re in everyday society, but when you start to travel and get closer to Hinterland the attention to detail on the setting and surroundings is noticeably more thorough.

In all, The Hazel Wood presents itself as a dark and creepy fairy-tale that features a consuming story and pace that makes you not want to put the book down. There’s twists and realisations that were shocking and unpredictable. The characters, while they fit the story, were nothing special.
I definitely don’t think this book will be for everyone, certainly not those younger – it isn’t that kind of fairy-tale. It’s strengths are in the story and I would definitely call this book more a mystery with fantasy-elements rather than a straight up fantasy.

Loved this book so much! It was as deliciously dark, with so many twists and turns I couldn’t put it down.

This was a pretty good book about Alice, a girl who has spent her life travelling around with her mum, never stopping in one place for more than a few months in case the bad luck they seem to attract finds them. The bad luck comes from Alice's grandmother, who wrote a book of dark fairy stories about a fairy realm called the Hinterland years ago.

I quite enjoyed this book and although it seems to have divided other readers I don't have a hugely strong opinion of it. Worth a read. Pretty imaginative. Fairly standard portal-fantasy format. Especially recommended for anyone who likes lyrical prose, heavy on the metaphor.

The plot was quite interesting enough as I quite enjoy a portal fantasy. It was less nonsensical than I was expecting (I guess because the MC's name is Alice I was expecting it to be like Wonderland). 
The pacing did seem a bit off. Alice doesn't actually get near the Hinterland until over halfway through the book and when she did it wasn't actually as scary as I thought it would be. Mediaeval setting, monsters (called Stories) that you just steer clear of as the only danger comes when you get involved in their narrative. Then at the end her Story seemed to be wrapped up a bit too quickly.

My favourite bit was the snippets of Hinterland stories we were given - I would quite happily read a whole book of those.

I've seen other reviews that have said how much the reader liked Finch and how much they hated Alice. For me it was actually the other way around. Being an arsehole isn't actually a barrier to me liking an MC - I've rooted for plenty of serial killers and sociopaths over my reading career. Alice was super unpleasant but not wholly unlikeable as at least she had a bit of backbone about her. I never really got the feeling I got to know Finch. He felt like a bit of a hipster hanger-on, which is a shame as I think he could have been developed a bit further and been made more interesting. 

All in all this was okay. It would have got an extra star if Alice had spent a bit more time actually in the Hinterland.

A modern-day look at the fairy tale and the power of stories. Dark and at times unnerving, a work of great imagination and skill

Inventive, atmospheric & intelligent magical tale that defies easy categorisation. Very creepy & slightly disturbing at times... definitely not for the faint hearted! A strong debut.

I've always liked stories that reference fairy tales, especially dark ones, so The Hazel Wood seemed to be a good fit for me.

Alice has spent her life on the run from the 'bad luck' that follows her and her mother (Ella) around. Ella's mother (Alice's grandmother) is Althea Proserpine, the famous but reclusive bestselling author of Tales from the Hinterland - a volume of dark fairy tales featuring characters such as the Briar King and Twice Killed Katherine. When Althea dies, Ella is convinced their 'bad luck' has ended, and for a while everything does seems fine. Until Alice comes home to find her mother has vanished, someone has left a page from Tales from the Hinterland in their apartment - and characters from the book begin popping up all over the place... Enlisting the help of her friend Ellery, a huge Hinterland fan, Alice travels to her grandmother's estate, the Hazel Wood, to find out if those dark 'fairy tales' might have some basis in truth.

I loved the premise and that the character of Alice was not all sweetness and light (there is a reason for this, explained later in the book). But my absolutely favourite part was the introduction of the author's original fairy tale characters, such as Twice Killed Katherine. I would have loved to have heard more about their individual stories. Perhaps if each chapter had started with a short extract, the reader would have been more aware of who they were, and why it was important for Alice to keep away from them. I'd have also liked Alice to have arrived at the Hazel Wood a bit sooner, but it was fun spotting the classic fairy tale references and I did enjoy the story.

Readers of YA, fantasy, and dark fairy tales will love this book, but adults might find it's a bit too YA (particularly at the start) and therefore not have that crossover appeal.


I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of The Hazel Wood, which will be published on 8th February 2018.

Thank you to Melissa Albert, Penguin, and Netgalley for my copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

A first novel to be proud of. 
Alice and her Mum, Ella are always on the move it seems to be the only way to keep one step ahead of the constant ‘bad luck’ that plagues them. 
When they decide to put down roots and stop running is when things go truly awry and ‘the weird’ catches up with them. 
Ella is taken from their home and Alice turns to Finch, her classmate for support and help to find her. Their quest leads them to her Grandmother’s estate, The Hazel Wood and even further into the dark and creepy fairytale realm (The Hinterland) that her Grandmother (an elusive author with a cult following)  based her stories on. 

The Hazel Wood is quirky, original and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book had it all, a unique plot that mixes the world of fairy tales and mystery to give a terrifyingly brilliant read. 
Unlike pretty pink fairy tales this is a dark and somewhat scary read, the main character is moody, angry and is far from a princess, by the end I loved her. The clever writing made me, at first hate Alice and then adore her clever yet dark personality. The story is well paced and takes you on a journey that cannot be compared to anything else I have read. The first thing I saw was the cover and I love it, to me it says this book has a spooky mystery feel to it and it certainly didn't disappoint. 
I wont even try to describe the plot because I could never give the author justice on this fantastic book. All I can say if give it a shot, come out your comfort zone and dive right in.

I was really excited when I read the premise for The Hazel Wood. Dark and twisty fairytales, mythical quests, mysterious families, dark woods, haunted houses – all absolute reading catnip. And it didn’t disappoint. Imagine if you will Gossip Girl crossed with Diana Wynne Jones with a splash of Neil Gaiman and a twist of Lewis Carroll. After a lifetime of driving across the US with her mother, Ella, Alice thinks they have finally settled down in the luxurious New York apartment of her new stepfather. And she may not get on with her stepsister, may struggle to make friends and fit in at her new private school, may hate sharing her mother with her entitled, rich stepfather but at least she’s not on the run anymore. Until, that is, her mother disappears and Alice has to venture into the Hazel Wood to find her. 
A long time ago Alice’s grandmother, who she has never met, wrote a book of fairytales. The book has since become impossible to find, but the unread stories haunt Alice, and as she searches for her mother, she finds the line between fiction and reality blurring…
This is a dark, dark book. A book filled with cruelty and disturbing turns and troubling decisions. If you like your fantasy light and a guaranteed Happily Ever After then it may not be for you. But if you like inventiveness, ingenuity and originality then step into The Hazel Wood. I didn’t want to stop reading, didn’t want to put it down and envy all of you discovering it for the first time. Highly recommended.

I was intrigued by the sound of this when I read the write up, and thought it might be worth looking into. I quite enjoy a fantasy fairytale type story that deals with the fantastical in a particular manner, especially when it reels you in. From the off the vibe I got from this book made me think of one of my closest friends.

The Hazel Wood is, in a word, magical. Right in the beginning, when it starts, you wonder what it is that you are reading and where, exactly, it is going to go, and before you know it, an adventure barrels in and sweeps you off your feet, dragging you, whether you are ready or not, off into the Hinterland.

Melissa Albert builds a really good world, too. Alice is our protagonist, and her story unfolds slowly but surely, giving you bits and bobs and plenty more mystery than you know what to do with. Her search for her lost mother is conducted with the assistance of Ellery Finch, a character I quite enjoyed, as he brought a lot to the table in terms of diversifying the story. He knew things, so many things, and he was quite involved with helping Alice in her quest, and I quite liked the dynamic between Alice and Finch.

Albert seamlessly blurs the lines between Hinterland and the real world, and it is balanced so well, too. You know what is and what isn't, and yet the story cleverly weaves between the worlds, the Stories, the characters. Sometimes not too many answers are provided, which I think added to the vibe of the book, though it is something that might irritate other readers.

The Hazel Wood is a dark, magical, crazy, weird story that is bound to sweep you up if you are into fantasy edged with grim fairy tales. The writing flows and the story engages, making this book well worth the read. I can see it is something I will revisit.