I had actually forgotten how magical reading an Alice Hoffman novel could be. It is sweet, endearing and whilst the plot is rather sign-posted (even I suspect for the target teen readership) is in never the less enchanting. It’s gentle, sweet, non-scary happy ever after fare, but there’s nothing wrong with a little of that every now and again, is there? It doesn’t have to be doom and gloom, grim realism, and big scares all the time does it? And whilst I dare say most of its readers will be girls, as is sadly probably been the case with Hoffman’s adult fiction, boys should not be put off reading it.

Twig lives in a remote area of town with her mysterious brother and her mother, baker of irresistible apple pies. A new girl in town might just be Twig's first true friend, and ally in vanquishing an ancient family curse A delightful and wonderful tale that is for adults as well as middle graders - Beautifully written.

Although the book is written for young teenagers, I have to say that I really enjoyed it. The storyline was lovely, idyllic, lighthearted and just beautifully written. Strongly recommend it to anyone of any age.

I picked up Nightbird from NetGalley as I liked the sound of it and I fancied something light and magical after the raft of crime books I’ve read recently.

It was just that; light and magical. It was also really sensory. Hoffman manages to pull you in to the small town and the families she is telling you about with the smells of baking pies, so sweet and delicious your mouth waters.

Twig is a lovely and intelligent girl who feels confined by her overprotective mother who is hiding a secret, but a secret that Twig knows about and is also keeping. Things start to unravel as you’d expect when new neighbours move in next door. Twig and the girl of the same age instantly click and become close friends, but it’s hard for Twig as she has become so isolated, she finds friendship a difficult path to navigate.

The pair of girls decide they are going to help their families and the town and try to figure out how to reverse a 200-year-old curse.

I haven’t read anything by Hoffman before but it seems she is a prolific and notable writer and this is evident in Nightbird. It is an endearing, sensory, magical escape which I loved for a few hours. And if you have no problems just letting yourself escape into such a world, then I’d recommend it. It reminded me a little of Neil Gaiman’s, The Graveyard Book.