Hi, everyone, and welcome to the FIRST BOOK REVIEW TUESDAY OF 2019! WE MADE IT! HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!!
This book was one of my last reads of 2018, and part of my *sniffle* last library haul of that year as well. Iād heard some rave reviews (mostly from EpicReads), and I almost bought it at Barnes and Noble, but, alas, still in hardback, and therefore, more expensive than a book of that size really should be. I finally got around to checking it out last week, and I was AMAZED. My expectations were average, butĀ The Hazel WoodĀ was well above-average.
Enjoy the review!
The Hazel Wood
Alice Proserpine has lived her whole life on the run. Her grandmother is a recluse, the author of a renowned fairy tale book,Ā Tales from the Hinterland,Ā and her mother seems to run into bad luck wherever they roam. But when Alice receives news that her grandmother has passed away, she decides to set off to uncover the truth about why she really hid herself away. The Hazel Wood, the secluded house where she lived out most of her adulthood, has never been found by the public, but with the help of some of her grandmotherās most devoted fans, she finds some vital clues about its location. But what she finds there is stranger than she could have ever imagined…
WOW.
The Hazel WoodĀ was immensely better than I expected it to be. The mix of realistic fiction and fairytale fantasy blended together perfectly, making for a chilling, masterfully crafted gem of a book. Incredibly creative, with unique and fierce characters and a twisted plot to match. Not only that, but there were a bunch of wonderful and hilarious pop culture references thrown in at the most perfect of times-everything from Star Wars to David Bowie to Nirvana to T. Rex.
We know thereās a sequel coming some time this year, but it has yet to be titled or have a cover reveal. The author has also hinted at the release ofĀ Tales from the Hinterland somewhere down the line, too…OOH…
All in all, spectacular book. Would probably land a solid 9 on my book rating scale.
Well, I hope you all have a happy, happy new year, and a great rest of your day! Thanks for reading this post, and take care of yourselves! (And for those of you in temperatures like the oneās Iām in,Ā pleaseĀ stay warm. It was -2 degrees around midnight last night.)
The Bookish Mutant 