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Whats the book about?
17 year old Alice and her mum Ella have moved from place to place for as long as Alice can remember. Each move closely follows a string of 'bad luck'. Alice has never met her Grandmother - Althea Proserpine, who was the author of a mysterious book called Tales from the Hinterland which holds dark fairy tales. Alice has not had a chance to read the book as it is impossible to find. When Ella receives news that her mother is dead, she decides that its time for them to stop running. One day while Alice is at school Ella goes missing. Alice and her friend Ellery Finch set out to find Ella but instead they discover more than they bargained for.
What I liked about this book
- For me, the first half of the book was definitely the best part. The first 70% of the book focuses on Alice's search for her mum and the discovery that the world isn't as it seems. It felt like i was reading a murder mystery with an undercurrent of magic.
- Althea Proserpines fairy tales - Ellery describes a few of the fairy tales that are said to be in Tales from the Hinterland to Alice throughout the book. These were a highlight for me as they are dark and the give an extra layer of spookiness to the story as a whole.
- The world building in this book is good you can really picture the environment as the story played out.
What I didn't like
- I really didn't enjoy the last 20% of the book. The Hinterland was just not what i was expecting it be. Though i did like the halfway wood.
- I did't particularly like the main character Alice. She is prone to anger out bursts, is judgemental and is pretty horrible to Ellery throughout the story. I get that this is meant to be part of her character profile but it just didn't do it for me.
The Hazel Wood is, for the most part, an enjoyable read. I would recommend this book if you are a fan of fairy tales, though the versions in this book probably aren't what your used too.
3.5 stars
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