Welcome to Melissa Albert’s The Hazel Wood–the fiercely stunning New York Times bestseller everyone is raving about! Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, … fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: Her mother is stolen away–by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother’s stories are set. Alice’s only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”
Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother’s tales began–and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong.
Don’t miss the New York Times bestselling sequel to The Hazel Wood, The Night Country, out now, or Tales from the Hinterland, coming January 12, 2021!
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If you ever wanted to read something dark and creepy with a delicious fairy-tale vibe, then you’re gonna love THE HAZEL WOOD. Melissa Albert’s writing is absolutely wonderful and this story will suck you in!
It’s super entertaining and I don’t want to give too much away but it follows Alice, a girl whose grandmother wrote a book of fairy tales — a book that is strangely impossible to get hold of. But when her mother disappears, Alice must find her way to her grandmother’s hidden magical estate…
A wonderfully compelling, gripping, beautifully-written novel that is haunting and grim at times, but still has so much light. I quickly came to care about Alice and Finch, and Alice’s mom Ella, and loved the story worlds and vivid imagination. At times I didn’t like Alice’s actions, but other times she won me over, and the emotional depth and inner knowledge as well as vivid imagination and gorgeous writing made me love this book so much.
Think you don’t like reading fantasy? Think again. Crossover fiction at its very best. I loved The Hazel Wood. It got stunning reviews for a reason. Dreamy, haunting, compelling, exciting and entrancing. Some of the best fantasy genre writing I’ve ever read. You won’t be able to put this down until you know what happens at the end.
I absolutely adored this storyline. The book was depicted beautifully and I cannot wait to get my hands on a paperback copy of this. Terrific work.
You’ll never think of fairy tales the same way after reading this book! And I love the beautiful, lyrical way in which the author wove the story.
Deliciously and unexpectedly dark
I hovered between a three and four star rating for this one and eventually went for three because I don’t think I’m likely to reread this book (and I’m a pretty frequent rereader) simply because this was the right book for me at this time, but not something I think I’m going to revisit or pick up the sequel to. I like where it ends.
I went into this book looking for some atmosphere- I wanted that dark fairy tale, sort of trippy, is this dream or reality vibe and this book 100% delivered on it. I wanted to start some autumnal reading off and this did that. I also found it pretty fast-paced (but not too fast where I was wondering what happened the chapter before still while trying to wrestle with the next one), and easy to read. I even found some cool pop culture references in it that have added more books to my TBR, which is always a win in my book. The plot also was what I wanted- and the ending, I found, very satisfying. I didn’t want everything tied up in a neat bow, but I didn’t feel like there were any unanswered questions, just enough room for me to imagine further what may happen after the ending of the book. So all of that was more than deserving of a four star rating.
But I struggled with the characters. Even Alice, who as the main character still didn’t feel as fully fleshed out as I normally like my main characters to be. I’m not sure I can put my finger on it, but all the characters felt about the same level of depth as the fairy tale characters. I’m not sure if this was a purposeful choice on the author’s part (which would MORE THAN make sense, tbh), but it just isn’t my particular cup of tea. I did get somewhat attached to the characters, enough to keep reading and want to know what happened to them, which makes me think the fairy-tale-esque feel to them was intentional on the author’s part. Which, again, makes sense, just didn’t work for me super well in this case.
Still, atmosphere? Check. Plot line? Check. Dark Fairy Tale Vibes? Check. Character development? Good enough for me to finish the book in a day with only a dinner break. I’d call it a win.
This book is darker and more depressing than I like. Stay away if you like happy endings and uplifting stories. But for those who like dark stories with lots of suffering, this is for you. It reminds me of early Stephen King novels. The writing and imagery are powerful but distressing, dismal, and bleak.
Alice, the granddaughter of an almost-famous author whose residence is called The Hazel Wood, is a vagabond with her mom, Ella. They move from place to place, staying with friends or acquaintances, or working for lodging. Alice is the perpetual new student. Then Ella is kidnapped by people from the Hinterland, who let Harold and Audrey go but seem to be pursuing her. She gets help from Finch, and now they are both pursued by the Hinterland. The story gets very tense, weird things happen, unexpected truths are revealed, nothing is as it seems. It gets darker and more menacing, boding ill and full of despair. The final resolution is not a classical happily-ever-after ending, but more like leaving darkness for twilight. The Tales from the Hinterland are even grimmer than Grimms’ Fairy Tales.
I loved this book! I didn’t think I’d be so creeped out at so many points and it was definitely more different than what I’m used to but I loved it!
I loved The Hazel Wood. Melissa Albert spun a tale reminiscent of the Grimm’s fairy tales. Following Alice as she uncovers the darkness of Hinterland; a twisted world at the frayed edges of reality.
Genius prose. Every sentence is a joy to read. The first half was incredible, although the second half felt a little arbitrary, which didn’t at all distract from how awesome the writing is. Looking forward to the sequel where a favorite character returns 🙂
A great story born from the fairy tale tradition but truly original. Amazing world building.
The blurb intrigued me. A blogging friend always urges everyone to read debut authors, so I decided to take a chance on this one.
But… unlike the rave reviews on the cover, I set the book down quite a few times. The beginning is a bit slow (the real action begins around page 80) and the main character isn’t all that likeable or interesting. (Characters can be unlikable as long as they’re interesting.) And there’s a lot of cussing that gets quite irritating. (Trigger warning.)
It’s like the world and characters were mimicking the grunginess from the Modern Faerie Tale trilogy, the snooty high society ickiness from Gossip Girl and flashes from other stories. Not a palatable combination against what the cover, title and blurb makes the reader expect.
As for Alice, the main character, she’s far too self-aware, yet relentlessly acerbic, to be believable. (Which some might point out was the whole idea.) I had a really hard time spending time with this foul-mouthed creature. I realise that not all teenagers are the same, but Alice acts more like someone in her thirties than a teenager. Also, she treats her mother like a child (much like Twilight’s Bella did with her mom).
The story relies heavily on crutch-words (profanity, blasphemy and words heavy with darkness and violence) to such an extent that it becomes repetitive.
It also starts to read like a creepy version of Alice in Wonderland from the second half in. Surprisingly, the cussing becomes less until someone realises that a page has gone by without any profanity…
There are things to like in this book, but they’re few and far between. What bothered me the most is that it is offered as a fantasy novel, yet there’s not much of that until the second half…
Nothing is real. Nothing matters. Even in the end, not much changed.
A frustrating read with lots of Harry Potter references.
Melissa Albert has created a world so intriguing and unsettling at times that it is impossible not to want to know more about Hazel Wood, Alice’s famous grandmother Althea Proserpine – creator of ’Tales of the Hinterland.’
The story held my attention from the first page and I was quickly drawn into the novel with my head filling with questions. Namely, why has Alice never met her grandmother, and why is such an infamous book not found anywhere. Because let’s be honest, we live in a world where you can find little bits of everything on line.
I felt sorry for Alice, someone who didn’t know what it was to have the security of a home and had longed to know the stranger who was also family. I do wish that there had been more about Althea Proserpine because the is an enigma to both the reader and her family – but that lack of information whilst frustrating does mean you’re left wanting to know more.
Tales of the Hinterland is a book I would love to read and I hope the author does at some point because the ones Ellery recalls are disturbing and could be a part of a Hammer horror movie fest as your senses are on edge as the tales are gradually and somewhat begrudgingly recounted by Althea’s super-fan. I for one would be terrified to meet Twice-killed Katherine in a dark alley for example. It doesn’t matter if she wouldn’t be interested in harming me.
Which gives you another question how are the macabre characters from a fairy tale book worthy of being a part of Brothers Grimm?
You are going to have to read the book to find out.
A wonderful look at the dark side of fairy tales, with some fabulous reveals and perfect pacing. Great characters, great writing, and left me desperate to pick up the next in the series. My first book from Albert but definitely not my last. Great on audio.
Alice and her mother were always on the run from bad luck. All Alice wanted was a happy ending where they had a home and a normal life. Alice’s grandmother was a famous author with a mansion in the woods so Alice dreamed of living in the Hazel Wood with her grandmother but Ella, Alice’s mom, would not speak of Althea or the Hazel Wood let alone live there. Ella would not even let Alice read Althea’s book.
One day they receive notice that Althea has died. Ella then settles down and gets married, giving Alice a stable home. Alice is still restless and starts to notice that strange things are occurring. When Ella goes missing by someone claiming to be from The Hinterland, a place in Althea’s stories, Alice decides that she needs to go to the Hazel Wood to find out what is going on and where her mother is. What she finds is that some fairytales are dark and some do not have happy endings.
I loved this story. The way Melissa Albert weaves the real world with the fairytale world, the way she makes the worlds come alive, and the way she gives life to the characters, make this story worth reading and treasuring. I cannot wait to read the second book in the series.
Seventeen year old Alice has a chip on her shoulder, she has lived a life of a gypsy of sorts moving from place to place with her mother. She knows her mother is keeping secrets as to her past but she also knows that those secrets will never be revealed. Then a letter comes announcing the death of her Grandmother, a fairy tale author who lives life in seclusion at the Hazel Wood and has a cult following as well as a string of bad luck. When Alice’s mother disappears though Alice finds herself heading to the Hazel Wood with a pseudo friend in tow. Will Alice be able to handle the secrets that are going to come out and the danger she puts herself in.
I wanted to like this one so much but I had a hard time connecting with Alice. As the story unfolds you get why Alice is why she is but she was just so sour that I had a hard time getting past that. The fairy tale stories that come out are fascinating though and well worth picking up the book just to read those parts.
A very unique twist on traditional fairy tales and happily ever after endings.
A fantastic fairy tale. Dark fairy tales, the ones that are richly described and full of malevolent and hauntingly beautiful richness, are always the best, and Albert achieves that to perfection.
There is something sinister lingering on the fringes of the story that makes it so eerie but captivating as well. There is a mystery lingering, this wonder of the fairy tales coming to life, this darkening sensation that puts the reader on edge alongside Alice. It makes the story unique and compelling, this unique spin on the fairy tale genre, and captures something of the Grimm Fairy Tales within it.
There is also this semblance of magical realism that makes the story progress at a steady pace. It makes the story and the journey more engaging as it moves ahead to combine reality and fairy tales. The texture of the writing, the style of word choice and structure of the story, watching it unravel through this lense of magical realism is brilliant, and Albert has done it in such a fantastic way to keep the pacing steady, to keep the eerie sensation lingering throughout the narrative.
Alice also makes an intriguing protagonist. Alice’s young life revolved around her and her mother running away from the bad luck that has hunted them since she can remember. However, now it seems as though the Hinterlands are coming alive, hunting her while she looks for her mother. Alice grows so much on this journey, learning so much about herself and those around her. Not only that, but she is learning how to treat people better as well. With a slightly frigid personality, she begins to thaw as the story goes on, highlighting just how much the journey and the fairy tales are affecting her.
Admittedly she is not a very memorable character. The initial hostility that defines her does not make her likable or relatable. However, the progress of the story gives the reader understanding, especially after some of the more intense revelations. So while she may not be memorable or highly likable, her development does highlight the skill of the author’s part to create a story that is so engaging that the characters do not matter as much as the fantasy and journey.
There is something beautiful in reading and experiencing a well-told modern fairy tale. It is creepy and phenomenal and develops in such an engaging way to make it unique and compelling.
A dark fairy tail with some fun twists and turns.