My Thoughts: The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

Cover Love: I do love the fairy tale elements of this cover. I think it's so pretty!

Why I Wanted to Read This:
The synopsis just made me really curious. And I am glad it caught my eye! There hit a point where I just could not put it down. Here's the synopsis from Good Reads:

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, 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.

My Thoughts:
First off, I want a book of truly dark fairy tales like this. I know that most of the true Grimm fairy tales have darker endings, none of them have the feel of Tales from the Hinterland. This is a world I would like to visit from time to time. It's probably because the author did such a good job weaving these tales into the overall story. It was just well done.

I didn't love Alice or Ella (her mother) but understood them more and more as the story went on. They had never had a chance to put down roots, which was what made them as flighty as I felt they were. I guess we never really get to know Ella besides Alice's memories of her, but she just wasn't my favorite. I know there is going to be a second book and maybe it will explore Ella's relationship with Hinterland--that would be very interesting to me. I would like to know more about a lot of the Hinterland characters!
  
I don't want to write too much about the story because it would give a lot away and I think it needs to get discovered on your own. One thing I do wish was longer was the climax. Alice worked so hard to get where she was and then a few pages later it was over. There was so much build up into this world and who she was and looking for her mom that it felt a little rushed and unsatisfying to me.

I am going to buy a copy for my library even though it is mature and dark, I know several readers that would love this book!

To Sum Up: Give me more dark fairy tales, I love them! Great setting and lots of interesting imagery. Well done!
 

Currently Reading February 21, 2018

I am kind of in a pattern of reading a middle grade or young adult book, an adult book and a Harry Potter (I am re-reading them this year). It's working for me so I am keeping at it. One of these is always on my Nook so I can read when I wake up at night without waking up my husband.

I started The Hazel Wood today at school (I am thinking it's a little mature for my middle school library, but perfect for high school), I am really liking it so far, but I am worried about what direction it might go.

After seeing The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine on many blogs and bookstagrams (I just don't love that word) I felt I needed to give it a try. It has sucked me right in; I think I am really going to enjoy it.

I am very happy I am re-reading the Harry Potter's, I have been meaning to for a few years. There are a lot of little details I have forgotten about that I love discovering again.

Obsessing Over #8: The Case for Jamie by Brittany Cavallaro

I am so excited for the third book in the Charlotte Holmes series to come out!

Less than a month now.

I have adored this series, it's pretty mature but I do have it the first two in my library.

You can read my reviews of the first book, A Study in Charlotte, here.

This looks like it will be the last of the Charlotte Holmes books, but I will keep my fingers crossed for more. I love Jamie and Charlotte (but mostly Jamie).

It’s been a year since the shocking death of August Moriarty, and Jamie and Charlotte haven’t spoken. Jamie is going through the motions at Sherringford, trying to finish his senior year without incident, with a nice girlfriend he can’t seem to fall for. Until strange things start happening to him. Strange things that might mean nothing at all—or that someone is after him again.

Charlotte is on the run, from Lucien Moriarty and from her own mistakes. No one has seen her since that fateful night on the lawn in Sussex. Charlotte wants it that way. She knows she isn’t safe to be around. She knows that her Watson can’t forgive her.

Holmes and Watson may not be looking to reconcile, but there is someone who wants the team back together. Someone who has been quietly observing them both. Making plans. Biding their time. Someone who wants to see one of them suffer and the other one dead.

In this final explosive book in the Charlotte Holmes trilogy, Holmes and Watson face the ultimate test: they must unravel the case of their lives without unraveling each other.

My Thoughts: We Know it Was You by Maggie Thrash

4 yummy frosted ginger cookies

Cover Love:  I'm not sure.  I don't hate it, but I don't love it.
I just don't feel it is very eye catching nor does it fit the tone of the book, however, I like it as a cover.  I like the font and the huge, accusatory title.

Why I Wanted to Read This:  I was in the mood for a suspense book and this one sounded like it fit the bill.  Here's the synopsis from GoodReads:

It’s better to know the truth. At least sometimes.

Halfway through Friday night’s football game, beautiful cheerleader Brittany Montague—dressed as the giant Winship Wildcat mascot—hurls herself off a bridge into Atlanta’s surging Chattahoochee River.

Just like that, she’s gone.

Eight days later, Benny Flax and Virginia Leeds will be the only ones who know why.

Romance?: Not really. There are a lot of romances that happen or were already happening in the book (it's set at a high school), there just isn't any romance for or between our main characters.

My Thoughts:
I really liked this book for several reasons.  First off, it takes place at a boarding/prep type school.  Although there is a dorm, there aren't a lot of "boarders" and they are kind of looked down upon by the local kids who attend the school.  I like this reversal for a prep school type setting.  Normally, the local kids are the ones looked down upon, rather than the boarders.  Because of this setting the population of kids is pretty small, everyone knows everyone and the class lines area kind of blurred.  Seniors are friends with lower class men and pretty much everyone knows everyone else!

The author writes from several different points of view during the course of this book, with Benny and Virginia being the main two characters.  One thing I loved was how the author wrote about the perceptions each character had of the others.  Benny constantly was devaluing Virginia in his head and she was constantly thinking about what a nerd Benny was.  Neither of them truly saw what was going on with each other, nor were these perceptions easily changed.  It just felt really true to teenagers and high school because sometimes its so hard to change your reputation.  People don't want you to change who you are!

The mystery was also really well done, a lot of red herrings.  I found the "who done it" to be a little implausible, but overall was keep interested the whole book.  I also liked all the little kernels the author threw out there that didn't get answered.  This book is titled "Strange Truth #1" so I am looking forward to learning more about Benny and Virginia in upcoming books.  There is a mystery involving Virginia that is alluded to several times in the book that I am especially looking forward to learning more about.  I really liked Virginia!

Overall, I liked the setting of a small. elite school and  the mystery.  The smallest thing that kind of bothered me was the ages of Benny and Virginia, they seemed a bit older and more mature than 15.

To Sum Up:  Even though Benny and Virginia are 15 year olds, I feel that there were a few things in this book that make it too mature for my library.  However, it's a great mystery and a fun read so I will recommend our high school librarians buy it for their collections.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the review copy!