a haunting tale about the cost of witchcraft
Release Date: June 28, 2022
Genres: YA Fantasy, Mystery, Paranormal, Horror,
Pages: 352
Publisher: Flatiron Books
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Publisher’s Synopsis
“THE SUBURBS, RIGHT NOW . . .
Seventeen-year-old Ivy’s summer break kicks off with an accident, a punishment, and a mystery: a stranger whose appearance in the middle of the road, in the middle of the night, heralds a string of increasingly unsettling events. As the days pass, Ivy grapples with eerie offerings, corroded memories, and a secret she’s always known—that there’s more to her mother than meets the eye.
THE CITY, BACK THEN . . .
Dana has always been perceptive. And the summer she turns sixteen, with the help of her best friend and an ambitious older girl, her gifts bloom into a heady fling with the supernatural, set in a city of magical possibilities and secret mystics. As the trio’s aspirations darken, they find themselves speeding toward a violent breaking point.
Years after it began, Ivy and Dana’s shared story will come down to a reckoning among a daughter, a mother, and the dark forces they never should’ve messed with.”
My Review
I want to start by saying I am a huge fan of Melissa Albert. I absolutely loved The Hazel Wood series; it is one of my all-time favorites and holds a special place in my heart of books.
So when I was given the chance to get an early copy of her latest work, I was literally jumping for joy in excitement.
That being said, I knew this book wasn’t in the same vein as her previous series, so I didn’t want to cloud my judgement with expectations. Because of their different appeals, it is unfair to weigh them against each other.
(Side note: I love the striking simplicity of this cover!)
This is a standalone fantasy, with elements of mystery and horror – something I expected to love. And as much as I hate to say it, I really didn’t. Ugh, it truly pains me that I couldn’t get into this one.
It gave me more contemporary vibes than fantasy, and I think that is one of the main reasons I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I am not a contemporary reader, it’s just not my thing.
However, I can objectively see that this is a great book and so many readers are going to love it. I wanted to note these things upfront before diving into the rest of my review.
It is a fantasy, as far as the features of magic that the story contains, but as far as reader expectations from the genre, I would say it appeals more to contemporary thriller fans.
It is a haunting tale about the cost of witchcraft.
The story unfolds simultaneously from two perspectives in two different timelines, that are impeccably woven and all converge to a sinister and surprising end.
The story is expertly layered with horrific secrets, betrayal, and revenge. I enjoyed the darker elements in the story, adding to the building, creeping tension in the plot.
The tenuous and fraying possibilities of both friends and family relationships will pull at your heart strings.
There is one character (who I won’t name so there’s no spoilers) that I do wish had a more prominent role.
The universal struggles of being a teenager, trying to find your place in the world, and screwing up along the way, is a theme we can all relate to.
The first few chapters hooked me in with its suspicions and mysteries, but I found my interest fizzling out with the story about a third of the way in.
I found myself skimming through the last half, invested enough that I wanted to know what happened, but not enough that I cared for the details.
Melissa has one of the most unique and evocative writing styles that makes her voice stand out from the rest. It is one of the things I love most about her stories, her ability to craft complex stories and illustrate them in the most eloquent of ways.
Unfortunately though, I found descriptive prose to be a tad excessive in this book, to the point where it felt forced and no longer carried the weight and impact that I know her writing to be capable of.
While this may not be the book for me, I know that a lot of readers out there are going to love it.
Even so, my personal experience with it dictates I (sadly) rate this a three star read.
I think if the right audience finds this book, they will thoroughly enjoy it.
Comparably, I’d say if you enjoy reading from contemporary thriller authors, like Liane Moriarty for example, then this one is for you.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for blessing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback!
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