The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert was one of my most anticipated releases for January 2018. While the synopsis sounded really interesting, it was a miss for me.

While reading, I was never hooked. I unfortunately wasn't even that interested. I didn't like the characters, the plot fell flat, and I didn't care for the writing style. The pacing was also a bit difficult to keep up with. Some bits dragged on, some felt super rushed, and others were wicked jumpy.

There were so many times that I found myself skimming because I was bored. I should have called it when I realized that I didn't want to pick the book back up whenever I took a break from reading. But of course, I was stubborn and I pushed through.

I don't necessarily regret taking the time to read it. There were a few passages I enjoyed. But overall, this is unfortunately a very forgettable book for me. It hasn't even been 24 hours since I finished reading it and I feel like I'm already struggling to remember anything about it.


My favorite passages:
Because if you’ve spent your whole life running, how do you learn to stand still?

My stepsister was a sexy, zaftig motormouth who made me feel like an awkward breadstick.

An old woman wearing fur and pearly lipstick tried to scowl at me, but Botox took all the mean out of it.

My own nerves were raw as rope, almost rubbed through.

The dodgy pronouns still had me convinced I was walking right into Ron Weasley's worst nightmare.


My final thoughts:
I can definitely see why some people love this book. But this one just wasn't for me.