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wren_in_black 's review for:
The Night Country
by Melissa Albert
** I received an electronic ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this work. All opinions are my own. **
Okay, so it's no secret that I really did not enjoy [b:The Hazel Wood|34275232|The Hazel Wood (The Hazel Wood, #1)|Melissa Albert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1500549460l/34275232._SY75_.jpg|53292100]. I thought the pacing was way off, Alice's character was strangely developed and that The Hinterland was not described with enough space or detail. The book tried to be a fantasy but felt more contemporary to me.
This book was able to improve on some of its predecessor's flaws. Pacing was somewhat better. I actually found myself wanting this book to be a little longer. I feel like I didn't have the time and space needed to absorb the horror of the last 10 to 15% of the book. We get an overview, like a reporter's newscast, about the effects of this horror on the "real" world, but not enough detail to truly "see" it. I was told about it, but not shown.
Alice is more bearable in this book as well. She isn't a horrible character, but her development is strange. She feels both dynamic and static, both flat and round. It makes for an incomplete character and I'm left to wonder if Alice is supposed to be an author or reader insert.
The author does an excellent job re-imagining the tales we heard as children and twisting them with dark magic and with the simple darkness we humans are able to all too easily inflict upon one another and upon ourselves.
** For teachers and parents, this book is intentionally dark and creepy. It is not for all students. There are numerous curse words, including f***. This is how Alice's inner monologue functions. You'll also see recreational drug use and the description of murders of Hinterland characters. It can get gorey. There are some mild sexual themes, but nothing that really stands out. Overall, your more mature junior high or high school readers will be fine. Language is the main concern here. **
Okay, so it's no secret that I really did not enjoy [b:The Hazel Wood|34275232|The Hazel Wood (The Hazel Wood, #1)|Melissa Albert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1500549460l/34275232._SY75_.jpg|53292100]. I thought the pacing was way off, Alice's character was strangely developed and that The Hinterland was not described with enough space or detail. The book tried to be a fantasy but felt more contemporary to me.
This book was able to improve on some of its predecessor's flaws. Pacing was somewhat better. I actually found myself wanting this book to be a little longer. I feel like I didn't have the time and space needed to absorb the horror of the last 10 to 15% of the book. We get an overview, like a reporter's newscast, about the effects of this horror on the "real" world, but not enough detail to truly "see" it. I was told about it, but not shown.
Alice is more bearable in this book as well. She isn't a horrible character, but her development is strange. She feels both dynamic and static, both flat and round. It makes for an incomplete character and I'm left to wonder if Alice is supposed to be an author or reader insert.
The author does an excellent job re-imagining the tales we heard as children and twisting them with dark magic and with the simple darkness we humans are able to all too easily inflict upon one another and upon ourselves.
** For teachers and parents, this book is intentionally dark and creepy. It is not for all students. There are numerous curse words, including f***. This is how Alice's inner monologue functions. You'll also see recreational drug use and the description of murders of Hinterland characters. It can get gorey. There are some mild sexual themes, but nothing that really stands out. Overall, your more mature junior high or high school readers will be fine. Language is the main concern here. **