This book was a promising story ruined by terrible pacing and strange metaphors that removed me from the story instead of enhancing the tale. The action of the book did not happen until almost 70% through. I wish this had started about 30% of the way through and that the author had spent more time describing the Hinterland in the same detail she described Alice's life "before" and the weird roadtrip there. I think I was also supposed to think there was some sort of connection between Alice and her schoolmate / road trip companion Finch, but I didn't buy it at all. The bare bones of this tale are good, but I think I would have liked this book better if I just read some sort of summary up until Alice actually enters the Hinterland. I feel like this book tried to be too many genres at once and wound up mostly contemporary when it tried to be more of a mystery and fairy tale.

I think this book works well as a standalone and don't see the need for any others in what looks like might become a series. I might read more from this author in the future, but I'd have to really think about it before picking up any more in this story line, if it does become a series.