This book I picked up simply by its intriguing and gorgeous cover and I’m glad I finally got around to reading it.

I really enjoyed the first two thirds of the book! I loved the entire concept of The Hazel Wood and the weaving of fairytales into the plot, I liked Alice’s character as well as her flaws, and I really enjoyed Albert’s writing style. I did guess several of the plot twists while reading, but Albert wrote them in such a way that I was not disappointed as they were revealed.

However, I do feel some of the magical potential of The Hazel Wood was lost in the last third of the book. I wish Albert had slowed down a tad more to explain things better, and several of the plot points towards the end seemed to occur without much set up or explanation, which was disappointing after how much I had enjoyed the beginning of the book. I was also not satisfied with how she chose to wrap up several character arcs - while some were wrapped up quite well, others seemed lacking and felt as if their character growth had occurred separate to/outside of the story I was reading.

Overall, I would recommend this book and I hope Albert decides to continue expanding on this world she’s created.