3.75 stars
This book has a pretty low average rating on GoodReads—especially for a book that’s not even out yet. The entire time I was reading it I was stressed, because I was like… <i>I’m enjoying this? This is good? Why is the rating so low is something really awful going to happen and ruin it</i> The good news is, at least by my opinion, that didn’t happen. I enjoyed this book from start to finish. 
Was the main character kind of annoyingly stupid in her stubbornness at times? Yes. She just refused to believe the objective truth in front of her and then kept making decisions that you as a reader knew were stupid, and her friends knew were stupid. It did get a little annoying to read, but she was also acknowledging in her internal monologue that she was making stupid decisions but she just needed her beliefs/hope to be true. I think that acknowledgment was what kept my mild annoyance from dipping into an unenjoyable level of annoyance. However, aside from that annoyance, I did really enjoy the characters and Clara as a narrator. She was interesting, voicey, and easy to root for (except for in very specific decisions). Henni did really annoy me at times, but at other times she was completely lovable. Axel was my favorite of the group. He was sweet and swoony and I fell for him right alongside Clara.
The world building, however, was pretty underdeveloped. You were kind of just meant to not question anything. There’s an explanation of why they must go into the forest and why it is evil, but when it came to all the fairytale aspects it was kind of just “the fairytale aspects are a part of it because they are. Don’t question it.” There’s no reason, no explanation, no way to tie fairytales into the existing worldbuilding. You simply have to not question it at all, or else you’ll be pulled out of the story. I felt similarly to the references of good/bad luck superstitions. The characters are obsessed with symbols of luck, and there’s no real explanation for that either, and I felt like their needed to be, especially because it was so constant. Thankfully I was able to just, not think about the plot and developmental holes and enjoy it anyway. It was an interesting world as long as you don’t ask questions.
I think this book would have done better in a middle grade market. The specific ways that fairytales were incorporated felt a bit more in vein of MG than YA to me, and I think the less-developed worldbuilding would work better for MG than YA as well. The romance would have needed to be toned down a little (less descriptions of making out), but everything else felt more suited to a younger audience and MG standards. The characters were supposed to be upper teens, but they (and especially Clara) acted much younger. 
On a craft level, the one aspect that I have no complaints on is the pacing. This was fast paced without ever getting too much so. It balanced action and reaction, progress of plot and character and emotion very well. I was never bored, and I never felt like I had whiplash, either. It kept me fully engaged from the first page to the last, and I ended up finishing the book in a day.
Last but not least, the absolute BEST part of this book was the disability rep! When I started this book, I had absolutely no idea there was going to be disability representation. Then, a few pages in, we learn that Clara has scoliosis. Because this is a fantasy book, the condition is described instead of named, but Clara says she has an S-curve in her spine that causes her hips to not be level with each other. The portrayal of this is exactly what I want more of in fantasy. It’s what I consider “casual disability rep”. It isn’t a plot point, it isn’t a huge ordeal that the characters are constantly being dramatic about, Clara simply is disabled. It’s a part of her character and it regularly affects her, but it’s not this huge thing, it’s just how she is. I wish we could have had a little bit more in depth discussions of the bigger picture of what it’s like to live with chronic pain, since it was mostly passing mentions of a twinge of pain here, a stumble there, but I still really enjoyed what was there. I also really, really loved the inclusion of an accessibility/mobility aid. Clara uses a lift in her shoe to make her feet even on the ground and help lessen her pain. These types of aids are often completely overlooked in fantasy, and when they are there, it’s often of the magical variety. And while I enjoy fantasy versions of accessibility devices, there’s something refreshing about seeing a simple, real world accessibility device in a fantasy setting.

I did enjoy this book, and I definitely recommend it. But if I’m being entirely honest, I’m not certain I’ll end up picking up the sequel next year. This one wrapped up pretty nicely. Despite the fact that the ending made it clear that there will be a sequel, I’m not itching to know how the last loose threads tied up. I think it was maybe wrapped up  a little too nicely for the first book in a series. Who knows, maybe when it releases I’ll be more intrigued but right now I feel satisfied.