5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. First of all, the whole concept of sharing a town/forest with fey is fascinating. I loved reading about all of Hazel’s adventures in the woods and the weird goings-on in Fairfold. I found the characters to be interesting and enjoyed the writing style.
The story itself was also amazing. This book sucks you in and takes you for a ride. After awhile, I didn’t even really care what happened at the end, I was just enjoying the journey. Great storytelling.
I haven’t read much by Holly Black (I’ve been meaning to, I swear), but this seems to be a sort of Spiderwick Chronicles for YA audiences.
The only downside to the book was that the climax seemed pretty quick. When I got to that part I was like, “Oh, that was easy.” This huge daunting problem was resolved in a few seconds. It was kind of a letdown, but I still really enjoyed the resolution, which is why I still gave the book 5 stars. Usually once the big plot is solved in a book, I lose interest in what happens next. For me, the story is basically over and the rest is just tying up lose ends. With this one, the problem was solved and I still wanted to know what happened to all of the characters and to see what happened next. The writing was that good. I almost wish this wasn’t a standalone (which is a big deal for me, because I hate YA trilogies), because I just want to jump into the world of Fairfold again.
Very well-writing and fascinating story. I loved it. Can’t wait to read more by Holly Black.