There are a lot of readers who seek a book that includes fantasy, yet also is mysterious. “The Hazel Wood” encompases that same genre. It is about a fairy tale that takes place in a fictional town called Hazel Wood with some fascinating characters and plot. This book has a diverse plot, which makes it a wonderful fairy tale. 

“Hazel Wood” unfolds a story about a classic author, Althea, who died and took her mystery with her to a place called “Hazel Wood.” She wrote a book named “Hinterland,” for all adults and youngsters who want to read.. The main character, Alice Proserpine, a 17-year-old girl who lives with her “mom,” tends to think that there is bad luck chasing her at all times, and that is the reason that she keeps moving from place to place. But in no time, she will know that Alice herself was the–bad luck. 

The problem starts from the day when Alice’s mom, Ella, was kidnapped. Alice has always been very close to her mom, and now, she was on a journey to find her mother who was kidnapped by a mysterious person that came from the “Hinterland.”. By the end of the book, when Alice finally makes it to “Hazel Wood” by facing all the challenges, she sees that the only way to get out of that place is to finish her story.

The book is fast paced and has a lot of cliffhangers, which makes it harder to put down after a chapter. Melissa Albert’s way of writing, hooks the readers to keep them reading until the very end with suspense and curiosity. Alice is accompanied by a boy, Finch, who was a dear fan of Alice’s grandmother who helped her to keep moving. This novel does not hold any romance as one might think since it is a fairy-tale. Since the plot is very extensively written, it is harder to add a love story and that would just make it very overwhelming for the reader. But, that did not change the storyline of the book to be one of the most out-of-the-box writing styles.