Tales from the Hinterland by Melissa Albert
Melissa Albert’s Hazel Wood duology is one of my favorite YA series of recent years. The Hazel Wood revolves around a famous book of dark fairytales, Tales from the Hinterland, written by the protagonist’s estranged grandmother, and the revelation that both the stories and the Hinterland itself are real. In a move that I love, Albert has gone ahead and written the full collection cited in her books. Tales from the Hinterland is a creepy and unsettling collection. Similar to what I said in my review of Small Spaces, there’s only so much you can say in YA due to the youth of its target audience. But, as with Small Spaces, when it comes to horror, that vagueness lets the reader’s mind cook grimmer outcomes than even the author may have intended. Not that Albert skimps on the gore; this is a fairytale collection after all, and much like OSHA regulations, old fairytales are written in blood. Fans of Angela Carter will recognize her influence on the stories and hopefully enjoy them as much as I did. Personally, having read Tales from the Hinterland and Carter’s The Bloody Chamber back-to-back, I think in some ways Tales is the better book. But you should look into it yourself. Hint: if you love pretty books, check out the hardcover of Tales from the Hinterland! The illustrations are beautiful and the books feels good in your hand.
drowsyreaper. 