Escape From Witchwood Holly by Jordan Elizabeth Mierek: A Review
I received a copy of this book for an honest review. Opinions are 100% my own.
I love a good supernatural novel. I love when it's obvious like the Sookie Stackhouse Series and I love when it's subtle like Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen. What I love the most though, and this is for any book really, is when there is a strong tie to history and a background story. Escape from Witchwood Hollow is that perfect combination.
What Goodreads Says:
Everyone in Arnn - a small farming town with more legends than residents - knows the story of Witchwood Hollow: if you venture into the whispering forest, the witch will trap your soul among the shadowed trees.
After losing her parents in a horrific terrorist attack on the Twin Towers, fifteen-year-old Honoria and her older brother escape New York City to Arnn. In the lure of that perpetual darkness, Honoria finds hope, when she should be afraid.
Perhaps the witch can reunite her with her lost parents. Awakening the witch, however, brings more than salvation from mourning, for Honoria discovers a past of missing children and broken promises.
To save the citizens of Arnn from becoming the witch’s next victims, she must find the truth behind the woman’s madness.
How deep into Witchwood Hollow does Honoria dare venture?
What I Say:
Escape from Witchwood Hollow has that supernatural element but not obviously so. You know something weird is going on and intuition kicks in but it doesn't really become real till towards the end of the book. This novel is a really great, really easy read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I found the characters interesting, appealing and to be honest I wanted to read more about them. I instantly felt a connection to Honoria and it only grew stronger throughout the book.
The book takes you through several decades, jumping back and forth a bit but not in a confusing way in order to intertwine several lives together. In the city of Arnn, there is a forest called Witchwood Hollow. Supposedly, anyone who enters is cursed to never come out. Honoria and her brother move to the town with their aunt and uncle following the death of their parents. Honoria is struggling to find her place while her brother is adjusting easily. When Honoria is challenged to go into the forest, she's met with this "presence" of sorts that both terrifies and intrigues her. She starts to look into the history of the town and teaches herself everything there is to know about it. We also learn about several other characters from decades past. Mierek does a fantastic job of weaving all of these lives together so that it makes sense. She'll have you turning page after page without a thought of putting the book down until you find out who the woman in the hollow is, is there evil and is the myth just a tale of caution or a story carrying a warning born from truth?
I really did enjoy Escape from Witchwood Hollow. It was an easy, great read and if you're looking for a mini escape this will do it. This book is especially perfect for the seasons coming up. It's set in the fall around Halloween and a great read for this time of year.If you have a chance to read it for yourself, I'd love to know what you think.
