Thank you NetGalley and Hot Keys Books for providing me with a copy for review.

The Twisted Tree follows a young girl, called Martha, who discovers that she can learn emotions and memories about people by touching their clothes after she has an accident. She has been trying to send messages to her grandmother, Mormor, to learn more about this strange new ability she possesses, but decides she must go and visit her in Norway when she keeps getting no response. Whilst in Norway, she makes many discoveries about herself and her family and gets thrown into terror along with an odd boy, Stig, who had broken into her grandmothers house.

I was a little unsure about this before I started it as I'm not usually one for horror and ghosts, but I really enjoyed reading this. It was really quick to read, which is perfect for a creepy book, and I read most of it in one day as I was so engrossed in the story. I loved the dark elements and it would make the perfect Halloween read because of them, but one of the things that I liked most about it, and one I wasn't really expecting before going into it, was all the mythological elements. It was really interesting and something that I would definitely like to learn more about.

Overall, it was a really good book and I'm glad that I decided to read it despite my reservations about the horror aspects. It just shows that you can find some fantastic reads if you step out of your reading comfort zone.

4.5/5 Stars

*All quotes used may be subject to change upon publication.

What immediately drew me to The Twisted Tree was its amazing cover and the fact that it had Nordic influences. I’m a huge Mythology fan, and although I’m a Greek Mythology lover through and through, the Norse Gods have always greatly intrigued me. I haven’t read too many books featuring Norse Gods, but I’m pretty sure that the portrayal of these Gods and Nordic mythology in general, was phenomenally done here. This, and Martha’s family history were without a doubt my favourite aspects of the book. The stories of Odin, The Norns and the God, Hel, ‘the dark mother goddess, to whose cold embrace we must all return’, were crafted so beautifully and were so easy to grasp. The author was able to create such a sense of awe and great fear surrounding them, which was incredible, you were struck by their obvious power in a way that was both exhilarating and terrifying “Hel strides away, the space around her expanding with each step she takes. At first there is only a subtle change…then the image changes and she’s seated on a throne”. Hel was the goddess that we actually got to encounter and it was honestly incredible! The way that she was described was massively detailed and helped carve such a clear image in my head of this formidable goddess, “Hel throws back her hood. The right side of her face is beautiful, with flawless white skin and long black hair. The left side is a bald skull”, “Her eyes hold an ocean of emotion, as if every drop of human sorrow has washed upon her shores”.

Now, when Martha arrives at Mormor’s house, she gets the shock of her life when she finds out that Mormor is in fact no longer alive. As expected, Martha is heartbroken and it takes her a while to even begin to try to come to terms with this, “Mormor should be sitting opposite me. We should be laughing and remembering good times..my head pounds with the injustice of it all”. She went to Mormor’s in search of comfort, unconditional love and answers about herself. She doesn’t find Mormor waiting for her with open arms, but she does find that her Mormor’s love for her was unconditional and she also finds answers, in the form of looking at her family tree. She recalls all the stories that Mormor told her growing up, that she thought were just that – stories! However, it becomes very clear that these weird and wonderful women that she was told about, happen to have been very real, with their faces and journals now staring up at her expectantly, “I’m sure I’ve seen these women before, and then I realise. The photos show the women from Mormor’s tales: my great grandmother Karina who muttered spells at the spinning wheel, Gerd who stitched a cloak of feathers so that she could fly, and vain Trine with her cauldron of dyed wool.” I just adored learning about Martha’s family history, it was so well thought out and there wasn’t a single thing that I didn’t find incredibly interesting. Tell me that someone can absorb themself into a tree and I’m instantly their biggest fan. The Norns though were just so, for lack of a better word – cool! I seriously loved everything about them; the mystery that surrounded them, the way they were described physically and the otherworldly abilities that they had, “letting go of one another’s hands, the Norns grab hold of the cords, passing them between themselves again and again, weaving a shimmering cloth of light”. The whole idea of the twisted tree, its symbolism in Nordic Mythology and Martha’s family’s destiny being linked to it was so good, it’s honestly such a fascinating concept.

Speaking of fascinating concepts, the idea that Martha could read people through their clothing was just that. And you might think that that’s clever enough on its own, but the author takes it much further than that. Martha may be able to read all types of clothing in general, but different fabrics actually cause different reactions when she touches them. For example one type of fabric may just make her see scenes through someone else’s eyes, whereas another will almost attack her with the person’s emotions, “different types of fabric reveal their secrets differently – cashmere holds a person’s emotions and makes you feel them like your own; cotton shows images and facts without emotion – but silk is like nothing else. It speaks of deceit”. I think it’s so brilliant when an idea such as this is developed enough to have variations to it. Martha has struggled with her ability and sees it more as a curse than a blessing, it may sound incredible to be able to do what Martha can, but once you truly think about it, you can’t help but see it the way that Martha does. Sometimes it may feel like you’d give anything in order to find out what is going through someone’s head, but Martha can’t pick and choose. For example, something as simple as brushing past a stranger reveals to her such private things, “an onslaught of facts washes over me – they come so fast…His mother would lock him in a room as a child. Some nights he dreams he’s still there, crying for his mummy”, to avoid such instances, Martha has retreated from the world. Her escaping to her Mormor’s is very much in order to find answers about her ability or just someone who might believe her.

Instead of finding Mormor at the cabin, Martha finds the news that she is dead and on top of that, a strange boy has holed up in her late Grandmother’s cabin in an attempt to escape his own life. What ensues is a relationship of ups and downs, as Martha is incredibly angry at him helping himself to what Mormor has left behind, but she finds a sense of kinship in another lost soul, “I won’t get in your way’. He holds out his hand. My name is Stig’. ‘Martha’. There relationship was very sweet and I just really liked Stig in general. He unconsciously and very consciously at times, makes Martha take a look at herself and confront the feeling that she could never be wanted because of the very visible evidence of her accident on the left side of her face and her blind left eye. I’ve never read about a character with any form of blindness, so it was extremely interesting to see how Martha felt about herself, how others reacted to her and the impact it had on things such as her spatial awareness, “being blind in one eye messes with your perception. I can’t work out distances; when I focus on something in the foreground it makes stuff in the distance go blurry”. Stig and Martha offer eachother a special kind of healing that they are both desperately in need of. Although feelings develop, and I’m not 100% sure on how things stand between them at the end of the book, I wouldn’t of actually minded this just being a good friendship.

In conclusion, this was an easy to read and well written story that was exactly what it was described as, ‘part ghost story, part Nordic thriller’. Some parts were seriously creepy, not in a horror movie way necessarily, but in a wow, that’s unsettling way. I enjoyed this story tremendously and seriously recommend it to those who like to be a bit rattled by a thriller, without having to sleep with the lights on for a week and to those who already have an inclination towards Norse Mythology. What prevented me from giving it a full five star rating, is that I actually would of loved if it was a bit longer and because I felt like there was a secret that Stig had that was never unearthed in the end. This may mean that we might be getting another book though, which, fingers crossed, I hope is the case.

I absolutely loved The Twisted Tree, the characters were really interesting and the plot had me hooked from the beginning!

Martha was a really engaging protagonist and I loved that she was vulnerable and brave all at the same time. Her character development is a real focus in the book - and it I loved the way we see her growth from the beginning of the book to the end.

Although there was a real focus on characters development, there was enough mystery to pull the plot along, and I honestly did not want to put The Twisted Tree down. I had to know how things ended.

The atmosphere of the book as incredible, it's creepy and dark and exactly the type of book I love reading. I also loved that there was a lot of Norse mythology woven throughout the story. I have had an interest in Norse mythology for years and it was so wonderful to know some of the Norwegian that was used in the book, as I lived in Denmark for over a year and learnt a little of the language.

If you like your fantasy dark and a little bit twisted then I would definitely recommend The Twisted Tree. It had an incredible plot, more than a dash of mystery and a cast of interesting characters.

Intriguing story incorporating oft overlooked Nordic mythology. Couldn't put it down. Very creepy and spooky. Had me turning on a few more lights and double-checking shadows in dark corners.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Martha can tell people's secrets just by touching an item of their clothing; is this a gift or a curse? Can Martha ever truly get to know someone if she knows things they wouldn't want her to know? What happened to her beloved grandma, and why does her mum burn her letters?

"When the fog rises, run for home, Marta, my child. Dead men rise with the mist!"

Having now had the opportunity to read the whole book thanks to Netgalley, I have to say I'm very disappointed in this book. I'm so conflicted as I've seen so many good reviews on good reads and on Instagram about this book but for me it just did not connect. I have also seen a lot of people say they found this spooky, but I really did not. I felt that some was missing for me in this book; I wasn't gripped or wanting to find out what was going on, I was mostly just confused.

The ending of the book felt very ambiguous; not only do we find out that Stigs ex girlfriend is still in a coma, we also learn that Marta has been seeing the ghost of this girlfriend, and yet we learn nothing more - it's left so open ended that I'm confused as to whether we're meant to trust Stig or not. We don't learn how Mormor dies, and why she was desperately pleading with the neighbour.

I did really enjoy the power that Marta has with touching people's clothes and found that aspect of the book to be really intriguing; Marta struggles with this gift on a day to day basis, and doesn't really understand what it means. I did appreciate how well this was told and how conflicted she felt at times with wanting to know how people were feeling but not wanting to intrude on their privacy. I didn't understand her mothers motivations for not telling her about Mormors death; I understand she didn't want to be dragged into what she believed to be hysterical drama, however her decision not to tell Marta is really unkind and really does not consider Martas feelings here; her sudden arrival at the end of the book just fell a bit flat for me, and her then proclaiming that she will up and move to this cottage just baffled me as it was a complete 180.

Overall I was just quite underwhelmed by this book, I really enjoyed the whole concept and Martas gift, but I just couldn't really connect with the book in the end. These are my personal views though and I donning that sometimes books just do not fit with a person, and this didn't fit for me.

This is a solid book, perfect for the darkening nights! The use of Norse mythology and the Norwegian setting was written perfectly. The main character was a bit vapid - your typical girl who is focused a little too much on looks (she has lost the sight in one eye and has scars around the socket) and meets a guy and falls for him within three days... Huge unresolved plot line at the end which will be disappointing if not followed up.

This book was really intriguing, I really like the concept of being about to know someone’s emotions/memories just from touching their clothes. I loved the story behind the tree involving Odin, Hel and the Norns. What I loved most was just how creepy the story was, I find a lot with ‘scary’ YA books that they’re not even remotely creepy and that is what is lacking in YA – actual creepy/scary books. I thought the way the creature was described was perfect, me being the clever person I am (HA!), I thought it would be a good idea to read this in bed before going to sleep and could almost feel the draugr breathing down my neck.

That being said I could only give this a 4 out of 5 stars, because once again, I could not deal with the naivety of Martha. Once again a book where a 17 year old girl meets a boy and is instantly falling for him, and thinking about kissing him, but ‘oh no what if he doesn’t like me that way’. I think I may have said it before but I need to reiterate that I love romance in books, but what I don’t like is the light that authors keep painting teenage girls in.

So, I am flailing right now. This book (?novella) is just spot on. Its equal parts atmosphere and creepy occurrences with just the right amount of love interest. Throw in some Norse Mythology and a lost family prophecy and you have The Twisted Tree. Initially, I felt the title was directly referencing the actual tree (its Yggdrasil but in a TARDIS, bigger on the inside kind of way) but it so cleverly plays on so many other parts of this tale.

I have to say here that usually I get so ridiculously creeped out by stuff that had I realised just how ominous the events, literally all of them, within this book were, I probably would not have requested it. This is not to say I didn’t love it. Frankly I can’t stop thinking about it. What I am saying however, is that I took my time with immersing myself in Burge’s world and may or may not have screamed loud enough when a door blew shut that I woke up my sleeping fiancé and child. Just saying… If you like creepy, you will love this. If you don’t love creepy, you will still love this but be prepared to make a fool of yourself when something touches you.

So, essentially, it’s the story of a girl who has no idea of her family legacy and no way to read about it because her mother has sheltered her from knowing it. She also can’t read about it because in the creepy chest in her grandmothers cupboard next to the doll with one eye and the spinning wheel that starts itself, are a bunch of journals. Written in Norwegian. A language she has never learnt even though she begged her mother to teach her. Girl proceeds to have some serious trips (or so she thinks) and starts to see dead people because why not. Also, there is a draugr out to murder everyone after having escaped from the deep dark abyss of Hel’s realm. Its freaking amazing tbh.

I loved the aspect of being able to see things about people by touching their clothes. What made it even more so, is the fact that different materials help the ‘reader’ (reader of clothing not reader of book) see different aspects of the persons life. Cashmere lets you feel the wearers emotions while wool simply holds onto them. Its just genius. I also really loved the resurrection of certain characters who shall not be named but know they are friendly. Mostly… Just remember that bullets can’t kill the dead.

While on the surface, Twisted Tree could be seen as a girl coming of age journey, Burge’s expert knowledge of Norse mythology really added to the entire experience. Mormor’s journals chronicle various events such as Odin hanging from Yggdrasil, Hel’s reign over her realm, the rise of the draugr and the inclusion of The Norn, three ladies who control the fate of the world. I found myself absolutely drawn in; I feel like Martha’s tale could have been good with all the creepiness, but the inclusion of mythology sent this story over the top.

My only qualm is how it ended. It was an adequate ending but now I have so many questions about why Nina is skulking and what Stig is going to do now. Also, will the art studio become a reality or is Mumma going to neglect her responsibilities again. Sorry to yell but YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO ME AUTHOR LADY!

At this point I feel like I am rambling just a tad because my brain can’t string together a cohesive sentence right now, so I shall wrap this up. Coming in at 180 pages, I wasn’t expecting to be able to write a whole review about The Twisted Tree. Instead I find my inner monologue going nuts and throwing random facts about the novel at me in a completely illogical order. If you take nothing else away from this review (I’ve tried writing it 3 times already and it just keeps spiralling into wordy nonsense), this book is amazing. Its dark and ominous and the perfect quick read for those who want some eerie goodness on a weeknight. The fact that I opened it, sat down and read for 3 hours straight (minor breaks because my heart can’t take creepy) on a night when I have 5000+ other things I should be occupying myself with solidifies my belief that this should get a perfect score.

A creepy little tale about a 17 year old girl, Martha, and her extremely twisted family tree. The snowy setting, a small Norwegian island, is very atmospheric and the Norse mythology that is woven in to the story is quiet effective. Definitely one for young adults to enjoy.

If you want an atmospheric dark read for winter than I would recommend this book.
Martha can feel peoples emotions and memories through clothing and different material tells her different things for example wool holds emotions but cashmere makes you feel them. This gift was interesting and I find it was used really well..The descriptions in this book were wonderful and they kept me reading. The suspense builds really well. The Twisted Tree is menacing and I can imagine that it would be. Almost as soon as she steps foot on the island, the creepiness begins and it just builds and builds until the climax. I was reading this in bed in the dark and I was getting a little creeped out and paranoid. I love books that make me feel that way. The creepiness had me on edge and I loved it. There were shadows that moved, light flickering, fog, faces that appear and disappear and the feeling that you are being watched. I loved the links to Norse Mythology in this book for example Odin, Hel, Yggsdrasil and the Norns. I enjoyed how the mythology played into the story and how it links to her family. The only thing that felt a little off to me was Martha and Stigs relationship as it felt a little quick to me and I was suspicious of Stig from the beginning.

I absolutely adored this! It’s deliciously creepy, mixing horror with Norse mythology. It’s the book I didn’t realise I needed until I had it.

The Twisted Tree follows our protagonist, Martha after an accident left her blind in one eye. Ever since she has been able to feel people’s emotions when their clothes touch her. Knowing the only person who will give her the answers she seeks is her grandmother (mormor), so Martha gets a plane there instead of going to her dad’s house. Upon arriving, Martha finds out Mormor is dead, and finds a strange boy squatting there instead. It’s not long before things take a strange and dark turn and the truth of what lurks in the old tree in Mormor’s garden is revealed.

Have I mentioned how much I adored this book?! I love how Rachel has taken elements from horror and Norse mythology and woven them together into a brilliantly dark and intriguing story, which I just couldn’t get enough of. The plot and character development and relationship between Martha and those around her was brilliantly well written, especially between Martha and her mother, who don’t see eye to eye on a lot of things. This whole book sent chills down my spine, the fear of not knowing what was prowling outside was real. It takes a lot to scare me and although it wasn’t horror as such, I spent a large chunk of this book clutching our puppy for comfort and protection from the unknown. Whether this was Rachel’s intention or not, playing on people’s fear of the unknown by keeping the monster out of sight until the right moment really paid off. The ending was satisfying, though I’m all for a sequel, I’d love to know what happens next.

It’s a short book so I won’t say anything else in case I spoil it, I can’t recommend it enough! I know this isn’t my best written review, it’s hard to put into words properly how much I loved it. I really hope you give it a try, you won’t regret it!

The E-book is available to buy now, the paperback follows in January.

The Twisted Tree

written by Rachel Burge

256 pages including interesting endnotes

published by Hot Key Books Autumn 2018

cover art: Rohan Eason

book design: Cherie Chapman

Modern Northern Gothic with heart

Summary from publisher’s website

Martha can tell things about a person just by touching their clothes, as if their emotions and memories have been absorbed into the material. It started the day she fell from the tree at her grandma’s cabin and became blind in one eye.

Determined to understand her strange ability, Martha sets off to visit her grandmother, Mormor – only to discover Mormor is dead, a peculiar boy is in her cabin and a terrifying creature is on the loose.

Then the spinning wheel starts creaking, books move around and terror creeps in . . .
A reader’s perspective

Have a really good look at that cover by Rohan Eason. Spot the two ravens, the gnarled bark and the bird skeletons? Behind the old gold lettering, there are hints of the two worlds this book inhabits. White, cold contemporary Norway meets a dark mythic otherworld in The Twisted Tree – literally.

There is certainly a resonance with Michelle Paver’s marvellously chilling Dark Matter, but The Twisted Tree is no copycat work. It’s something of a genre-bender (which I love) which would sit well between Neil Gaiman and some Scandi noir. I can see it as a graphic novel in the right hands – say, Pam Smy.

It’s told in the first person by seventeen year old Martha – an utterly credible and engaging narrator. She can be vulnerable, fierce, sensitive and headstrong. The conceit of her feeling people’s emotions through their clothes is more than just clever. It is essential to the world Rachel Burge has created – and grows in significance the more you read.

The Twisted Tree is a fine novel for anyone dealing with grief and ‘interesting’ family relationships – especially mother-daughter. Mourning and loss (not just of Mormor) permeate the whole book without being miserablist. There is much growing self-awareness and acceptance among the characters, together with friendship and love. These form the gold uniting the two worlds.

Not for the timid reader, although it might strengthen some with its cold Nordic embrace, it is the opposite of hygge. Confident YA with adolescents at its core – full of big ideas and conflicts. And as creepy as you’d ever want.

A Writer and Editor’s View

Elements I can learn from:

use of mythology to deepen a family drama – see Catherine Fisher’s Corbenic
a setting which permeates the atmosphere and belongs to themes of the story
mixing relevant aspects of three genres in a convincing way
creating a convincing standalone – which could have a sequel to come (I hope!)
representing teens in a way not remotely derived from Hollywood – teen me would adore Stig

NB Highly recommended to go alongside Alexander Yates’ The Winter Place – which uses the Finnish Kalevala to explore similar ideas.

This book felt eerie and creepy from the start, great for Halloween reading. I enjoyed the writing and the Norse mythology interwoven through the story. However, the ending left me very unsatisfied. Mainly it was all resolved quite suddenly, but near the end it felt like something else was building up and this part was left unfinished.

I was drawn by the description fans of Neil gaiman and this didn't disappoint a good level of spookiness, full of twists and grimness it was a great YA read. A wonderful mix of Norse mythology and Norwegian language used, a great pace , kept you wanting to read more all the time. A wonderful debut and highly recommended.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest review

I'm really glad I was able to hear the author talk about this book because there's a lot of inspiration that you don't necessarily get when you just read the summary. There's quite a bit of influence from the Tarot, along with the Norse pantheon. I urge you to check out Rachel and see what she has said about the book because I think it will give you a richer reading experience for this book. That's not to say that this isn't fun to read without that knowledge, it's just improving your reading experience. 

I actually went to Norway earlier this year, so it was very cool to be transported back through the lens of fiction. Given the amount of Norse inspired fiction I've read this year it was surprisingly novel for the story to actually take place in Norway. I was mostly on the water the whole time we were there, but I thought that Rachel managed to capture the isolation of Norway. That's not a bad thing, it's a very sparsely populated place which makes for some gorgeous uninterrupted views and a real sense of community where there is one, but it is also quite a scary idea, especially if you pull in the notion of the supernatural. It's the idea that there was nowhere they could go for help that truly got to me, much more than the paranormal goings-on. 

I liked Martha's power, the idea of being able to sense things through fabric was done well, and I didn't feel like it got forgotten halfway through the book - as sometimes happens when characters have just a small power to set them apart from everyone else. Where this becomes very significant is with the 'peculiar boy' in the cabin - I think people can probably imagine where that goes without me spoiling too much (I'm making it sound more salacious than perhaps it is). 

The romance is probably worth mentioning, as I say this is quite a short book, so any romantic feelings do feel quite fast acting, but in a high stakes situation such as these characters are in that doesn't bother me too much, I feel like intense bonds and formed in intense moments and that certainly describes the action in this book. 

I appreciated that this didn't feel like any other Norse mythology inspired book I've read this year. It felt like it explored a different facet of the mythology, giving you something a bit darker and more interesting. 

There's more action to this than a ghost story, but it's got more of an ethereal quality than a fantasy/action novel, it's somewhere between the two and it just sort of works. I hugely enjoyed reading this and I would definitely recommend it to anyone seeking something to read this winter (or maybe in the spring, if you're the kind of person who wants the cold weather to last as long as possible!).

My rating: 4/5 

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My thanks to Hot Key Books and Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read THE TWISTED TREE.

Martha has a special gift. By touching a person's clothes she can tell how they're thinking and feeling. She fell from a tree at her grandmother's cabin and because of the accident she was blinded. She leaves her home and journey's to her grandmother's house where she discovers she has died, and in the cabin without her knowledge or permission, is a boy. who has made himself at home. This is Nordic horror, and as I read the first few chapters it put me in mind of Red Riding Hood. There is even a wolf that the inhabitants think has been causing deaths which Martha, and Stig, her love interest, are sure has been killed by one of her Mormor's neighbours. But they're not totally sure and they're about to leave the cabin. Of course it's scary!

A new foray into Nordic magik and history for me. I enjoyed the creepy rather claustrophobic atmosphere of the story, but then I like walking around the house in the dark. I had a question about why Martha would accept and allow someone she didn't know into her grandmother's cabin. Okay, he's good-looking in a gothy kind of way, but I think she should have made him work harder for her trust. Having said that, this is an impressive debut.

The twisted tree by Rachel Burge.
This was a very enjoyable read. Unusual and strange but I really enjoyed it. It was different I loved Marta character. 5*.

I'd seen mostly 4/5 star reviews and was a little disappointed but it was an enjoyable read.

My favourite thing about this book was the Norse mythology as this is something I find fascinating and it was good to see a book set in a country like Norway. I did really like the setting, a small cabin in the middle of nowhere in Norway. Now it's winter in this book and that means it is very dark most of the time, there is lots of snow and it's cold as hell. Perfect for a creepy, ghost story! I did think this book would make a good movie with all the creepy goings on and dangerous beasts. It does stick to horror movie tropes and has a build up of creepy things happening!

The story was a bit confusing at times as there was a lot going on. Basically her grandma has died and someone needs to look after the tree or creatures from the underworld come into the real world. In my opinion it was all a bit ridiculous and no wonder her mother didn't believe it and thought she was crazy! I also didn't get the whole touching clothes let's me read people thing, I felt that was unnecessary to the story and didn't actually add anything. It doesn't make sense to have these powers to look after a tree. I guess I just thought it would have more of a point.

Overall an enjoyable and creepy read. Wasn't really for me and I would never have bought it myself but didn't dislike it. There was good and bad points but still enjoyed it and read it fairly quickly.

October means Halloween, which means I want more spooky reads! I stumbled across this and when I read that it was a YA Nordic Thriller/Horror I got really excited! I love Norse mythology, have had limited but good experiences with Nordic horror in the past, and found the synopsis promising! I have to say, I did like the end result.

Firstly, the atmosphere, setting and scares were pretty on point! I loved the draws from Norse folklore and mythology (hello Odin, Norns and Draugr). It was really interesting to see these inferences in a modern day setting and I liked the atmosphere that Burge built too, in an isolated Norwegian community away from the mainland. She drew a lot from the culture too! It was also great to see some disability rep for blindness and facial deformity! It's not often you find that in a book.

The story was fairly short, which I didn't mind so much, but it did feel a little bit like the ending was rushed. Some plot threads were wrapped up TOO nicely (complete happy endings in a horror? Hmmm...) and other elements just drew more questions from me. There's a definite Stig-related unresolved plot-line here and either it will be resolved in another book, or that is a HUGE shame. I also got a little irritated my the MC's fixation on her looks - it's one thing to mention insecurities once or twice but she CONSTANTLY talks about it. It really grated on me. All in all, an enjoyable read for sure but could have done with some padding out.

I so wanted to love this book. It’s a creepy YA set in Norway, perfect creepy setting with a bit of Norse mythology mixed in, aka completely and utterly my thing. But somehow I just didn’t connect with the story in the way that I wanted. Everything seemed skimmed over, I made no emotional connections, things happened too fast and felt like they were explained super quickly, plus the ending is left open and I just want all of the threads tied up (as far as I know this is a stand alone). If you’re going to give me insta-love that I’m not invested in at least make it happen rather than leaving it with a big question mark at the end. (Unless there’s a second book in which case …okay.)

I did really enjoy how Burge wound Norse mythology into the story, it’s something I’m a bit familiar with so when certain images appeared I knew what they were and what to expect, although they’re such familiar images that I imagine most people would pick up on them! The existence of the mythology and magic is pretty much never questioned, and when it is it’s accepted pretty much instantly. Which did confuse me slightly as I thought it was set in our world but ultimately I suppose it isn’t?

I’m so torn about this book. I flew through it but at the same time I felt like I’d skimmed over the story and that everything just kind of happened. Maybe it’ll be a re-read in the future and I’ll find more of a connection to the book.