A huge fan of Shea Ernshaws’ earlier novel “The Wicked Deep”, I had high hopes for this YA magical romance novel. Although the authors writing was once again delightfully descriptive offering a lush and atmospheric narrative, I found the characters less enchanting and at times unlikeable.

With substantial holes in her character development and some overly predictable plot elements, “Winterwood” left me wanting. Nonetheless, those looking for a witchy and gothic read well-suited for the Fall or Winter seasons.

One of my absolute favorite read this year! I loved Winterwood so much that I immediately picked up Shea Ernshaw's other book The Wicked Deep. The characters in this book were so well written, they really felt like people I could have met in real life. They were also relatable in a lot of ways. It was so interesting to see the "magic" system in the book. In my opinion it's a little more magical realism than fantasy, but I still really enjoyed it! It's books like this that make the world feel a little more magical; such a normal town where just a little something is out of place. I'd highly recommend if you enjoy mysteries with a touch of magic.

Nora Walker lives in Fir Haven near the woods. Her family has always had a special connection to the woods, which are alive. The Walker women can enter the woods on a full moon and take the lost things that appear in the woods. One evening, Nora finds a boy in the woods. He’s a boy who went missing from a nearby camp a couple of weeks before. Nora is surprised that the boy, Oliver, is still alive. However, Oliver wasn’t the only one who went missing that night. Nora has to use her family lore to figure out what really happened to Oliver the night he went missing.

I loved the magical setting in this story. The woods near Nora’s home had specific rules for her family. They could only enter on the night of the full moon because the woods were asleep. Things that went missing would appear in the woods, including the missing boy, Oliver. The woods were a character as well, because they would come alive on the other nights, meaning no one should enter. There were some natural elements that played an important role in this story as well. There was a big storm, which cut off access to the town from everywhere else. There was a life changing fire at the end. I loved how important the setting was in this story.

The ending of this story was perfect. All the clues to what actually happened were throughout the story, but I didn’t catch on until the answer was revealed. This was a clever magical story. It could be solved by the reader, but it was a pleasant surprise for me.

This is a beautiful story.

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really did enjoy this book, and I feel like it would be a great book to read in one sitting on a cold snowy day but it took me so long to get through. I feel like the writing just got to be a little too whimsical and took itself too seriously. All in all it was an enchanting story and I enjoyed how it all wrapped up.

4.5 ☆

I was offered a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

When I learned that Winterwood would feature a romance, I was a bit hesitant because the romance in The Wicked Deep was very instalove-y, which is something I’m not a very big fan of. Although it started off as an instalove situation, the romance in Winterwood ended up being more of an “out of reach” and slow-burn romance, which I adored. Also, I feel like Shea’s writing, which was already amazing for a debut author, got even better the second time around. The story had a nice flow and the pacing was excellent. Her twists and her ability to weave hints here in there into the story were even better and more intricate than in The Wicked Deep, making for an ending I didn’t foresee. I loved the spooky tone of this book, it gave me goosebumps and made me feel uneasy at times. Overall, it was a really great read perfect for fall and I highly recommend it!
Winterwood releases on November 9th and I can’t wait to get my hands on a finished copy!
A big thank you goes out to Simon and Schuster for allowing me to read this early!

I absolutely loved this book. Shea Ernshaw has a gift for creating atmospheres that I wish I could crawl into and live in forever. The woodsy forest vibe here is excellent and the story and writing to not disappoint. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

4.5 Stars.

Nora Walker is rumored to be a witch . She walks in the haunted wicker woods in the full moon and collects lost things. This is how she ends up finding Oliver Huntsman - a boy who went missing two weeks ago; a boy who could not have survived the deadly cold in the woods for so long. But he is very much alive and remembers nothing about how he ended up there. Even though Nora brings him to her home, she feels uneasy and restless. She knows the boy has secrets of his own and he might be dangerous. And she is adamant to find out the truth about what happened the night the boy disappeared and what other secrets might be hidden in the darkness of the wicker woods.

Winterwood is the perfect book to read in a cold winter night. It has creepy, dark and mystical vibe. I completely fell in love with the Shea Ernshaw's writing right from the very first page. I really enjoyed the overall plot but the writing and the atmosphere definitely were the best part of it.

However, I was not much impressed with the ending - it felt kinda lazy! It probably would have been 5 stars for me, if it weren't for the ending. But I would still highly recommend this book.

This is Shea Ernshaw's sophomore release, following The Wicked Deep last year. I wasn't a huge fan of Wicked Deep but I thought it had potential. I was hoping Winterwood would have taken Ernshaw's writing one step further. In some ways it has, unfortunately we are still subject to wooden characters whose dialogue is painful and poor descriptions of hypothermia. I don't know why she keeps using it given she obviously doesn't understand how hypothermia works.

Setting
In Wildwood we meet Nora, a witch of sorts, who lives in a forest on a mountain near a camp for troubled boys (mostly teens). So naturally she will be the only girl amoungst many boys. But at least it makes sense here and isn't just by chance or luck like in many other YA/Teen novels. Nearby is a large lake that plays an important part to the overall story. If you're suddenly thinking Friday the 13th with Jason Voorhees you get the isolation, seclusion, and danger of a lake near a camp in the forest.

Snow and Hypothermia
I don't know why Ernshaw has used hypothermia (especially water induced) in both her books; as she doesn't seem to understand how it works. First up, almost no one ever 'wakes up' after they have fallen asleep and are hypothermic. Magical intervention aside. So it would be nice if cold is being used to 'knock' our characters out that there is a sense of why/how they woke. Second, it is extremely unlikely that anyone would survive falling into a frozen lake if they did not get immediately pulled out, and immediate attention to slowly warm them up. Think, all wet clothing removed, rubbing skin, immersion in lukewarm (or even cold) water to bring body temperature up, etc. It really bugs me when authors use well-known medical injuries poorly. And so I don't know why Ernshaw seems to have a fascination with snow and the cold, but this Canadian (who knows the cold very well) would really appreciate the descriptions being more accurate.

Plot and Dialogue
As with The Wicked Deep, there is a great creepy, dark story here. A legacy of misunderstood magic, an area of the forest no one enters, genetic magical ability, and more. And this plot would work, even if it's similar to many other stories, if only our characters didn't seem to break up the well written moody and creepy descriptions. Both the setting and plot are good. Right up to the point our teenagers open their mouths and say something stilted, stupid, or ridiculous. Ernshaw seems to have real issues with developing dialogue for her characters that doesn't feel forced. It's as though she wishes no one needed to speak and we could just infer what was happening from descriptions. Sadly that is not the case.

Overall
If the dialogue and character development were improved upon then Winterwood would be a solid 4 stars. Sadly because it is not I can barely justify the 3 stars I've given it. If Ernshaw can really up her game with her characters and dialogue she might be able to crack further into the over-saturated YA fantasy genre. But as it stands now she is on the edge and barely hanging on. I hope her third novel comes out stronger. I will leave you with the most amusing quote from the book; which had me considering who is more madder, the Hatter or Jekyll. I think Jekyll.
"A person can go mad in these woods. Hatter mad."

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

3.75 stars (I received an e-arc from net galley for an honest review)

Shea Ernshaw is an author that can create an enthralling atmosphere both in Winterwood and The Wicked Deep. Her sophomore novel is considerably slower paced with a more isolated environment and a smaller cast of characters. Nora comes from a long line of witches who are always lived in the area around the winter woods and located close to a camp for troubled teenage boys. There is a major snow storm that traps anyone on the island and prevents anyone from coming in. There is talk of one of the boys has gone missing in the woods in freezing temperatures. Nora finds him and brings him to her house, nursing him back to health as well as letting a classmate stay with her who snuck onto the island to visit the boys camp. We are also introduced to a few of the boys from the camp that are connected to the mystery boy. Various snippets of Nora's life with her grandmother and at the end of each chapter contains an excerpt from the family books detailing the life stories of Walker woman. I feel like I did see the twist coming, well one of them at least. The ending I found to be very convenient and a bit odd. But I did overall enjoy the reading experience.

I’m using the early part of 2020 to help me get a little caught up on 2019 releases I never got to, which includes Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw. This is a quiet young adult fantasy novel about Nora Walker, a girl who comes from a family of women with powers and a special connection to the nearby woods. One winter day she finds a boy, Oliver, in those woods, despite the fact that he’s been missing for two weeks and should be dead. As Nora and Oliver grow closer, she works to uncover the secrets he is keeping, and what really happened that day he went missing.

It was actually really hard to write a little blurb for Winterwood that made it sound exciting because so little happens in this book! I love Ernshaw’s writing, and found her debut novel, The Wicked Deep, pretty slow-moving and atmospheric as well, but I definitely think that book had a lot more tension and intrigue pushing it forward than this one. Basically one person keeps a secret (or forgets) what happened and you spend the whole book waiting to find out why–and after all that wait, my initial guess from the very first chapter was correct! I didn’t dislike Winterwood, but it kinda got me into a bit of a reading slump, because it took me two weeks to make it through as I waited for something, anything, to happen. The atmosphere was really lovely but the book as a whole felt a bit tedious. That said, I would probably give Ernshaw another try, because I think with a bit more plot, I could really love one of her books.

I was such a fan of The Wicked Deep, so I was pretty happy when I head this author had another book coming out.  However, Winterwood didn't really hold up the same way as Wicked Deep did for me.   There wasn't anything particularly wrong with this story, the writing was beautiful and the setting of the forest in a small isolated town was very my aesthetic, but I just couldn't fully immerse myself in this one for some reason.  I never felt that much for the characters, I liked them but didn't feel strongly.  Our main character, Nora was interesting but I started to feel like her inner dialogue was repetitive.  I get it! You're a Walker! Stop beating me over the head with it.  I didn't care about Oliver really and I knew the mystery instantly. I thought it was incredibly obvious.  I can't state why because it would be major spoilers but I knew very shortly after the story got going what the big reveal was.  I did start getting more invested in the story about 2/3's in, but I think that is a little too late for a standalone.  Nothing majorly wrong with the story, just not for me.  I'll still check out Shea's other books in the future though.

This was beautifully written. I loved the ancient, snowy mountains, spooky woods atmosphere Ernshaw has going on. Nora shows an amazing balance of knowing herself, yet being uncertain. Being proud of who she is (a Walker Witch), a collector of lost items.

She's found a boy late one night in the woods, Oliver. He is one of the boys from the Wayward camp across the lake. He has secrets of his own. The woods spit him up for Nora to find. Nora struggles with the very real, teen hormone, attraction she has to Oliver.

I'm glad I was given the opportunity to read Winterwood. It was a wonderful wintery story of mystery and magic.

I had really high hopes for Winterwood. Sadly they weren't met. Now, this isn't saying I didn't like the book or that it was a bad book. It's more saying that Shea's debut book was so good that Winterwood had big shoes to fill.

Winterwood was a good story about a girl left alone in an isolated town. I liked the idea of a magical woods full of lost items and that you can only enter it during certain times - I would have liked more. I also liked the idea of the magic system - how every female in the family had some sort of power - not all "useful". I wish there was more about it and had it explored further. I understand that Nora didn't understand the magic fully so we shouldn't either, but still. I also would have liked more of the pages where we learn more about the family, their gifts, and their recipes.

I enjoyed Nora and Oliver as a character, but I found some of their interactions awkward - even forced. I didn't feel the swooning like I did in The Wicked Deep. They felt like they had chemistry and you felt for them - where here it felt more like they just existed together and the story decided that they liked each other - both isolated and loners together.

I found the twist predictable and guessed it rather early on. I know that majority of this sounds like I really disliked the book, but it was just ok for me. Like I said I enjoyed Nora and Oliver outside of a relationship and I enjoyed the family history moments of .it. I love Shea's writing style and I will still gladly pick up her next book, I just think my expectations let me down.

First off I want to thank @netgalley, @simonandschustercanada & @sheaernshaw for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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Wow ! I am completely mesmerized and hooked with Ernshaw's writing. It was so beautiful, atmospheric and the way she's able to make you imagine the environment is amazing.
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It is a slow burning story, kind of fairytale ish and it was very well done. I fell in love with Nora and Oliver. The characters might've of lacked a bit of depth but for me it didn't prevent me from loving this to the fullest. I loved all the magical, witchery, haunted enchanted forest it sucked me in from the beginning and didn't let me go. Okay maybe the plot was predictable but honestly the all around feel of this book was so amazing.
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The ending was satisfying and I am so excited to read The Wicked Deep and anything else she writes. If you're looking for an enchanting, magical, beautifully written book pick this one up ASAP !!!

If beautiful words were food, Winterwood is an absolute feast. Line after line is wonderfully constructed and utterly exquisite. For example, "Where trees swayed like long skeleton arms moving to some macabre ballet, the wind the only music that filled my ears" (page 27). Gorgeous.

Top that off with a wonderful cast of characters, fantastic tension, and an intriguing plot and this is a book you'll want on your shelves and ready to recommend.

Beautiful and Atmospheric!

When I started reading Winterwood, I was looking to be transported. I wanted magic, mystery and all kinds of witchy goodness! I was not disappointed! This book delivered all of that, and more. Unfortunately where it disappointed, was in the pacing and predictability of the story. Don't get me wrong, I still very much enjoyed it, but it was a bit slow, at least the beginning and while all the magical elements were there, I hated that I could guess what would happen next too easily.

My absolute favourite part about this book is the stunning atmosphere the author created! I can't think of a backdrop more suited and I adored it.

While this book wasn't perfect, it was still entertaining and I liked it enough to read more from Shea Ernshaw!

3.75 stars
This was a surprising read for me. I don't think it hurt that I read it while there was a squall happening right outside my window. The authors writing was very lyrical and atmospheric, she definitely captured the fairy tale feel. I also loved the mystery thrown in. I mean witches plus a mystery is a recipe for a good read. Winterwood did fall prey to some predictability but I find that in YA it seems more often than not.

Overall Winterwood is an atmospheric read with witches and a mystery that may not be as twisty as one is hoping.

A good book! I liked the premise and the characters, especially the forest. It was a little bit dark, but just enough for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an advanced copy. The voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Winterwood
By: Shea Ernshaw

*REVIEW* ❄❄❄❄
If you are looking for a chilling creepy story, Winterwood is an excellent choice. The Wicker Woods are the kind of place where people go in but never return. Nora is the exception because she is a witch, maybe, and she has an affinity with the woods. Nora has no idea what her witching powers are because they have yet to manifest. One day, Nora finds Oliver nearly dead in the woods. He has been missing for a couple of weeks from camp, and by rights, Oliver should not be alive. How and why did this particular boy survive the Wicker Woods? Nora and Oliver set out to find answers, but they find more than they bargained for or anticipated. This Is the type of story where the atmosphere is its own character. The beautifully rendered and detailed Wicker Woods, the chill and frost, form a perfect atmospheric presence. I love this aspect of the story because the environment is a living breathing entity. The idea of being snatched away at any moment into the lurking shadows defies creepy. I felt a sense of foreboding for the characters because something sinister and menacing seemed to be working in the woods. I love stories with this type of vibe. Nora and Oliver navigate through this bizarre place to find who knows what. This story is filled with mystery, adventure, romance and magic. Readers will easily lose themselves in the pages of Winterwood.

Thank you to Netgalley, the [publisher and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This was a haunting, eerie and beautiful coming of age story. Nora Walker, known as the witch girl or moon girl, feared by her peers, is from a long line of Walker women, each known and feared as witches. The Walker women have lived in these woods as long as the woods themselves, maybe even longer. The Walker women each have their own power, known as their nightshade, Nora fears that she does not have one, her grandmother died before she could help her discover it. The Walker women know that you can only go into the Wicker woods on the night of a full moon when the woods are sleeping; Nora knows that on this night, if you announce yourself quietly to the woods, on this night only, you can find lost things, all lost things end up in the Wicker Woods, and she brings home bits of silver, buttons, small mementos from the past, until the night she goes into the woods and the harbinger of death, the bone moth, leads her and her wolf dog, Fin, to a boy, an almost dead, but living, breathing boy. In a place where none can survive, how did this boy survive; this must be the boy that has been missing for two weeks form the boys camp for wayward boys across the lake, since the big snow storm that has trapped them all.

Nora brings Oliver home to recover and tries to discover how he survived where none else have and tries to fight her growing attraction to this lost and found boy. When she finds out that on that night, one boy went missing and one boy died, she is not sure what she should believe. As she uncovers the truth, she is plagued with the bone moth following her and knows that death is near; can she survive this tale and will she find her nightshade; Nora Walker feels an outcast from the townspeople, but also feels like she is not enough of a witch either.

This book is told in two voices, Nora Walker and Oliver Huntsman, the found boy; there were also entries from the spell book that Nora holds dear, that tell of her ancestors lives and special powers. A lovely story that left me chilled to the bone like the biting cold of the Wicker woods, yet warm with the promise of young love and hope; there were many surprises and plot twists and there was the most wonderful ending. A wonderful book that I will definitely be recommending.