This novel was almost every thing I needed to get me through this hot California fall. The beautifully descriptive ambiance of a west coast forest in the middle of a cold, dark winter had me wishing so hard I lived further up north. Honestly, I think I was most in love with the setting and the general plot of the book. It was engaging and though I was able to guess the direction it was taking, it still kept me invested until the very end.

Thanks so much to Netgalley for the digital ARC!

I have not read The Wicked Deep so I was unfamiliar with the author's writing style and it took a little getting used to. The repetitive sayings were a little annoying and the plethora of metaphors and similes were distracting at times.

I enjoyed that the Wicker Woods were there own character and reading of the different Walker women ancestors. The ending was thoroughly enjoyable even if it was a little predictable.

Winterwood, Shea Ernshaw's follow up book to her popular release The Wicked Deep, cements Ernshaw as a premiere young adult author of dark, dreamy, magical realism.

In Winterwood, the Wicker Woods come alive as our heroine, Nora, traverses the haunted hills of her home outside of Fir Haven. Nora, descended from a long line of witches, enters the wood during full moons to find things that have been lost; one month, she has her biggest find yet - a boy named Olivier, lost from a boys camp nearby. As Nora tries to unravel the mystery of Oliver, the story speeds toward an heart pounding end.

Ernshaw has mastered the art of making environments come alive. The Wicker Woods is its own character, clearly interacting with the characters and serving justice when necessary. The whole story is atmospheric, eerie, and perfect for a fall/winter read. Some of Ernshaw's plot lines are hard to follow and things can get a little muddled, but that blurriness seems built-in to the story intentionally.

Overall, I'll be recommending this novel to readers of all ages who enjoy magical realism, settings that come alive, dark mysteries, and witchy vibes.

I did not finish this as I lost interest in the novel. This is a little on the older side for my middle school students and I think the writing would go above their heads. In a different world, it would probably have been nice to read as the lyrical writing is beautiful--however, with loads of other books taking up my TBR, I had to stop reading this one and move on.

Content Warning: Death, Murder, Injury

"I do not think the forest would be so bright, nor the water so warm, nor love so sweet, if there were no danger in the lakes. --C.S. Lewis"

Shea Ernshaw has done it again. She’s captivated my senses and left me yearning for more of her magical, eerie tales. While I felt that Winterwood perhaps wasn’t as developed as the plotline in The Wicked Deep, it still left me with a sense of deep satisfaction. The ending was exactly enough, as I was totally engrossed in the atmosphere that this novel offers.

"Nora Walker. The girl with moonlight in her veins."

Winterwood is the story about Nora Walker, and the ancestry of the women in her family. Even though she is the only Walker present, the representation of multiple generations of family members is palpable. I enjoyed how a “lore” was created around her family, which also spread to the reaches surrounding the town of Fir Haven.

Coupled with the lore of the Walker family, are the Wicker Woods. The woods are magical, but hostile. Only on nights of the full moon are the Walker women allowed to enter the woods while they slumber, to find lost things. It is on the night of a full moon after a terrible snow storm when Nora happens upon a boy in the woods. Having gone missing from a boys camp across the lake, his appearance in the woods is strange, as Nora knows to be in the woods is a perilous endeavor even for her.

"The Wicker Woods are where old, vengeful things lurk--things much older than time itself. Things you don’t want to meet in the dark. Get in. Get the hell out."

As Nora learns more about Oliver Huntsman, the boy from the woods, the more she realizes something sinister has happened with a group of boys from the camp.

Throughout the plot’s unravelling, the reader is introduced to different ancestors of the Walker family, via entries in the family spellbook. The Walker family have a long history of oddity and dysfunction. Nora Walker doesn’t have a good relationship with her mother. Having different desires, especially in consideration to the family they come from, their relationship has always been strained. Her mother, always had a desire to leave Jackjaw Lake. Nora, did not. She’s plagued with worry of if she truly belongs in her family.

"But without a nightshade, I can’t help but wonder if I’m really like any of them. If my name deserves to be listed in the spellbook among them. Or am I an imposter?"

Nora shares the point-of-view of telling the story with Oliver Huntsman, a young man who has been attending the “troubled boy’s camp” on Jackjaw Lake. After Nora finds him in the woods, pieces of his memory returns to explain how he came to be in the woods, and how he’s survived them for so long. On the night of the snow storm, a boy had gone missing from the camp, and Nora believe she’s found him. But Oliver and Nora begin putting the pieces together of what truly transpired, and they both realize that there is something more sinister afoot.

"I'm on my own. And in books, those with nothing to lose always become the villain. This is how their story begins--with loss and sadness that quickly turns into anger and spite and no turning back."

If you are looking for a fast-paced, quick, and immersive read, be sure to check out Winterwood. While I found the ending to be somewhat predictable, and parts of the plot underdeveloped, I really enjoyed this story overall.

Vulgarity: Minimal.
Sexual content: Minimal.
Violence: Some, including death.

My Rating: ★★★★

~ARC provided by NetGalley~

If there's anything I love more than fairytales it's a good witchy story. This book had such an ethereal quality, I couldn't tear myself away! I loved the alternating pov's and the grimoire additions. Really good read.

This book was fabulous. It was dark and cold and mysterious. What a perfect book to read this time of year. I loved the writing in this book. The characters were mysterious and I didn’t connect with them much but I don’t think I was supposed to. This was a really good story.

4 stars-- The Winterwood by Shae Ernshaw
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Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a free copy.
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Someone died that night, but no one knows who. Then Nora finds a boy in the woods...
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What I Loved: Nora Walker comes from a long line of witches and in between chapters, we get a description of her ancestors and their story. I absolutely loved it. Also, the scenery was described beautifully. The way the woods were described and the chill from the air was just so well done.
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What I didn't: the plot was extremely predictable and the character development was not what it could have been.
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I do recommend this book and need to read the author's previous work!

This was a beautiful atmospheric read with the same whismy of Practical Magic. I loved the familial magic of the Walkers and the lush setting. I was so drawn in by Nora's world and the mystery of what happened the winter a boy at the camp across the lake died and a boy went missing. It was a perfect read for the beginning of Fall and I was entranced by Shea's descriptions, I felt like I too was in a cabin snowed in at the lake watching events unfold. This was a beautiful and suspenseful read and one I will be recommending all Fall and Winter. I will also be including it in a roundup for The Young Folks of 25 Books To Read During Halloween, as a glimpse of upcoming books perfect for the holiday.

Mostly I thought that Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw was okay. There were parts I really enjoyed and the overall atmosphere of the story was really great but it just didn't wow me. I loved the parts of the story that talk about the Walker family and each of Nora's ancestors and the gifts they each possessed. This was so interesting and I am always a sucker for witchy families full of powerful, strong women. I enjoyed Nora as a main character for the most part, she felt so strongly connected to her family and her home despite not always feeling like she truly belonged and that was great. However, near the end especially, she kept making choices and doing things that were so annoying and I just found myself getting really frustrated with her. Speaking of the ending, I think its just a personal thing for me that the kind of conclusion or solution that was used in this book is one of my all time least favorite kinds of endings. It always ends up feeling a little like a cheap and lazy way to wrap up every loose end very quickly. As soon as it happened, I just felt a little disappointed. I do like the reveal near the end where Nora finally learns the truth of what happened at the boys camp. It is maybe a little predictable but still really enjoyable. Not a bad book by any means, I had a really good time reading this story overall, it just wasn't a favorite and ultimately felt very middle of the road to me.

4.5 stars- a couple of plot points held it back from being a full 5 stars.

This book was positively enchanting. The writing was haunting and lyrical and I couldn’t put it down or stop thinking about it when I had put it down.

Nora Walker comes from a long line of witches- women with powers and a connection to the Winter Wood that no one else dares to enter. She is a finder of lost things and a girl who is searching for her true self when she comes across her most important found thing yet and a journey unfolds that is filled with mystery, intrigue, love, and the path to finding who she truly is.

*I received this ARC from NetGalley in an exchange for an honest review

I absolutely fell in love with this book. The writing is spectacular. Shea's writing is so descriptive and her imagery is astounding. The characters had depth and meaning. The mystery and the plot kept me going. Always wanting to keep going, just another page, until I got to the end. I would absolutely read this book again and recommend my library purchase a copy.

This was an atmospheric read perfect for cold weather and halloween. The spooky, descriptive writing really sets the mood and draws you into the story. I loved the excerpts that introduce you to Nora's ancestors and their pasts. You really only ever follow Nora, but the excerpts really connect you to the previous Walker women and the woods. It's a very slow-paced read, but the writing is so beautiful that I lost myself in the story and it was over before I knew it.

There were a few issues I had with the story that kept it from being 5 stars. Nora and Oliver's relationship felt a little too instantaneous, and it was a bit odd that teenagers were essentially running loose in the woods for two weeks without any adult supervision. The story was also a bit too predictable, but I loved the writing and ending enough to outweigh everything else.

I’m very excited to finally share my thoughts about Winterwood with you guys. I read Winterwood so long ago and knew I had to actually write notes because we couldn’t post reviews until a month before publication.

Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw is one of those perfect fall type of reads. It has the spooky, witchy, woodsy vibes going on. I really loved all of the vibes it had going on. It just seems perfect if you are looking for something witchy. It was like Hocus Pocus but with a hint of redemption.

I liked the back stories about all of the witches. The setting was awesome. It was a little bit slow sometimes and it dragged at a couple of parts, but I was able to get back into it when that happened.

Slight spoiler, but everybody seemed to be so nonchalant about going to the witches house and I kept picturing the Hocus Pocus stuff…everybody was like whatever, yeah, it’s the witch’s house. Yeah, I’ll sleep here tonight because I’m bored and cool like that. That part of the plot seemed random to me.

I liked the loyalty and I did not see the plot with Oliver coming.

This was a four out of five star rating. Definitely perfect if you need to get your spooky vibes on. Thank you Netgalley and publishers for allowing me to read this book. This had no impact on my thoughts, my thoughts are my own.

"Can you hear it? The moon is whispering your secrets. It knows your darkest thoughts."

This was my first experience with a book written by Ernshaw and I'm freaking the f**k out!! This book was so good that I finished in a very short period of time. I am so deeply in love with this book. It was dark, haunting, and really unique. My witchy heart is overjoyed with darkness!

Fir Haven is a very small town surrounded by the dark, dark woods. The woods are something that you should always be leary about. There are many rumors swirling around about them but the thing you should remember most is to be aware and keep your eyes open.

Nora Walker knows things about rumors, her family has had to deal with them all throughout their lives. The one that follows them the most is witch! The Walkers have always lived in the woods and that makes their rumors that much more believable. And since they have always known those woods, they share a special bond with it.

That bond leads Nora to the missing boy, Oliver. Oliver disappeared from the Camp for Wayward Boys two weeks ago. She found him in the middle of the woods during the worst snowstorm that they have seen in years. But there is something off with him because he should have died in those woods but there he is breathing and talking.

There is something off about Oliver and the story he tells. Two boys entered the woods, one boy lived and the other died. But the story in between doesn't add up. Nora is determined to uncover the secrets that lay hidden in the woods. But what she has to remember is that he isn't the only one keeping secrets.

This book was disturbing in all the best ways and absolutely beautiful. Everything about this was stunning. I can't even find the right words to describe how exquisite this was. I adored every single second of this book and Nora and Oliver were two characters that I'll never forget.

Winterwood was the perfect fall read. The creeping darkness of it made my heart overjoyed. Please don't hesitate to pick this up.

My feelings for this book snuck up on me at the end. I was definitely hooked right from the beginning and was interested in the plot throughout the book, but there were times where the writing style didn't work with me. Still, the plot was really interesting, I loved the witchiness, and the twists were worth the wait.

There are times where the writing is a bit too...how do I say this? Thoughtful? It felt like more was being said than was being done. Some thoughts and feelings that had previously been established were repeated, and repeated, and repeated. This writing style did complement the story really well and was interesting, it's just not my favorite style.

Still, the plot, characters, twists, and atmosphere are all on point, I'd definitely recommend it as a fall/winter read!

Where do I even begin? I am sitting here, staring at the screen, tears of fear and sadness and joy drying on my cheeks, wondering how I can possibly capture the words to properly describe how I feel about this book.

The Wicker Woods surrounding Fir Haven are said to be magical, even haunted, and only the witches of the Walker family are able to venture forth and return unharmed. Two weeks after a snow storm that strands those that live around the lake and the woods, Nora Walker goes into these woods and comes back with a boy that had gone missing from a camp across the lake. His name is Oliver and he had been missing ever since the storm.

But there is a shift in the woods with Oliver's return. Nora must get to the bottom of the mystery of this boy and the events that occurred on the night he disappeared. But Oliver has other secrets of his own. And he wasn't the only one to go missing that night.

I could not put this book down. And I cannot sing enough praises. The writing was utterly atmospheric. It was spooky and creepy, full of suspense and poetry. The longer I read, the further I felt myself sinking into the mossy, wet earth of the Wicker Wood and dreading what was around the corner. Shea Ernshaw is an absolute artist and painted sprawling scenes and landscapes across the page.

Not only was the writing fantastic, but I loved the characters. Nora and Oliver were wonderfully developed. Their chemistry was subtle, natural, and I found myself eagerly awaiting each of their interactions.

The plot itself was one that was exciting. My mind was flinging itself every which way, trying to figure out the twist. There were expertly placed bread crumbs that, in hind sight, I should have caught on to, but perhaps I was so caught up in the atmosphere and the mystery, I just completely overlooked them.

All I can say is, wow. I highly recommend you pick up this book. Beautiful writing, compelling characters, and a fun and mysterious plot make this a story you will not regret diving into.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for this e-arc to review.

This book was received as an ARC from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Being a huge fan of the movie practical magic and reading the background story of Nora and the Walker women, I immediately was attracted to this book. This is the perfect timing to read this book because Halloween is right around the corner. Finding a lost boy in the woods Oliver Huntsmen then after discovering that the boy should be dead, finding out that he has long kept secrets and that he was not the only one to have gone missing just made the book more exciting and thrilling to read. We are on the search for more Halloween-esque books and this one just might be the icing on the cake our teen book club is looking for. I am excited to have found this book and previewed it to tell all about it to our young adult readers.

We will consider adding this title to our YFiction collection at the library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

After reading the Wicked Deep, I was super excited for this book. Unfortunately, it just never sucked me in. The scene setting was beautifully done and the writing was beautiful, but I just didn't feel like the characters were well developed and I thought the pacing was very slow. It might be nice for a reader that prefers a slow burn, but I just couldn't get into it.

Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing for providing me with an Advance Readers Copy, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. The quotes included in this review are subject to change upon publication.

In Winterwood we meet Nora Walker. She is a descendant of the Walker Witches who have lived in these woods longer than the trees and the lake. On full moons only, Nora enters into the Wicker Woods and collects lost objects the woods mysteriously holds. One night she finds a boy who has been missing from The Wayward Boys Camp across the lake. Nora meets Oliver and instantly questions how he has survived in these woods. While Nora and Oliver both hold secrets, they are sure to fear one another. Yet they find themselves drawn to one another instead.

“These woods are wild and rugged and unkind. They cannot be trusted. Yet, this is where I walk: deep into the mountains. Where no others dare to go. Because I am more darkness than girl. More winter shadows than August sunlight.”

As soon as I started reading, I was immediately in love. The story was completely atmospheric and all consuming. Shea’s magical writing captivated me in The Wicked Deep and Winterwood was no different. This book is all the witchy, winter vibes. The most perfect Fall or Winter read you need in your life.

“We see heartache coming from a mile away. But we don’t know how to step out of the way.”

Going into Winterwood I knew there was going to be some romance, but the way this romance unfolded made me realize this is a romance story that I never knew I needed in my life. I think that if you loved The Wicked Deep, you will love this one just as much. There was also one very small reference to The Wicked Deep in Winterwood that was wonderful and I very much appreciated. I love when authors leave a small little piece of their previous works.

“I’m certain that love can be a wound, deep, and sawtoothed and filled with salt. But sometimes it’s worth it.”

The only disappointing thing is that being this story has such a heavy emphasis on witches, I truly wish this had an October release date. But do yourself a favor and go pre order this baby! First editions will have absolutely stunning stamped art underneath the book jacket on the hardback. A very limited amount of signed editions are also available for pre order on Powell’s website!