Book Review – The Twisted Tree

I mentioned last week that I had recently finished The Twisted Tree in preparation for the build up to its sequel, The Crooked Mask, being released in paperback in January. I also mentioned both books in my post about Spooky Reads back near Halloween, and I don’t regret that at all! It’s one of those books I’ve meant to sit down and read before, and have either been distracted or have had to focus on something else because of deadlines, but I’m glad it worked out the way it did, because it meant I got to read the book over the course of a day. It’s a slight indulgence being able to do that, and a little luxury that I really made the most of. I read part of the book as a physical book, and listened to part as audio, which was a really lovely way to relax. The narrator, Kate Okello, does a stunning job of bringing to life the story, characters and atmosphere, and I would certainly listen to anything she narrates again.

Synopsis
Part ghost story, part Nordic thriller – this is a twisty, tense and spooky YA debut, perfect for fans of Coraline and Michelle Paver.

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 . . .

Set in the remote snows of contemporary Norway, The Twisted Tree is a ghost story that twists and turns – and never takes you quite where you’d expect.

Review
Like I say, I’ve intended to sit down and read this for a while, but I’m glad I read it in the way I did. It could easily be the kind of book to read over the period of a few days, however, reading it in just a day really brought out the intensity of the story. It captured the fear and the escalating emotions really well, and meant that everything was that bit more vivid.

Right up to the last pages, this book was still throwing curveballs, and it was so cleverly constructed. With intense amounts of research clear throughout, the author, Rachel Burge, has a clear love of what she is writing about with this book. It was really interesting to read something set with its foundations in Norse mythology as I haven’t read many that do, which is another reason I’m excited for The Crooked Mask.

Short but powerful, this book is as much a ghost story as it is a journey of self discovery, and I really can’t wait to see what happens with Martha next. She really grows over the course of the book, and whatever she is to experience in The Crooked Mask, she will be a stronger person because of the events in The Twisted Tree.

Many thanks to Hot Key Books for my copy received as an Ambassador. The Crooked Mask is out in ebook now, and in paperback on 21st January.