Review: Escape from Witchwood Hollow by Jordan Elizabeth

ESCAPE FROM WITCHWOOD HOLLOW

by Jordan Elizabeth

Curiosity Quills Press

YA Fantasy

183 pages

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?

MY TIDBITS

This is a short book packed with quite the story. Honoria is a city girl, whose life has been turned upside down. Her parents are dead (died in the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers), she's moved to a renovation needy stone house in small country town, and she's thrown in to a school where she doesn't really feel comfortable.

This book is written in three different time lines, told from three different characters' lives. At first, I found this a little jaunting but the dates at the beginning of each chapter help to keep track of which person's story is going to be told next. After this gets sorted out, the story is amazing.

Honoria has a rough go at things. She sort of tries to fit in but is still in mourning, and despite some new friends, can't really find solid footing. But she's sweet and caring, and it's exactly these true to life problems which make her so interesting. She's not a heroine up on a pedestal, but a girl teens will be able to understand and grasp.

There's a nice sense of family and friendship, and even a little bit of inspiration thrown in. The characters are not evil, but simply make wrong choices or are find themselves in difficult positions. Still, they find understanding and support from the people around them--even the witch has qualities which make her human and in some ways, likable. And there's nothing better than bad guys that one can slightly understand.

The ending to this story takes quite the twist and may not be satisfying to all readers. Still, it hits and leaves one thinking days after the book is closed. And, in my opinion, this lasting impression is exactly what makes a story good even if it might not be the kind of ending the reader would like to have.


And here she is. . .

JORDAN ELIZABETH!!!

Jordan Elizabeth, formally Jordan Elizabeth Mierek, writes down her nightmares in order to live her dreams. With an eclectic job history behind her, she is now diving into the world of author. It happens to be her most favorite one yet. When she’s not creating art or searching for lost history in the woods, she’s updating her blog. Jordan is the president of the Utica Writers Club. She roams Central New York, but she loves to travel. 

Website: JordanElizabethMierek.com

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jordan-Elizabeth-Mierek/134299303402268