Confessions of a Literary Addict

This review is spoiler-free!

Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Release Date: November 5, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 323 pages
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Find it here: Goodreads

I don’t know what it is with Shea Ernshaw’s books and me, but this is the second time I’ve gone into her works and started off with “now THESE are the vibes!” and ended with “… oh.”

And, like. Not in a good way. Not an oh. Just an.

… oh.

(If you know, you know.)

That said, these are THE vibes. If nothing else, Ernshaw knows how to set an immaculate scene, and all two of those stars are for said vibes. They’re witchy, they’re spooky, and they really have some spectacular cold autumn feels. (Though these run a little more winter to me, but this is also coming from someone who hasn’t lived in a place with seasons that aren’t simply “wet” and “dry” since she was twelve, so. Y’know.)

The plot, though, I was definitely more eh on. If a certain relationship had developed differently, I probably would have liked it a lot more, but instead we got shoehorned into the expected mold between the available characters, and I found myself bored at the end of it. Not my cuppa, thank you.

I can’t say I won’t give Ernshaw another try (this was my second, and only because I got the book in a book box and hate unhauling books I haven’t given a chance), if only for the chance to be punted into a season I never experience again, but I can’t promise I’ll like it. We’ll have to see.

Thanks for reading!