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Winterwood

Shea Ernshaw (Goodreads Author)

3.81 · Rating details · 9,284 ratings · 2,179 reviews

Be careful of the dark, dark wood…

Especially the woods surrounding the town of Fir Haven. Some say these woods are magical. Haunted, even.

Rumored to be a witch, only Nora Walker knows the truth. She and the Walker women before her have always shared a special connection with the woods. And it’s this special connection that leads Nora to Oliver Huntsman—the same boy who d ...more

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Hardcover, 323 pages

Published November 5th 2019 by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

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Average rating 3.81 ·

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· 9,284 ratings · 2,179 reviews

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Dec 03, 2019 Nilufer Ozmekik rated it really liked it

My teeth are tattering, carrying three different blankets on my shoulders and turning myself into human burrito, still trembling, shaking, feeling the cold in my body and in my soul at the same time after reading this so dark, intense, thrilling, nerve bending, fascinatingly told witch a.k.a Walker a.k.a Moon Girl and lonely, abandoned, sad, sweet green eyed boy’s heart wrenching, bleak, unique love story!

Look at this dark, gorgeous cover which makes you want to lose yourself into those haunted My teeth are tattering, carrying three different blankets on my shoulders and turning myself into human burrito, still trembling, shaking, feeling the cold in my body and in my soul at the same time after reading this so dark, intense, thrilling, nerve bending, fascinatingly told witch a.k.a Walker a.k.a Moon Girl and lonely, abandoned, sad, sweet green eyed boy’s heart wrenching, bleak, unique love story!

Look at this dark, gorgeous cover which makes you want to lose yourself into those haunted woods has its own living soul to punish the people who don’t respect its existence.

I enjoyed the author’s world building, reminding me of Alice Hoffman’s style magical touch, characters’ development and of course the story’s conclusion. I could easily give it five stars but the mysterious effect and big revelation were not surprise for me. It was so obvious from the beginning and when the big secret came out at the final, I could only say “hmm”! That’s it! Of course the grandiose ending is also predictable for me because of the characters’ past dialogues gave you much hint to understand what was gonna happen next.

So I gave 3.5 stars which will eventually rounded up to four because it was impossible not to love introverted, lonely, sad, strong Nora who truly finds her soul mate at the mortal world. Oliver stole my heart from the beginning of the book as soon as he’s found by Nora (literally and lyrically they both found each other and the magic started to fight against the darkness of the woods and the camp’s abandoned teenagers)

Once upon a time a girl finds a boy lost boy in the woods. She touches his soul and warms him, helping to find what was he looking for and in the meantime she finds out what her real life purpose is. But their encounter will bring out the danger, curse and death into their lives!

Will they survive from the danger and protect themselves from the moth following them as a sign of “death” in everywhere? Will Nora’s inherited powers help them to save themselves?

There is dead boy out there… And a killer is walking around the woods. The storm blizzard threatens their lives. They are trapped. Nowhere to go… Tick, tick, thud…

Just because this horrifying freezing feeling the devil genius author gave me, I consumed gallons of hot chocolate (my dear Chardonnay stocks remained their position at the freezer.) but thankfully I mixed my chocolate with cognac (just warm myself up) and I’m totally fine and dream to be a walker when I’m growing up. (Okay forgot the last part! Everybody knows I’m a witch!)

I cannot wait to read more works of this author. I already added “Wicked Deep” at my TBR( I’m so scared that one day it will collapse and I will be squeezed under it.) list! Just read this book for its amazing dark, scary, effectively spooky atmosphere and for its amazing, likable, adorable characters. It’s capturing, riveting, emotional page turner!

I'm adding my photo while I'm devouring some pages before purchasing and yes I'm wearing sunglasses because I'm suffering from terrible hangover (don't consume Chardonnay with empty stomach when your husband eats entire takeout leftovers! Shame on him!)

...more

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Nov 07, 2019 jessica rated it really liked it

wow. this story is hauntingly gorgeous, enchantingly mysterious, and supernaturally lovely. this is a magical slow-burn that will have you believing in the inexplicable and admiring the unexpected. i think this book has cast its own spell on me because i honestly cant get over how bewitching the connection between nora and oliver is.

there are some aspects of the story i found to be predicable, but the predicability comes from a place of feeling like i cleverly picked up on the authors subtle hi ...more

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Nov 20, 2019 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: hardback, fantasy-all, own, zombie

November Owlcrate Unboxing! They out freaking did themselves. Click on GOODIES LINK under the pic to see the GOODIES!

GOODIES LINK

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾 ...more

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Aug 12, 2019 Chelsea Humphrey rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: from-publisher, bookstagram-made-me-do-it, netgalley

Uff. I really wanted to give this one a higher rating, because the writing is just so beautiful and atmospheric, but the predictability of the plot and the gaping holes in character development left me wanting more. I have heard that the final copy will be different from the ARC I received, and I'm very excited to see what changes are made. It's quite clear that the author is immensely talented, and I enjoyed the dark, oppressive setting so much that I've grabbed her first book from the library ...more

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Jan 12, 2019 ELLIAS (elliasreads) rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019-books

The ending made the whole book. Quiet, slow, and intense, with a touch of cold magic. Like a fairy tale.

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Jul 05, 2020 Mischenko rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

Nora Walker is descended from witches. She was told by her family that each of them have their own nightshade, a magical skill, but Nora hasn’t found hers yet; in fact, Nora isn’t even sure of herself anymore. She questions if she has the strength of her ancestors. It isn't always easy living alone with only her mom and wolf, Fin. Nora wonders what her life would be like if she were different and actually had friends.

There’s a boy’s camp nearby, and word has it that one of them has gone missing Nora Walker is descended from witches. She was told by her family that each of them have their own nightshade, a magical skill, but Nora hasn’t found hers yet; in fact, Nora isn’t even sure of herself anymore. She questions if she has the strength of her ancestors. It isn't always easy living alone with only her mom and wolf, Fin. Nora wonders what her life would be like if she were different and actually had friends.

There’s a boy’s camp nearby, and word has it that one of them has gone missing. When Nora stumbles upon a boy named Oliver in the woods, she’s determined to get to the bottom of what actually happened. She’s puzzled with how Oliver actually survived for two weeks in the desolate woods. Will Nora finally discover herself and get to the bottom of this mystery?

A boy who ran away or got lost or simply vanished like the low morning fog that rises up from the lake during autumn rainstorms. Who crept from his bunk inside one of the camp cabins and never returned. A victim of the winter cold. Of madness or desperation. Of these mountains that have a way of getting inside your head—playing tricks on those who dare to walk among the pines long after the sun has set.

This book is incredibly atmospheric. I was literally captivated with the prose which is full of beautiful descriptions and intense imagery. This is exactly what I’ve been looking for lately, and I was easily transported to this magical, wintery woodland. Unfortunately, there were aspects of this story I wished were different, like how it was a bit repetitive, making it feel super drawn out. Not only that, the characters weren’t fleshed out well; there was so much more I wanted to know about them all. The story even fell a little flat for me, but even so, I still enjoyed Winterwood and found it unique. It was nice that the author put in just the right amount of romance to my liking as well.

A friend who read this book mentioned its predictability. That wasn’t an issue for me; in fact, I didn’t see the twisty end coming at all. She also felt that there was insta-love involved, but I had to disagree. This connection felt natural, especially given that Nora is primarily alone—lacking much human interaction or closeness outside of her home.

I’m torn on my rating, but I think I’ll go with 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. I’m hoping to read The Wicked Deep soon, and I’ll gladly pick up anything Shea Ernshaw writes. ...more

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Feb 29, 2020 Samantha rated it it was ok

2.5 stars - wonderfully atmospheric and a quick read, but with a twist you can see from a mile away, an overly slow plot, and instalove.

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Apr 13, 2020 Andrea Ashwood rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-books

Maybe I haven't been in my best mood to reading this book. 😅

The beginning was great, I was caught up, but I don't know if it was the book or my state of mind that I started to leave it and I have been reading it gradually until I've finally finished it. I noticed that the author repeat things too many times as if she had to make it clear that we had to focus on that.
And then the two supposed plot twist are reduced to a deduction that you guess at almost 100 pages and is revealed in the last 50 ...more

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Oct 04, 2019 Cassie rated it it was amazing

This book is simply beautiful.

It is a slow burn fairy tale-esque sort of story and I loved it. Nora and Oliver’s story is so, so, so lovely. The setting is rich in atmosphere and is magnificent. The writing is exquisite and lyrical. I loved this story so much.

Expect this story to be slow, but it will absolutely tug at your heart, burrow deep into your soul, and stay there for many moons to come.

I was greedy and requested it from Netgalley first and then Edelweiss. They both came through and pr ...more

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Dec 26, 2019 Arini rated it liked it · review of another edition

this was such a perfect winter read. i was truly in awe with how hauntingly beautiful and atmospheric the writing was, but everything else just fell nothing short of dull. there were also quite a number of repetition of information and sayings which detracted me from the story. i think the young adult me wouldve appreciated this book more than the new adult me.

the characters lacked some depths. if anything i was more enraptured by the wicker woods itself than any of the characters. nora and ...more

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Mar 21, 2019 Candace Robinson rated it it was amazing

Let me just say how much I loved The Wicked Deep. LOVED IT! So I was super anxious to get my hands on the author's next stand alone book. More witchy magic!! Oh, and some creepy woods!

Ernshaw just knows how to write so freaking well. I love her words as much as Brenna Yovanoff's, where it sucks me right in and doesn't let go until the end. This book had everything—magic, romance, mystery, and a unique world with great atmospheric scenes.

I liked Nora and Oliver both equally, and found their conne ...more

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Dec 07, 2019 Mara YA Mood Reader rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2019, 2019-new-releases

I kiss a boy who’s been to the farthest, deepest edge of the Wicker Woods and returned, who tastes like the violent winds that settle over the lake in winter. A boy who is more forest than flesh

What would you do if you found a missing boy in the woods? Snowed in, cold, left to fend for yourself, outcasted and so alone? And you found something that could be yours.

Finders keepers

My lost item found in the woods. Who is now more forest than boy

Nora is a lonely, isolated girl who lives in a lonely, ...more

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Nov 16, 2019 Cortney LaScola - The Bookworm Myrtle Beach rated it it was ok

I absolutely loved The Wicked Deep, so I have been anxiously waiting for Winterwood... Unfortunately, it was a disappointment. The book dragged on, there was a lot of repetition, the characters were all one dimensional, and I figured out where the story was going within the first few chapters.

I do think the author is a talented writer, and the story had a lot of potential, but it just didn't work. 2 stars. ...more

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Jun 12, 2019 Julie Zantopoulos rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2019, arc, own-it

"A sleeping forest will allow safe passage. But if it wakes, be prepared to run."

In Shea's sophomore novel we follow Nora who is a Walker witch and has always lived near the Wicker Woods and the lake that borders it. The Walker witches are as old and talked about as the woods, as mysterious and dark. The kids at the camp for wayward boys across the lake whisper about the witches who lure boys away and bury them under their floorboards, about the women whose lovers all die and who never leave, no "A sleeping forest will allow safe passage. But if it wakes, be prepared to run."

In Shea's sophomore novel we follow Nora who is a Walker witch and has always lived near the Wicker Woods and the lake that borders it. The Walker witches are as old and talked about as the woods, as mysterious and dark. The kids at the camp for wayward boys across the lake whisper about the witches who lure boys away and bury them under their floorboards, about the women whose lovers all die and who never leave, not even in the unrelenting winters that hit the area.

"Oliver breathes and I swear the wind calms, he closes his eyes and the forest trembles against the house. My lost item found in the woods. Who is now more forest than boy."

At the heart of this story we have Nora who has always felt separate and alone until she finds a lost thing in the full moon Wicker Woods where she collects those items that the world no longer wants...until she finds Oliver and wishes desperately to keep him. Shea has a way of writing twisted and complex romances and this one is no different. Oliver is a mysterious boy, changed by the woods, and Nora is a Walker witch who feel the woods deep in her bones. They're cautious of one another, and rightfully so. The progression of their relationship is both natural and haunting and I was very here for it.

" The wilds of this place dislike our midnight chatter, our rising voices, the flickering flame and the sparks wheeling up through the trees. We have woken it."

Like The Wicked Deep Shea makes her setting its very own character and in this instance, the character of the woods is better than any human (or witch) character we are introduced to. It's a truly atmospheric novel, one that will immerse you in the spooky woods, in the ominous snow storms, and no amount of closing the book will make you feel safe. She does it so so well, but I wanted so much more from the characters and plot.

I'm not going to go and spoil anything about this novel but I will say that I saw what Shea was doing with the characters and story long before it was revealed and that did detract from my overall enjoyment. Also, this book suffers from excessive repetition of themes/sayings/information. For example, the fact that Walker witches are older than the woods, the fact that you can't enter the Wicker Woods unless you're a Walker witch or it's a full moon, her grandmother's moonstone ring (honestly mentioned SO often), the fact that others think the Walker witches are...well, witches. The fact that they stay through bad weather, the fact that the campers thing the witches are odd. All of these are repeated frequently and it really detracted from the story. The repeated information wasn't something hard to grasp, wasn't something that needed repeating for the reader to understand. I'm assuming it was intentional but it did not work for me, at all.

Shea has said that she reworked this novel post arc printing, and that readers of the arc should expect to see differences, apparently substantial ones, between what we read and the finished copy. I look forward to finding out what those changes are and to reviewing the finished copy (which I of course, have preordered) and updating my review/rating. I'm REALLY hoping the changes improve the story and are extensive enough to raise this rating because giving it a 2,5/3 star hurts my heart.

All quotes taken from the ARC and are subject to change. ARC received at BEA. ...more

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Feb 04, 2020 ℓуηη, ℓσкιѕℓутнєя¢ℓαω rated it did not like it

Shelves: fantasy-ya, cover-love, standalone, 2019-releases, own, annual-tbr, meh, female-mcs-you-just-want-to-smack, bored-as-hell

Polarthon 2020 🌲❄ Prompt: Cold Word

Finally, FINALLY done. Now I’ve gathered my thoughts 💭 Time to get on with it

I am finally going to attempt to review this. Hang on to your butts for a highly disappointed reader's opinion. It gets 1 highly over-generous star for the brief bit of haunted woods and the cool witchy ancestors

EDIT: Be warned!! This is a highly scathing review! Moreso than I'd intended it to be. #SorryNotSorry

Shea Ernshaw's debut Wicked Deep was a bit slow for me, but I was in a maj ...more

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Nov 07, 2019 alana ♡ rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed-arcs, fantasy, from-publisher

"Others look at me and see a witch. A girl who is dangerous and fearless and full of dark thoughts. But they don't see the parts of me I keep hidden."

Well folks, she did it again.
Welcome to another beautiful world written by Shea Ernshaw.

Winterwood was one of my most anticipated reads for the second half of 2019 and it definitely didn't let me down. It also further solidified that I have a new auto-buy author who is going to steal all my money in the future, but it's fine, totally fine. I do ...more

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Dec 20, 2019 Bri rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

4.75 stars!

Oooo I really enjoyed this book! The first few pages caught my attention right away and I was sucked in so fast. I love books that can grab your attention immediately! It was a real page turner too!

I loved Nora and Oliver. They both seemed like lost souls and found themselves in each other and it was beautiful.

I honestly didn’t see the multiple plot twists coming! I was guessing and guessing what could have possibly happened and I was never right lmao. I also didn’t see that ending co ...more

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Apr 13, 2020 Kat rated it it was amazing

Shelves: library-2

Wow, this book completely draws you in with its lush, atmospheric writing and its dark setting in the woods out in the cold. I fell in love with Shea Ernshaw’s writing with “The Wicked Deep” and her portrayal of witches and a sinister, almost ordinary low-magic world, and this was similarly delightful with Nora Walker, who collects things, and is rumored to be a witch, combing the cold, barren woods with her wolf, and the lost boy she discovers half frozen in the snow.

Things get creepier as the ...more

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Nov 20, 2019 Vee rated it it was ok

Winterwood really captures the feeling of late 2000s YA, where insta-love was everywhere and every protagonist seemed to spend a whole book whining about how hard their life was. Thw Walker women are incredible witches, gothic and mysterious with unusual abilities, able to charm bees, cry lakes and whisper to spiders. Unfortunately we get saddled with Nora, who is bloody annoying.

The story is vaguely (very vaguely) similar to Beware The Wild, a 5 star read where people go missing in a small town ...more

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Oct 09, 2019 ✨Brithanie Faith✨ rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites

4.5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

e-ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start this review by saying that Shea Ernshaw could continue to write stories about witches for the rest of her career and I would continue to devour them as they became available to me!

This spellbinding tale following the Walker women (mainly Nora) and their connection to the enchanted forest near their home would have been enough to keep me hooked from page one, but throw in the mystery sur ...more

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Apr 18, 2020 Mary rated it it was amazing

THE GOOD:

* aaaaAAAHHHH *screech*
* okay, now that I got that out of my system, THIS BOOK YOU GUYS
* Shea’s first book, The Wicked Deep, was my favourite book of 2018, so I was sure I’d love this one too and I was right, she’s rapidly becoming one of my favourite authors
* if you love dark fantasy, you need to pick this up
* it’s atmospheric as FUCK and I am so annoyed I didn’t read it on a snowy day in December, because it would have been utter perfection
* witches and creepy woods and lost boys and ...more

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Oct 31, 2019 Lisa Wolf rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, magic, witches

Rounding up from 3.5 stars.

It's interesting that the blurb mentions Practical Magic -- I definitely got an Alice Hoffman vibe while reading this story. The language is very lyrical and has that tinge of magic that elevates it above ordinary storytelling.

Walkers cannot trust our own hearts -- our slippy, sloppy bleeding hearts. They are reckless, stupid things. Muscles that beat too fast, that cave inward when they break. Too fragile to be trusted.

The plot itself has a haunting setting -- an isol ...more

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Dec 17, 2019 Arielle rated it did not like it

Shelves: forests-ngahere-trees, disappointing, terrible-terrible-books

I rather enjoyed The Wicked Deep, in a summer-read casual kind of way. All salt-encrusted eerieness to balance out the fact that it wasn't exactly groundbreaking.

I expected Winterwood to be at least the same, if not better - and after all, I'm almost as much of a sucker for the forest as I am for the sea.

But not so.

There were two major problems I had with the book: one eyeroll-worthy (knock off a star) and one I can't forgive (knock off all the stars, should not have bothered finishing, wanted t ...more

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Jan 25, 2020 Susan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mystery, cover-art, ya, magical-realism

Winterwood

The title says it all.

Best described as magical realism, it’s a haunting and beautiful story about a mysterious seventeen year old rumored to be a witch by the townspeople.

The central character accepts how others view her. She’s independent, introspective, and wants nothing more than to follow in the footsteps of her strong women ancestors. She was instantly likable.

Self discovery, pride in family, and part love story, in addition to locating a lost teenager are topics covered. The p ...more

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Nov 26, 2019 MariaWitBook rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The most beautiful love story I read this year!

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Nov 28, 2019 TheYALibrarian rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs-read, book-cover-porn, witchy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Rating 3.5 Stars

After being blown away by Ernshaw’s debut The Wicked Deep I was beyond excited to read another book by her. Especially since it seemed to promise another tale full of witches and if you know me I can’t get enough of them. However, as much as I did enjoy listening to this on commutes to work and while doing tedious cleaning around my house, it did not meet my expectations.

Nora Walker has lived in the cabin near the woods and Jack Jaw Lake since she was born. Being from a long line Rating 3.5 Stars

After being blown away by Ernshaw’s debut The Wicked Deep I was beyond excited to read another book by her. Especially since it seemed to promise another tale full of witches and if you know me I can’t get enough of them. However, as much as I did enjoy listening to this on commutes to work and while doing tedious cleaning around my house, it did not meet my expectations.

Nora Walker has lived in the cabin near the woods and Jack Jaw Lake since she was born. Being from a long line of Walker witches, the town folk are quick to judge her and ostracize her. The boys at the Camp for Wayward Boys across the lake also spin tales of Nora. But Nora herself believes she does not have the power her late grandmother and her ancestors before her possessed. Her mother, having her own power to lull bees to sleep, has preferred to keep magic out of her and Nora's life. But she has left for a few weeks to sell honey out of town. And now the road out of Fir Haven is blocked with snow and the power has gone out, making it impossible to leave or enter the town.
On the night of a full moon, Nora enters the Wicker Woods. That is only time she can enter these woods, for they are asleep but any other time they are awake and angry. On these nights lost things can be found within the woods and Nora likes to collect what is found. What she did not expect was to find a boy half buried in snow. Nora had heard that a boy met missing at the Camp for Wayward Boys two weeks ago. And now she has found him. His name is Oliver Huntsman. She leads him out of the woods and to her home where he recovers from hypothermia. He has no memory as to how he ended up in the woods, only bits and pieces of his life before. He remembers his cabin mates Brett, Jasper, and Lynn. But something tells him not to let them know he was back and return to the camp. He has a feeling they have something to do as to why he was lost in the woods.

Time passes and Oliver spends time with Nora. Nora also befriends the popular girl (her name is escaping me sorry) who is also Brett's girlfriend. She spends nights at the cabin with Nora, but never sees Oliver. But Nora has told her Oliver is alive and well and sends the news to Brett.
Nora is invited to the part Brett is throwing at a summer home and is confronted by the three boys. They fear her since she is a witch and lock her in one of the bedrooms when she refuses to tell them where Oliver is. For they know what happened that night and that Oliver should be dead. Not a boy named Max who was also there but is said to be the one who died. Oliver helps her escape the house and Oliver starts to remember more and more about that night. Nora almost drowns falling through the ice of Jack Jaw lake trying to get answers herself for that night.
The night after she almost drowns she is dragged out of bed by the boys who are furious at her for trying to escape. They force her into the Wicker Woods, ignoring her warnings that it is not a full moon and the woods would be awake. Oliver is nowhere to be found in these moments. When the enter the woods the trees come alive and close on in on the group. Jasper, in a fit of rage sets the woods on fire. He is the only one that does not make it out of the woods for the trees drag him underground in retaliation. The whole town starts to burn as the fire spreads fast. Nora goes in search of Oliver and instead finds Max. Max who was hiding out in the summer house this whole time. The pieces come into place that Oliver has never been alive. Nora, having the ability to see ghosts like her ancestors, was the only one who could see him. Oliver recovers all his memory, remembering being forced onto the lake as dare by the boys. Max gets on the frozen lake too and the two fight. Oliver falls through the ice and drowns while Max just watches.

Nora returns to the lake and once again falls through the ice. But she wakes up in the woods that are now whole again like they never burned to begin with. She also finds that time has reversed and that Oliver is alive since the whole night when he drowned never happened. Nora had her own magic the whole time after all, the ability to manipulate time. After that it is said that Nora still got Oliver despite him not remembering any of their romantic moments before when he was dead. Also that she spent the rest of her days in that cabin in fur haven, never truly dying unlike her ancestors, for time is now nothing to her, only a memory.

So what really killed this book from being fantastic is it's predictable plot and repetition. I can't count how many times Nora goes on and on about her family being a line of witches and that she is so ordinary. Also on how everyone treats her like a freak for being a so called witch and yada yada. It's really weird that a modern town even goes on about witches and makes a point to ostracize Nora for it but I digress.
I also knew that Oliver was a ghost to begin with. I really wish that I was a big plot twist that I didn't see coming but it was obvious. It really bugs me when I can see the supposed plot twist from a mile away.
Anyway I don't believe this is worth taking the time to read but that is just my opinion. ...more

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Jul 26, 2020 Porg Brekker rated it it was ok

Shelves: not-buying

Nope Nope Nope.

I have several complaints. I thought the ending would put my rating up a star but this book did a nice job of ruining that with more insta-love nonsense. I'm not going to bother with hiding spoilers so if you actually care about spoilers for this book, don't read this.

My complaints
1. Insta love
2. The constant metaphors
3. The characters
4. The ending

I will warn you again that if you don't want spoilers for everything, don't read this. Leave. Now.

I was interested in this book becaus ...more

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Jul 02, 2020 Nasom rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, fantasy-stand_alone

A boy goes missing. A boy dies. Who's to blame?

This was one atmospheric book. Although it's summer rn, reading this took me back to winter. Also Shea Ernshaw is such a gifted writer!

This book is about 2 people: a girl called Nora who is rumoured to be a witch, and a guy called Oliver, who Nora finds in the woods one day but he doesn’t know how he got there.

There is a lot of mystery surrounding oliver . How did he get into the woods? How did he survive in the woods for weeks when it was winter ...more

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Jan 04, 2020 Angela Staudt rated it really liked it

“Because I am more darkness than girl. More winter shadows than August sunlight. We are the daughters of the wood, my grandmother would whisper.”

So, I read this book in one sitting because the writing draws you in and you don’t want to leave this captivating world. I loved Shea Ernshaw’s The Wicked Deep, so I had quite a good feeling this one would be just as good or even better.

Nora Walker our main character is a witch, just as all the Walker women are. They each have a special magical skill, b ...more

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Nov 19, 2019 Lara rated it liked it

Shelves: fairy-tales, young-adult, fiction, suspense, paranormal, fantasy, mystery, romance

My review

After experiencing the illuminative fairytale that was Ernshaw’s Wicked Deep, and being positively surprised by the eeriness of the atmosphere and winsome romance in the book, I expected a similar impression to be made from November’s release Winterwood. This book, although with a similar concept and the idea just didn’t sit right with me - realizing that I was encompassed by a sense of not quite disappointment, more of a dull indifference, which was a shame considering I see this as a ...more

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Challenge Corner: Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw --> Starting August 8th, 2020	12	11	Sep 10, 2020 09:28AM
the Howling Pack: Winterwood - Part 3: Chapters 21 - 31	2	16	Jan 11, 2020 08:05AM
the Howling Pack: Winterwood - Part 2: Chapters 10 - 20	2	15	Jan 11, 2020 06:43AM
the Howling Pack: Winterwood - Part 1: Prologue to Chapters 8	2	23	Jan 11, 2020 04:10AM
Challenge Corner: December 2019 Standalone BOTM - Winterwood, by Shea Ernshaw	2	6	Dec 24, 2019 12:12PM
the Howling Pack: Winterwood - Part 4: Chapters 32 - Epilogue	1	12	Dec 18, 2019 12:04AM

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About Shea Ernshaw

Shea Ernshaw

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Shea Ernshaw is the New York Times Bestselling author of the YA books: THE WICKED DEEP, WINTERWOOD, and A WILDERNESS OF STARS. As well as her debut adult fiction novel: A HISTORY OF WILD PLACES (2021). She is the winner of the 2019 Oregon Book Award, and both of her YA novels were Indie Next Picks.
She often writes late, late, late into the night, enjoys dark woods, scary stories and moonlight on l ...more